The Coolidge examiner., 1934-12-07

his people were no more hostile then than they
had been when members OF this same band were
the victims OF Colonel Chvngton and his Colo
rado troops al the sand Greek massacre. But
Sheridan's orders were Ia effect TO "kiii Indians"
and Custer didn't stop TO end out whether the
village into which be charged that cold Novem-
Der morning vas occupied by friendly or hostile
Indians
His tactics NJ the washita were the same as
those which brought disaster less than ten years
iatcr-a division OF his command and headlOug
attack 0u nn enemy whose numbers un-
known. But be soon found that be had stirred
up hornets nest. FOR Black Kettles village was
only one OF several along the washita. Threat
cned By warriors from the others. Custer hastily
withdrew. even though Maj Joel Elliott and 10
men In his detachment were sill unaccOunted
FOR Lieutenant Godfrey had reported hearing
sounds of firing which indicated that Elliott was
In distress But Custer dlsregarded this and
marched away leaving Elliott TO bis fate.
His hasty withdrawal Indicates that he had
lost for the moment at least, his belief that the
Seventh could whIp all the Indians on the plains
But he lost something else at the washita-the
undivided faith and admiration Of the regiment
and the confidence oG sone OF his officers From
that time on the Seventh cavalry was a regi-
ment divided against itself Nor during the next
eight years was Custer able TO DO anything
which restored that shattered faith
During the Yellowstone expedition OF 1878 he
had one run-in with bis superior officer. General
Stanley. and received severe rebuke which
caused him TO be goud thereafter-at least. so
far as obeying orders vas concerned But he
did rush into reckless hght with the Sioux
which nearly ended disastrously for him and
which gave him dangerous scorn for the Sioux
foemen His expedition into the Black Hins
49, - -
ness OF the gold there brought him a neeting
moment OF fame, but this was soon oyershad-
owed by the disgrace which overlook him when
he became embrolled In the Belknap scandal
Belknap. President Grants secretary OF war.
was accused OF graft In connection with suter
contracts at the army posts and mpeached by
congress Custer talked too much"-clalmed
knowledge which he did not have. Summoned to
Washington TO testify, he made a sorry witness.
He was rash as TO involve the Presi-
dents brother. 0rville Grant 10 charges which
be could not prove and TO insinuate guilty knowl-
edge OF frontier graft by the President himself.
Naturally Grant resented all this. So Custer
was not only deprived OF the command OF the
expedition which 10 be sent against the
hostile Sioux from Fort Abraham Lincoln In
North Dakota but was even forbidden TO 20 with
H. he made frenzed appeals 10 Sherman. com
mander In chief OF the army. TO Alfonso Taft,
the new secretary OF war and TO Grant himself.
But none OF them availed and this time not even
his friend, Sheridan. could help him. Finally he
appealed to General Terry. who was to command
the expedition. and IL was Terry who succeeded
In getting him restored TO the head OF his regi-
ment- II win be seen later how Custer repaid
that favor.
Chief among the points In the controversy
that has ragged about Clusters defeat and death
on the Little Big Horn is the question of whether
or not he deliberately dlsobeyed Terry's orders
thereby breaking up plan OF campaign against
the Indians which might have been successful
Van De Waters conclusion is that he did delib-
erately disobey. that he intended from the first
10 swing clear of Terry" and by winning q
smashing victory over the Sioux to regain favor
with his superiors. So the Glory Hunter gam
bed-and lost
When he lost he brought death not only to
himself but 10 more than 300 others. And among
them were three OF his own blood-Capt. Tom
Custer. troop commander in the Seventh. Bos-
ton Custer and "Autie" Reed. the son OF his
half-sster Lydia, who had been second moth
er" to him Another Of the Custer clan whose
life was 10 be blghted by what took place on
June %, 1876. was his sister, Margaret Emma
Custer, the wife Of Lieut. James Calhoun. who
perished on the hill above the Little Big Horn.
G by Western Newspaper Union