The Carbon County chronicle. [volume] (Red Lodge, Mont.) 1924-1924, 1924-10-01

authority ON pioneering life of the
early West, takes Issue with one,
Frank FlecS, age 90, a eo-cailed
survivor OF the battle of the Lit
tie Rig Horn 1.-THE Custer Massa-
GREY, who In AN article appearing
recently In Minnesota newspapers.
In which state Eleck has been de-
livering lectures, gives an account
of the memorable battle.
In calling attention to the article
of Fleck, and his claims made there
In, Mr.. Barry states, in part, as fol-
lows:
"From his twisted and warped
facts, Fleck was never in the bat
tie. The article published by Fleck
states that Fleek enlisted in the reg
'uar army in 1867 going from To
ledo With 16 other recruits, and was
assigned TO the Seventh u s. cavalry
In 1876 he was one of the cavalry
detail that captured the Indian
chief. Rain-ln-the-Face and placed
him in prison OF Fort Lincoln, Me-
braska. The chief afterwards es-
capped and was one OF Clusters Bit
terest enemies.
The Seventh cavalry was sta
toned In the northwest and waged
continuous warfare upon the Sioux
under Chief Sitting Bull states this
man Fleck Before the battle of the
Little Big Horn, where Custer and
his men met death, at the hands Of
the Sioux, Custer divided his forces
into two parts, one commanded by
himself and the oher by Colonel
Reno.
Lost Entire Command
"IIe had planned Ia strike the
Indians from two sides and demor-
alize them. but instead he suffered
the loss of HIS entire command and
Reno and his men narrowly escaped
humiliation. Just before the en-
gagement Custer detailed so men TO
gnard the supplies, and with this de-
tail Fleck was stationed
1--WE were separated from the
other men but n short time, said
Fleck, when we saw that they were
being surrounded by the Sioux.
There was no commissioned officer In
our detail, but we Immediately de-
| termined to follow the trail of Re-
nos command We lost the trail
and came out 80 or 40 rods to the
left OF the position occupied by Re
nos men.
Faced Deadly Fire.
" We had Just reached the top OF
the bluff when a band of savagea
seemed to rise out of the ground
but fifty feet distant and poured q
deadly fire into our detail We
we're completely overwhelmed and
in a short time every trooper except
myself and trooper named Frank
Knapp OF Milwaukee had been killed.
Knapp was shot through the
hip and had four bullet wounds and
an arrow wound One bullet passed
through my left wrist and the same
ball or another pierced my shoulder.
| Another bullet entered my right leg
and a fourth my right side Both
of our horses were shot from under
us, and In falling my mount rolled
ON my legs and pinned me to the
ground | lay for four days with
that dead horse on my legs before
some Of Reno's men got me and
4 carried me from the field
Knapp was shot on the third day
when he peered over the carcass OF
Flecks dead horse and on the fourth
day the Indians withdrew fearing re-
Inducements, Flick further states.
Reno's men then picked up Flick and
withdrew from the field.
I'm withdrawing from the field,
Fleck states, he passed over the
scene OF Clusters last stand and saw
the mangled and mutilated bodies OF
the brave general and his men, and
that Cuser's body was 80 mutilated
that II was scarcely recognizable,
Mr.. Barry continues.
Article liz Amusing.
"Fleck's article amuaes me-" Mr..
Barry states In reply. First. Sitting
: Bull was not chief, he was a Sioux
medicine man. Second. Rain-in-the-
Face did not hate General Custer.
Gennral Custer and Mrs. Custer were
kind 10 him. when he wns prisoner
in the guard house at Fort A. Lin
coin, North Dakota. Third, he don't
| say where they captured Rain-ln-the-
Face, although he claims to have ta-
ken part in that
Body Not MutiIatcd.
| Reno and Benteen left the Reno
| Hill. on the Twenty-seyenth, when
| General Terry came up and proceed
ed TO the field where General Custer
| and his command fell General Gus
| ter's body was not mutilated at all.
/ "Fleck states he is 60 years old
| now The Custer fight took place As
4 years ago last June. From his state
ment he must have been IL or 13
Il years Of age at the time No child
rem took part in that fight with GEN
eral Custer. Fleck tells about his
II friend Knapp, who lived I'm Milwau-
kee. There was no person killed in
the Custer fight by the name OF
Il Knapp.
II Headed for Canada.
ION the tewenty-seventh day OF
II June the Indians broke camp and
headed for Canada as soon as they
II learned from their scout that General
Terry and the infantry were coming.
II seems strange that II Fleck was
with the pack train. he did not
II know who was in command. Rain
II in-the-Face was captured in the trad
ing store at Standing Rock, North
Il Dakota, and was taken to Fort Lin
coin, North Dakota. II Fleck is go
Il ing to continue lecturing on the
II Custer fight and as survivor of
that famous battle, he had better