THE-OHOTEÄ^MONTANAN; - - -‘ ----- mr^K~ .- '■j ■* ;•, Us About the, •<*. k ' Custer ( • , . . Fighi' %/-h .'•' * xO.V '. . ; * ‘'.'i" (B ' -. «v\.;;»V ile

By D. F. BARRY, Who Took All of the Photographs Illustrating this Article and Who Holds 4he Copyrights on Them

Thirty-five years ago, June 25th, 1886, a reunidn of the survivors of Reno’s and Benteen’s battalions of the Seventh Cavalry in the Custer fight, was held on the battlefield on the Little Big, Horn on the tenth anni­ versary ' or that disaster. I had the * l. good fortune to be there on that oc­ casion. Chief Gall, one of the great­ est of the Sioux warriors, was there, too, and told the story of the fight as he saw it. I have heard of^a num­ ber of writers who have written al­ leged histories of the Custer fight, who have said they heard Gall tell about the fight on the battlefield that day. For their benefit I might state

D. F. Barry, author and illustrator ¿f this article. that Gall did not talk on the 25th of June. He told his story of the fight on the evening of June 24th to a small group out on the battlefield, starting to talk about 7 p. m. It was 10 o’clock when we left the field to go to our camp. Today, of that few who heard Gall tell about the battle —there are but three living. They are General E. S. Godfrey, Colonel Partello and myself. The others are dead. It has been said that the Sioux and Cheyenne village was surprised at the beginning of the fight. Gall told us that the Indians knew where Custer’s Major Tom McDougall was given command of the pack train by Custer before the latter rode into his last fight. Ho joined Benteen and Reno, and fought through with them until soldiers camped thè night before the Terry and Gibbon arrived and raised the siege. Trumpeter Martin carried Custer’s last orders to Benteen to ‘‘come quick and bring the packs.” Comanche was the only living fight. He said that early In the thing that survived five troops that Custer led into the fight. He was .Captain Keogh’s charger. 1 Wounded» in seven places, he recovered and died at Fort Riley, Kansas, a dozen morning of the battle the Indians saw years later. Dr. H. R. Porter was the only surgeon that survived the Battle of the Little Big Horn. General F. W. Benteen was a gallant soldier, who had much to do with ■*< the soldiers come out of a pass in bringing his and Reno’s men through the fight. The steamer shown is ¿he .Rosebud, a well known boat in the upper Missouri and Yellowstone trade. the hills, and pointed out the pass. He said they saw the command div­ - vvr;r charge of Gall, Rain-In-the-Face, Sit­ ide into three groups and watched ting Bull, Crow King and other noted Indians, said he believed Rain-In-the- Face would kill a man for me if I • r. asked him to do so—and that no one would be the wiser.' He was a crafty, treacherous warrior. I have gone over the field many times. Chief Gall pointed out to us where Crazy Horse was stationed with about 400 Indians in his bunch, fighting General Custer. The chiefs told with pride of the charge Crow King made on Custer in that fight. The last order General Custer sent was to Benteen to bring the packs. That order was given to Trumpeter Martin to deliver to Gen eral Benteen. Martin reached Ben­ teen and delivered the order, but by that time there were too many In­ dians between Benteen and Custer for Martin to be able to return. When the men of the Seventh cav­ alry first saw the Sioux and Cheyenne village off in the distance, they were eager to fight. Lonesome Charlie Charlie Reynolds, who knew that de­ Reynolds, the famous scout, said: feat and death would result .from "Boys, if we attack that village, we the attack on the Sioux village, and will get more fight than we want." Rain-in-the-Face, a fierce and crafty who died bravely with Reno’s com­ He was right about it. Poor Charlie, fighter, who took credit for killing mand on the river bottom. he was killed in the valley with Reno. Captain Tom Custer and mutilating That brave old fighter, General his body. He hated this brother their progress toward the Little Big Benteen summed up the cause for de­of the general, and rejoiced in the Horn, where the Indian village was. feat this way: >‘Too many Indians; opportunity for revenge. They even decided that the "big good riders, good shots and the best