The Manning times. [volume] (Manning, Clarendon County, S.C.) 1884-current, 1922-03-29

Custer, commanding the Seventh
Cavalry, divided his forces to the |
north and south Of the junction of the
Big Horn with the Little Big Horn,
and with five companies, containing
208 men, dashed at the center of the
Sioux position, whose strength he had
underestimated. He was pushed back,
completely surrounded, and his COM
mand killed to a man. When stwo
days later Captains Gibbon and Terry
came upon the bloody scene and wired
their report to Washington it is little
wonder that the country was thrilled
with the horror of the story.
1t is to be noted that in the accept
ed historical records, the killing of
Custer and his troops looms large
even to this day while comparatively
no mention is made of our violation
of the Black Hills Treaty which led
up to the Indian nsurrcction Of
which the Custer massacre was an in
cident. One must search carefully to
| find mention of the fact that Custer
| and his command killed more than
100 Indians in an engagement at
Horn fight. Possibly this Washita in
cident is regarded by the Indians
much as we have all along regarded
the later fight-as "butchery" and
q massacre"
| For the sake of the sharp light of
| contrast, let me cite briefly the ac-
cepted historical version of the san
culinary struggle in which Custer was
killed before coming to the version
related to me by an Indian partici-
pant still surviving among the nations
wards on the Sioux reservation in
North Dakota.
The Indian outbreak followed for
the violated treaty that robbed them
of their lands. In the Big Horn at
tack, Clusters plan was to converge
upon the hostiles in three columns
Gibbon from the west, Crook from
the south and Terry from the east
Terry's division included the famous
Seventh Cavalry under Custer, 6OC
strong. In advancing from the south
Cook was hindered by repeated at
tacks and delayed; Terry moved up
the Yellowstone as far as the Rose.
bud, where he made fortified camp
Custer moved around to the south
and up the Rosebud to drive the In.
dians down the Big Horn into fire
, of the larger force that was to marcf
up stream; he sent Reno with sever
companies across the Big Horn tt
. descend it and attack from the west
Before he could do this, he was him
: self attacked and held on the dcfcn
5 sive for I'd hours. Custer, with the re
7 naming five companies, came upon
t the Sioux camp and without hesita
1 ton charged the Indians. The par
ticulars of the fight can never b.
t clearly known, for every white MAJ
| engaged was killed. It was all owe
t in 20 minutes. Curlcy, Clusters scou
e wrapped himself in Sioux blanke
e and alone escape.
4 Our history continues: "Gibbol
and Terry, ascending the Big Horn
y came upon the bodies of Custer an,
I his companions two days after tn
e massacre. Custer had been shot il
1 the left temple, and his was the onl.
0 body that was not mutlated." I
was found that the Seventh Cavalr
: lost 261 killed and 81 wounded. Terr
s having lost So killed, escaping tn
:. fate of Clusters force by retreat t.
e the west bank.
n Recently there appeared the stor
n of survivor who says: @! was i
: the thick of the fight on the Littl
t Big Horn from start to finish, sa,
y the first man fall by my side an
$ lived through the two days battle t
g help bury General Custer and hi
G gallant men," Continuing, he dc
L scribes the finding of the bodic:
It "The bodies Of Custer and the me
h trapped with him were in an inds
criminate heap. The Indians ha