Year: 1876




Antecedents OF tho Little Horn Mas


We print in another place two noteworthy
and instructive letters written from General
Clusters command two or three days pre-
vious to the disastrous battle. The infor-
nation they convey will materially assist
the judgment of the public in forming q
correct estimate of the appalling disaster
which has SO shocked the country. One of
these interesting letters is written by an
officer of great distinction, who was fully
fell in the massacre and the other by our
lamonted correspondent, Mr. Kellogg who
was also one of the victims. The value of
their letters lies in the fact that they give
an authentic and entirely trustworthy
count of the plans, movements and expecta-
tions which preceded the battle, given be-
fore there was any temptation to color the
facts for purposes of exculpation. They are
of great Importance in fixing tho RESPONSE
bility for what afterward occurred.


OF the blame which these letters impute
to Major Reno we will express no opin-
ion. He had justly earned the reputa-
ton of brave and faithful officer, and prob
ably some passion, or ut least some i'm
patience, is mingled with the severe stric-
lures on his conduct, made while his alleged
blunder and disobedience of orders were
fresh in the minds of his critics. But the
things alleged against him throw an impor-
tant light on the views entertained by his
superior officers respecting the method Of
dealing with Sitting Bull and his Indians.
The gist of the complaint against Major
Reno is that by deviating from the route pre-
scrihed in his orders he incurred the risk of
alarming the Sioux and enabling them to
escape. It is plain from these letters that
the whole anxiety of General Terry and Gen
eral Custer was to find Sitting Bull and
prevent his GLIDING pursuit. There was no
doubt at all that he could be easily beaten
wherever he might be encountered, the chief
objects of the campaign having been first
to find him, then to prevent his escape.
This being the predominant idea Of the cam
paign, what was more natural than that
General Custer, when he had what he sup
posed to be the good fortune of falling in
with the Sioux, should attack them at once,
before they had ON opportunity to escape?
Our previous letters from the scene of action
showed that Clusters scouts brought him in
telligence that the Indians, when they had
discovered them, gave signs of preparing
for q retreat This may have been a ruse,
but it SO exactly Tailed with the expecta-
tions of General Terry and all the other Off
GERS that the Indians would get away if they
could, that General Custer was justified
in acting on it. He accordingly gave orders
for a vigorous attack on the instant, lest the
long search for the Indians, at last crowned
with success, should be rendered abortive
by the hasty escape of the foe. With
the information he had, we do not
see how he could have acted otherwise.
Had he let Sitting Bull escape after so much
pains to find him, he would have incurred
the indignant censure of every army officer
and of the whole country. Inconsiderate
and ungenerous minds have blamed him for
not awaiting the arrival of Terry and Gibbon
before making the attack. But if he had
waited and given the Indians an opportunity
to run away, what would have been said of
him? Or rather, what would not have been
said of him? Had he waited two days for
the arrival of Terry and Gibbon Sitting
Bull would have escaped and Custer would
have been denounced for letting him go.
The letters we print to-day prove con-
clusively that if Custer had tried to excuse
himself for not attacking when his scouts
told him the Indians were preparing to re-
treat, on the pretence of waiting for rein
forcements, he would have been hooted and
derided. He promptly did his duty accord
ing to the lights he had, and the country
will always honor his memory.