Year: 1876

twenty or tWenty'nve niles DISTANT IRON
the last named camp.


Sitting Bull sent him to ascertain
whether Major Mitchell would allow the
hostiles to come in and trade for ammu.
milton. Mr.. Mitchell despatched mes
senger to his camp to inform him that
they could get no ammunition here or
on this reservation, but if they desired
to come in, surrender their arms, and
all government property in their pos
session, he would treat them kindly,
and provide for them until he could re.
ceive instructions from the head Of his
department. He will receive q reply
from Sitting Bull within ten days or
two weeks. #.


Little Buck Elk stated that he was in
the fight in which Custer.and his men
were killed and that eleven different
tribes were in the engagement. He
stated that the Indians were as thick as
bees at the fight; that there were in fact
so many that they could not all take
part in it; that some of the whites call
the Soldiers towards, but they were
not. They were brave men and fought
we'll; that some of them, when they
found themselves surrounded and over
powered, broke through the lines and
tried to make their escape, but were
pursued and killed miles from the bat
battle-ground. One soldier who had
faster horse than the rest, made his es-
cape into the bad lands, and after he
had ridden seven or eight miles from
where the fight took place, accidentally
ran into a war party of Indians and
was killed bv them. This soldier rode
big horse with faxen name, but it was
not known whether he was an officer or
not. He stated that they captured six
battle flags, and that no soldiers were
taken alive, but after the fight the wo-
men went among the dead bodies and
robbed and mutilated them.


That after Custer and his men were
killed they attacked Reno and surround
ed his command on p. mill, and that the
soldiers dug hole3, got into them and
fought, but 4 Gen. Terry's force had
mad not ccme up when they did Reno
and his whole force would have been
killed also. .. .~-


He states further that there were
plenty of watches and money taken from
the bodies of the dead soldiers, and that
the young men are now wearing them.
He promised Major Mitchell that if the
watch belonging to Lieutenant Critten-
den could be found he would deliver it
to him.


He says they have tried to keep the
the number lost by them from being
known, but that there is no use in lying,
about it-that they had over one hun
dred killed in the fight and also that it
was not known at the time Of the fight
that Gen. Custer was in command and
was killed. ....


Major Mitchell told him that Lieut..
Crittenden was the only child of his
parents and that his death had almost
broken their hearts. His answer was,
"You say that the parents of Lieut..
Crittenden loved him; that he was their
only child, and that they are sorely
grieved at his death. You can there
fore judge of the sorrow Of the parents
of those young men found by the whites
after the battle lying dead in the lodge.
They were all brave and promising
young men and the grief of their par
ents is very great"


He states that after Generals Terry
and Crook formed junction the army
marched within full view of the Indian
camps. but the soldiers did not offer to
attack them nor they the soldiers.


He says the hostiles do not want to
fight the soldiers, but that they have
Joined together to drive the whites out
of the Black Hills; that whites had sent
presents of tobacco to the hostile camps
and wanted them to 60 to the lower
agencies to make a treaty of peace but
Sitting Bull objected to their going in
yet. ...


If the relatives of the soldiers who
were robbed of their watches and other
valuables after they were killed, would
send description Of the same to Major
Mitchell, I think that some Of them
might be recovered as I know that he
would do all that lay in his power for
the relatives Of the deceased soldiers.


In reply to the question "where do
you get your ammunition" he answer
ed, "the soldiers brought it to US,
(meaning that they had taken it from
the bodies of the dead) and the traders
from the Burning grounds furnish us
with some." He states that the Burn
ing grounds embrace country extend
ing from south of the Black Hills to the
Platte River.


Having noticed in the papers that
person named Ridgeiy claims to have
been captive in the hands of the hos
l