"As told by his wife Elizabeth Bacon Custer"
THE PONCHATOULA TIMES
DECEMBER 1, 1983
FINAL EPISODE
Already General Alfred Terry had
been appointed to lead the new
Indian campaign, At a meeting with
General Terry in St. Paul Minnesota,
Custer begged for his help and Terry
agreed. He sent a telegram that
Custer would be very valuable with
his regiment and there was no doubt
about that, for Terry's practical
knowledge of Indian fighting was nil.
He also begged Grant, as one soldier
to another to let him accompany his
regiment. And Sheridan endorsed it
and Grant gave in. He needed pub-
licity and he invited Mark Kellog, a
New York Herald correspondent to
accompany him. Sherman wired:
"Do not take any newspaper re-
porters along."
Sheridan's plan for the campaign
against the Sioux was for a three
pronged attack by three columns,
any one of which was thought capa-
ble of crushing any concentration of
hostile Indians. General Crook was
to head one column from Fort Fetter-
man to cut off escape of Indians to
the south. General Gibbon was to
bring a column from Fort Ellis in the
west to cut retreat from the north
west, while Terry's column from
Dakota would come in from the east,
There was no room in the fort for
women and I went upstream to
Bismark, writing at the time: "When
we finally reached the termination of
the road at Bismark. another train
was starting back to St. Paul. The
street was full of people, wildly
expostulating and talking loudly and
fiercely. It appeared that this was the
last train of the season.,. The pass-
engers were mostly Bismark citizens,
whose lawless lives as gamblers and
murderers had outraged the senti-
ments of the few law-abiding resb
dents. They had forced them to
depart. We could see those outlaws.
crowding at the door. hanging out of
the windows, swearing and men-
acinq and finally firing on the
retreating crowd as the cars passed
out of town. I was inclined to remain
a fixture in our car; to step down into
such a melee was too much for my
courage. The general made allow-
ance for my fears, and we were
quietly slipped out on 'he other side
of the depot, hurried into the
ambulance, and driven to the river
"! have had no trouble with
Custer and will try to avoid
having any, but ! have seen
enough of him to convince me
that he is a coldblooded,
untruthful, and unprincipled
man. He is universally despised
by all the officers of his regi-
ment, excepting his relatives
and one or two sycophants. He
brought a trader in the field
without permission, carries an
old negro woman with a cast
iron cooking stove, and delays
the march often by his extensive
packing up in the morning. As i
said ! will try but am not sure I
can avoid trouble with him." (In
a letter to his wife General D.S.
Stanley : Personal Memoirs,
Cambridge 1917)
On June 17, 1876 Crazy Horse
drove General Crook into retreat
unbeknown to Autie. What was left
was Gibbon. moving very slowly, and
General Terry, who had sent Custer
on ahead. On June 25. 2876 Custer
divided his command into three
columns. Benteen was allotted D. H,
and K troops and sent to the left.
Major Marcus A Reno was given
command of troops A. G. and M and
ordered to the right. Autie took the
center with troops C, E. F. I and L,
Reno, who had no experience fight-
ing Indians, was attacked by the
Sioux and driven back across the
river, where he enirenched.
The regiment that Autie believed
invincible was, alas, far from the
peak of its fighting strength. Its ranks
contained from 30 to 40 percent
recruits. It was grievously under-
officered. The commissioned men on
detached duty included the colonel,
two majors, four captains and seven
lieutenants. Several troops had only
one officer. So great was the lack
that Lieute.ant John J. Crottenden,
20th Infantry, was detailed at his
own request to duty with the seventh
cavalry. And died with its leader.
Elizabeth Custer wanted to ride
with the column but he: husband
refused. He allowed his wife and his
sister, Mrs. Calhoun, to accompany
the regiment and share its first night
in camp. She was to sail on the "Far
West" up to the Yellowstone when it
First Publishing Rights - The Pon:hatoula Times, 1983 ""..
south, it would be all the more
necessary for us to guard the line of
the river and prevent any escape to
the northward."
A second steamer arrived with fresh
supplies, "The Josephine." As soon
as the gangplank went down Aulie
rushed on board yelling "Libbie!,
Libbie!" I was not on board. He gave
his magazine articles and his letters
to a Sergeant Fox. Another ill omen.