Chief,” meaning Custer, must be with fighters the sun ever shone on." started toward the timber along the the command that was marching to fight the big chiei ” The reasoning Sitting Bull was a medicine manriver at the last, but they were met the left of them, which was correct. of the Indians, the r generalship and and undoubtedly had power in thatby Rain-in-the-Face and his band and Asked why they thought Custer wastheir fighting abili y have never been line. Officers and newspaper men wore all killed before they could get with that group, Gall replied "be­ excelled in Indian always wanted to interview him—back to where Custer was fighting cause they made the most dust.” that was his long suit. Gall, Crazyin skirmish line. That also was undoubtedly true, be­Gall said he too Horse, Crow King and other real This historic battle will he written cause Custer had five cavalry troopsing Reno’s comma warriors, would refuse to talk. John and rewritten by hot air historians been wiped out. F. Finnerty, James Creelman and theuntil the end of time. Probably more ) One very moderi Montana histor­ other newspaper men who were on lies have been written about this ian recently claims! he watched the the old frontier in those days made fight than any other that ever took fight early in the norning from a Sitting Bull famous- place; Most of the men who rode high hill nearby am saw the finish. Some writers have said that Custerout that morning with Custer and I might state for hi benefit that the reached and even crossed the LittleReno and Benteen are sleeping the fight took place in t e afternoon and Big Horn before he was driven back. sleep that knows no waking, and that there is no hifh hill near the Gall said Custer never reached thewhat is written now cannot hurt Custer field. This an even has the river. He said he never saw menthem. But it is a pity that a true nerye to say he he ged Sitting Bull fight so hard. He said it took about story of the fight cannot he written not to mutilate Cuser’s body. When 35 minutes to wipe out Custer’s com­and generally accepted, so that future As, Sitting Bull came n the field the mand. He said some of the men generations will know the facts. fight was all over ind so was the work of scalping -a: 1 mutilation. Sitting Bull, who he arrived, made a talk, praisii; the Indians for killing all of Custei i men. He said: ‘We will go to our :amp and dance. We 'have lost only a few people. When the other so iers find out we have killed all of, tise soldiers, they will be glad to go way/ Many writers atut the Custer fight have said the Rain-in-the-Face Major Reno, about whose head was wounded in tlit battle. He was storm of controversy beat after the not, but bis horse jas shot and killed AV Custer fight. He was’dishonorablyjust as he came fit of the timber. discharged from the army in 18S0 In 1887, 11 yearsiater, Rain-in-the- Chief Gall a great fighter and Indian general, whose strategy and leader­ as the result of a drunken brawl.Face was on a bufllo hunt, and when ship at the Little Big Horn had much to do with Custer’s defeat. - Reno had a brilliant Civil war his horse stumblechis Colt’s revolver This was the first photograph ever taken of Gall. . record. —which he had p ked up in the Cus­ ter fight—was ac dentally discharg­oner. Dr. H. R. Porter, the only one Captain Tom Custer was terribly mu­ with him, while Reno and Benteen ed, wounding hli in the knee. He of the three surgeons who survivedtilateci.' had three each, and McDougall onlyalways limpedat r that. the fight, who examined the bodies I am sorry, to say that I am afraid the one in charge of the pack train- Most historian of the fight say after the battle, denies this and saysmy friend,, .Rain-in-the-Face, was a Gall said further that he, Crazythat - Rain-In-the ace cut Captain the heart was not.rempved. 1 have bad Indian. „Major James McLaugh- Horsev,Crow King, and Rain-In-the- Tom Custer^, he t out, as he hateda letter from General Benteen in lin, Who has’been in tlie Indian ser- Face'went out to fight ‘ Custer’s fivethat officer for 1 atment he had re­ which he said he'would make oath vices for ‘ 50 years and the* ’greatest companies because they "wanted toceived at Fort Iicoln while a pris­ to that. It ,is true, however, that man Jn that service today, who had Where Reno