Worcester Democrat and the ledger-enterprise. (Pocomoke City, Md.) 1921-1953, 1923-03-17
SURVIVED CUSTER
FIGHT, He SAYS
Farmer Declares He Was Mem.
Der of Famous Seventh Cav.
airy In Historic Massacre.
MEMORY 4 BLANK "a YEARS
impaired Mentality, Due to Wound In
Fight, Caused Indians to Spare
His llfe-Gets Aid for Pen.
sion Claim.

McAee C1ty, N. J.-CnarleS hay
ward. a seventy-year-old farmer who
lives here, says he Is a survivor Of the
Custer massacre, when General George
A. Custer and his Seventh cavalry
were slaughtered by the Ogalala
Sioux at the Little Big Horn river
June Is, 1875. The histories Of the
event have always stated that not q
single white man survived Clusters
impetuous attack against force that
outnumbered his ten to one. But Hay
wards story Is sufficiently credible to
have impressed Representative Isaac
Bacharach, who Intends to lay before
the authorities at Washington Hay
wards claim for a pension based on
his war services under Custer.
Private In Seventh Cavalry.
Hayward says he was q private In
Company I Of the Seventh cavalry
when it was detached by General
Terry as one Of three bodies Of troop
ers ordered to attack what was sup.
posed to be small body Of Indians
near the confluence of the Big Horn
and the Little Big Horn rivers. And
Representative Bacharach has
searched the records and found that
there was In Company I Of the Sew
enth cavalry during its Indian cam
Raigns private named Charles Hay
ward.
To continue Hayward's account. The
main body Of the Sioux suddenly ap-
peared and cut or from the white
forces 264 men in Clusters command.
The cavalrymen formed the customary
circular barricade Of slain horses and
fought the Indians, who, according to
Hayward, outnumbered them three to
one, In contrast to the "ten to one"
stated In the New International Ency-
clopaedia. Hayward, as he tells Rep
resentative Bacharach, was wounded
land went half out Of his mind" the
latter fact later saving his life. He
climbed to the back of a wounded horse
and started to flee. But not far from
the barricade behind which Clusters
men were rapidly being shot down his
horse was shot again. falling and pin
ming it's rider underneath.
Memory 10 impaired.
OF what happened after that Hay.
ward says he remembers nothing.
Later he was told that he had been
found by Indians, who spared his
life because Of his impaired mental
ity. They put him to work and kept
him In servitude until 1900. In that
year he was sent one day to fetch a
bucket Of water. and while bending
over q bubbling spring his mind
cleared suddenly and completely. as
quickly as 1t had become clouded "a
years before. Then he made his es-
cape, still carrying with him the old
headquarters flag of the Seventh cav
airy wound about his waist.
When q few years later. he moved to
Atlantic county, N. J.. he entered q
claim with the pension Office at Wash
ington for an annuity. But on &C
count Of his previous lapse Of memory
he was unable satisfactorily to sub.
stantiate his assertions or to relate
his record in detail. Therefore the
officials refused to believe his story
and his pension was disallowed.
Since then he has repeatedly pc
titioned the bureau chiefs at the capt.
tai for an audience. but has had none
Representative Bacharach, however. Is
going to examine thoroughly the old
farmers romantic story, and II he is
entitled to a pension he will try to
get 1t for him. Hayward bears upon
his body scars, which he displays with
pride. stating that they are the last
yestiges of the wounds he received
while fighting under Custer ut the
Little Big Horn.