Fox fell overboard and drowned. The
mail was fished out of the water and
in this condition I received it and with
it a terrible feeling of forboding.
On June 19 Reno returned after
scouting to the mouth of the Rosebud
and not the Tongue River as he had
been ordered. He did encounter
would march into it from the
north, and what was caught
between the advancing columns
would be crushed. The two
commands would meet in the
valley on Monday, June 26."
Terry suggested Autie ride to
the headwaters of the Tongue,
killing time and allowing Gib-
bon's slow moving infantry to
meet them in the valley of the
Little Big Horn on time. This
agreed-upon campaign, written
and signed by the three gen-
erals, has been preserved.
By BERNARD VINCENT McM
Custer
returned, Charles (Lonesome
Charley) Reynolds had told General
Terry and Custer the Sioux were not
going to run but fight, They ignored
the Indian scout, Mark Kellog, a
Bismark resident, a law student, was
the local editor of the Bismark
Tribune. He was also correspondent
for the New York Tribune and The
Herald, he wrote:
"General George A. Custer dressed
in a dashing suit of buckskin, is
prominent everywhere... The general
is full of perfect readiness for the fray
with the hostile red devils and woe to
the body of scalp hunters that comes
within reach of himself and brave
companions in arms." Bismark
Weekly Tribune, May 17, 1876)
The paymaster had arrived bearing
two months cash due each man of
the regiment. To keep his men from
squandering their pay Custer ordered
the paymaster to ride out with the
regiment, pay the men, and ride
back with the women. After the
massacre the Sioux scattered the
green backs over the battle field.
The column moved out with Custer
and me at its head. The band played
"The Girl I Left Behind Me." Before
that terrible event we women saw the
general wave his broad rimmed hat
in a sweeping farewell, a picture that
has remained with me all these long
years.
Reaching the Beaver River on June
I. they were buried under a blizzard
for two days. None of the Indian
scouts had ever heard of a blizzard in
June. Was this an ill omen? It. J.H.
Bradley. Gibbon's chief of scout had
reported his Indian guides refused to
advance and warned him there were
many Sioux ready for the war path.
Generals Gibbon and Terry held a
council of war on the steamer "'Far
West". Gibbon wrote: "He (Terry)
informed me that he had heard
nothing from General Crook and
intended to return to the Powder
River to send a cavalry command on
a scout up the river and across it west
to the Tongue and Rosebud (rivers).
If no Indians should be discovered
then the only remaining chance
would be further up the Yellowstone
where from observation there must
be some Indians, and if General
Crook should strike them from the
Dr. William G. Ivy D.D.S.
General Dentistry
Beth Iv]: Morman, R.D.H., B.S.
His wife
Cleaning, Disease Control Therapy
Oral Health Instruction
Announces the opening of
an office in Springfield
Nov. 28,1983..
294-2844 294 2845
called him Autie...
...His enemies
called him Custer
THISWEEK:
The Little Big Horn
Gibbon's men and exchanged army
flag signals with him and sent a letter
to Gibbon by an Indian scout who
swam the river. He reported he saw
no Indians but a very wide Indian
trail into the valley of the Little Big
Horn.
On June 20 Custer and Reno united
their commands on General Terry's
orders between the Rosebud and the
Tongue rivers. Autie was furious at
Major Reno. He wrote me: "The
scouts reported that they could have
overtaken the village in one day and
a half. I am now going to take up the
trail where the scouting party (Reno)
turned back. I fear their failure to
follow up the Indians has imperilled
our plans by giving the village an
intimation of our presence. Think of
the valuable time lost! But I feel
hopeful of accomplishing great
results."
On June 21 General Terry on
the "Far West" anchored at
Gibbon's camp on the north
bank and Custer came over
from the south bank for a pow
wow. Among expert historians
there is complete agreement to
the plan developed by the three
officers.
