Plentywood herald. [volume] (Plentywood, Mont.) 1908-current, 1929-02-21
California Veteran Writes
"True Story ' of Battle of
Little Big Horn Inn 1876

WHAT prompted Captain Benteen to
w take his command to the hills
" when he was ordered by Gen.
George A. Custer to follow down
Greasy Grass creek on the day that
Custer met his defeat and his band
was entirely wiped out by the Sioux
that has never been answered, accord
ing to Henry M. Brinkerhoff, late SER
geant of G troop, 7th United States
cavalry, who now resides in Los An
geles, Calf, and who IA present when
Benteen was given his last command
by Custer.
Mr.. Brinkerhoff, n of the few sur
vivors Of the famous Custer battle in
Big Horn county, SO years ago last
June, has written what he terms a
true" story of the battle and is now
seeking an appropriation from the state
legislature to finance the preparation
of this story SO it may be placed in
the files of the Montana Historical Ii
brary. He has also written several in
teresting sidelights of the struggle
against the red men, including person.
al glimpses Of some of the commanders.
Recalls Orders
Mr.. Brinkerhoff tells of Custer CIV
ing commands to the other officers on
the fatal day and how he divided the
men for the attack.
June "a, 1876, was quite an exciting
day." said Mr.. Brinkerhoff. About 2
D. m. we crossed a large Indian trail
going directly north and coming from
the south, and we then knew that the
agency Indians were on their way to
join the hostile Sioux camp. All signs
pointed to the fact that there we're a
great many warriors in the bunch, as
the trail at some places on the crossing
OF the Rosebud river was a mile wide.
I'VE had followed the Rosebud since
we broke camp and expected to follow
it until we dropped Over IN the Little
Big Horn river side. Gen. Custer was
very much excited and finally spotting
Bloody Knife, a full blooded Sioux, but
a friendly scout, and myself, he called
us to him and told me to ask Bloody
Knife how many Indian warriors he
thought there were in the trail. l did
81 and Bloody Knife said that he did
not understand. Custer demanded a
positive answer and Bloody Knife told
to tell him to go count the spears
Of grass on the hills and he'd tell how
many Indians there were there.
Custer said he vas crazy and then
ordered the command to start at once.
We followed the Rosebud about another
10 miles when Custer decided to go
into camp and send the scouts out to
watch the Indian village, if it could
be located and report him their find
ingS the next morning as early as pos
sible.
The next morning at daybreak the
command was waiting on the ridge for
the return of the scout watchers and
when they came they reported they
had located the Sioux village about Is
miles down on the Little Big Horn
river, in a large valley and that there
were many Indians there but all was
quiet. 1t was reported that General
Clusters intentions, after being fully
informed where the Indians were, was
to move his command four or five
miles down from the ridge and conceal
his men in some ravines that were
heavily covered with scrub oak, as we
were then following a creek known to
the Indians as Greasy Grass creek, but
later known as Reno creek.
I'VE had proceeded several miles
when Captain Yates reported to Gen
eral Custer that he had left two boxes
OF hard bread at the place where we
stopped during the night before on the
ridge, as the mules were Over-packed.
Custer asked what they were over
packed with and Yates told him with
bedding and cooking utensils. Custer
told him to throw the bedding to hell
and send a pack mule back under es-
cort to get the hard bread, because, if
we defeated the Indians and had to
follow them, we might be out Of ra-
tiOnS.
Decided to Attack
"a sergeant, two men and a pack
mule were sent back at once for the
provisions and when they reached it,
they discovered two Indians enjoying
a feast. They Immediately ran away
when they saw the soldiers approach
ing. When the sergeant returned and
reported this to Captain Yates and he
in turn to Custer, we knew then that
We were discovered and General Custer
decided to make an immediate attack.
Il was standing within Is feet of
Custer waiting for my orders when
he said, "the first five troops reporting
for action, I will take, the next three
that report, Reno, you take; the next
three, Benteen, you take and the last
troop to report will be the rear guard
and will see that the pack train fol-
lows in my direct trail.
After Custer instructed the differ
n officers as TO the number OF troops
they would have he then outlined their
duties thus:
major Reno, you take your COM
mand and follow down this Greasy
Grass creek until you come to the Lit
tie Big Horn river, cross the river and
sweep everything ahead of YOU
Nov here is where the great ques-
ton starts" said Mr.. Brinkerhoff.
"Benteen's orders were," according to
his tale, "'to go to the hills south and
west Of them, jump in and drive off
everything he saw and he, Custer,
would follow down the creek until he
came to a suitable opening to strike
north, until he knew he was below the
Indian village, then he would drop
down and strike the village from the
north.
las we were going down the Little