Belt Valley times. [volume] (Armington, Mont.) 1894-1977, 1926-06-03


the popular fancy and dominates this engage
ment that 1t probably will never be known gen.
orally by any other name than Clusters Last
Fight, or Clusters Last Rally or more commonly
talbeit inaceurateiy1 the Custer Massacre.
Plans for the semi-centennial celebration Of this
famous engagement are under the direction of the
National Custer Memorial association, organized
last year In Montana but including In its mem
bership a score of persons nationally known who
are prominent in the work of patriotic societies
and perpetuation Of historical spots. One Of them
Is Gen. E. S. Godfrey. U. s. A., retired who was
a lieutenant In Clusters regiment the Seventh
cavalry, on that fateful day fifty years ago.
The program calls for participation In the cele
bration by the present personnel OF the Seventh
cavalry now stationed at Fort Bliss, Texas, and
Sioux and Cheyenne Indians the sons and grand
Sons Of the savage warriors who overwhelmed
Clusters men on the Little Big Horn. The Unit
ed States government is cooperating $4,000 hav-
ing been appropriated by congress recently for
the transportation of the troops to and from the
celebration. Congress has also passed bin au-
thorizIng the secretary Of the Interior to ACQUIRE
a tract Of land OF 100 acres the site Of the fight
between the Indians and the detachments COM
manded by Major Reno and Captain Benteen.
which a part Of the Custer battle and 70
erect on 1t suitable monument and historical
tablet. the dedication of which VIII be part Of
the celebration. But the most Interesting part
OF It all will be the march of the Seventh under
Colonel Lee from the mouth OF the Rosebud
river, beginning at noon on June % and following
the route taken by Custer and HIS doomed men,
They will arrive on the Custer battlefield the
property OF the federal government upon which a
monument was erected many years ago on the
morning OF June %. There they will be met by
the Indians and formal ceremony symbolical OF
the "burying of the hatchet' between red men
and white will take place
Thus In celebration which Is attracting ma
W hn Cd
which shocked the entire nation a half century
ago, echoes OF which have been heard every wear
Of the fifty that have interviewed since Americas
"Six Hundred" rode into their Valley OF Death .
The story Of this battle Is 30 weIl-known that II
needs repetition here It has been told and 70
told 50 often that there seems to be little thai Il
new TO tell again. Over II has ragged many a bit-
ter controversy and around 1t has sprung m a
great mass OF tradition, myth misinfornafion
and sheer bunk" Fortunately, however II has
had It's historians who have worked Industrious
ly to "debunk" the story OF the Custer battle and
although there still many details over which
there Is, and always VIII be. a chance for dis
agreement in the main certain facts which have
been oftenest distorted have been established
In their true light.
First Of ALL the Custer battle was not the
Custer Massacre as It is so often called Gus
ter attacked the Indians and fought desperately
until he and all OF the 212 men Ia the FIVE com
panies Of the Seventh which accompanied him
were killed But there was ambush no slauRh-
ter Of unarmed men, none OF the other factors
which would justify calling this battle q mas
1acre.
One OF the points over which there has been
he most acrimonious debate Is whether or NOT
Custer disobeyed the orders Of his superior ON
ser. Gen. A. II. Terry, and by his dlsobedieucs
brought disaster upon himself In many respects
mis- disputs resolves itself into an academic aFmsr
q which there can be no solution without q strict
imitation Interpretation and definition OF TIA
erms used In the debate Opinion on this maffer
8 ab0ut equally divided GeneraI Godfrey q ths
Bost eminent amonR those who believe that the
anaasgz dd not rsaulf from disobedlsncs az orders
nd the general Il probably as wen gnallned a.
nTons In fhe weird 10 make q positive state
aent Ia khka regard