"Custer on morrow, June 22
would ride up the Rosebud with
entire Seventh Cavalry. Gib-
bon's command and Terry With
his infantry and gatlings would
march for the mouth of the Big
Horn where the Far West would
ferry it across. Custer would
come down the Little Big Horn
Valley from the south. Gibbon
Custer was so gloomy as he
outlined the campaign to his
staff that he unnerved them,
Some of the officers made their
wills, others gave verbal instruc-
tions as to the disposition of
personal property and distribu-
tion of mementoes. They seemed
to have a vision of their fate.
About the Seventh Regiment's
campfires and in the cabin of the
Far West, men discussed the
plan of campaign, and some like
Major Brisbin of the Second
Cavalry who deemed Custer "an
insufferable ass" and a "wild
man," predicted disaster.
Now the predicted lunacy
occurred.
Major Brisbin offered to join
his Second Cavalry with the
Seventh if General Terry would
take joint command. It. Low
offered his gatling battery to the
combined forces. Autie was
approached. "No," he yelled,
"the Seventh can handle any-
thing it meets."
As the Seventh moved out
Boston Custer and Armstrong
Reed, his cousin, and Mark
Kellog begged to come along.
They were supposed to stay on
the Far West. Autie agreed to
their accompanying the troops.
Now the most controversial
orders from General Terry to
Custer. The important para-
graph reads: "It is, of course,
impossible to give you any defi-
nite instructions in regard to this
movement; and were it not
impossible to do so, the depart-
ment commander places too
much confidence in your zeal.
energy and ability to wish to
Located next to 1st National Bank
i Hwy. 22 Springfield, La.
Office hours
by appointment
impose upon you precise orders
which might hamper your
action when nearly in contact
with the enemy. He will, how-
ever, indicate to you his own
views of what your action should
lz-, and he desires that you
should conform to them unless
you shall see sufficient reason
for department from them."
Custer wrote a final letter to
me, citing Terry's tribute to his
"zeal. energy and ability."
An orderly rode next to Custer
holding the swallow tail banner,
red and blue with crossed silver
sabers, Autie's personal emblem
since he lead the Michigan
Brigade in the Civil War.
-_:_ _:_ _ ,,,,
Libbie
Massed trumpeters lead the
march past the reviewing Gen-
erals Gibbons and Terry. Shak-
mg hands with the two generals
Autie heard Gibbons say, "Now
Custer, don't be greedy. Wait for
us! .... No I won't," he answered.
Camping out, Autie's gloom
returned. He revealed to his staff
the offer of the Second Cavalry
and the gatling guns and oLhis
refusal. Lieutenant Wallace
strode beside Godfrey, "God-
ffey," said Wallace, "! believe
The
General Custer is going to be
killed. I have never heard him
talk in that way before."
Now they picked up the tra
Reno had discovered. The winu
blew over Autie's headc
flag. It fell to the rear.
blew over--again to the
Godrey picked it up and pie
it against a sage brush.
they thought was an augury
defeat.
The last white man to see
dear Autie alive was an Italian
imm grant G ovanni Martini.
former trumpeter in Garibaldi.'!
army. Renamed John Martin li
was now a bugler with th|
Seventh. He has since g yen thi.
account: "We reached the toP, °
the ridge and below us was tied
largest Indian encampment.
had ever seen. Custer up to tll.i
moment would not believe h.
scouts that there were Indians
ahead. He said to me. ,Orderly
take this message to Captain
Benteen.' (my English was very
poor so his adjutant cook wrote
it out). Then he pulled off his hat
and gave a cheer and said,
'courage boys. we will get th €
and as soon as we get them,
then we will go back to 0
station.' As I turned to take the
message back to Captain B,
teen, General Custer yel-"
'charge!' and lead his five corn"
panies toward the Indian vi llage
and that is the last l saw of him
and his men.
His message: Benteen, C °me _
on--big village--be quick--bri
ing
packs. W.W. Cook Adjutant.
Martin on his way to Bentee
encountered Boston Custer anu
pointed the way to the Seventh
Boston galloped off. Capt. Be, n
teen marched his men to tn
beleaguered Reno and to°",
command from the jitte
major. They managed to fig
off a horde of Indians. On J.a
26 Terry and Gibbons move'
into the valley. Three CROWS
(Indian scouts) told the t.
generals that Autie and I
command were dead. Genera
Terry felt dread but his officers
SEE PAGE THRII
Ponchatoula
Times
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