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Post by Mitchell BigHunter on May 22, 2020 4:54:28 GMT -5
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Post by Mitchell BigHunter on Jun 4, 2020 1:48:18 GMT -5
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Post by Mitchell BigHunter on Jun 4, 2020 2:13:35 GMT -5
MINNEAPOLIS TRIBUNE, FRIDAY EVENING SEPTEMBER 8. 1876
CUSTER'S BUTCHER,
Tho Blood-CURDLING Story of an EyeWitness.
The ENTIRE Command Slaughtered in 48
Minutes,
Six Soldier Prisoners Burned at the
Stake,
An Interesting Description of Sitting
Bull,
One of tho most wonderful narratives
which ever fell from human lips is
that told to the Pioneer-Press and Tribune
of this morning, by a trapper
named Ridgeley, and whose parents
reside in tho town of Brunswick, a
short distance above Anoka. Ridgeley
is well known by some of tho most responsible
citizens of this city, and they
describe him as a man whoso statements
can be relied on implicitly. For
over two years Ridgeley has been a
trapper on tho plains and in tho Yellowstone
country, and nothing had
been heard of him until ho returned
yesterday, and related his wonderful
experience to a number of friends,
among whom is Mr. Hall McCleave, of
the firm of Warner & McCleave,undertakers
and furniture dealers.
HOW THE ATTACK WAS MADE.
Ridgeley says that while the Indians
stood ready for the attack, many of
them clambered on the side hills overhanging
Custer's line of March down
the Rosebud. The Indian camp was
divided by a bluff or ridge, the front
of which ran well down toward the
Rosebud, and in the direction of tho
available fords on the river. The Indians
had crossed the river to camp by
this ford, and Custer had followed their
trail down to the water's edge. From
this point of observation there were
only about twenty-five teepees visible
to General Custer, but there were seventy-five
double teepees behind the
bluff, where they could not be seen by
the white soldiers. Custer attacked
tho smaller village and was immediately
met by a force of 1,500 or 2,000 Indians
in regular order of battle, and
every movement was made in military
precision. RIdgeley" days he stood on
the side of a hill, where he had a complete
view of the battle ground, which
was not more than a mile and a half
distant. Custer began the fight in a
ravine near the ford, and fully one-half
of the command seemed to be unhorsed
at tho first fire. Then the soldiers retreated
toward a hill in the rear, and
were shot down on the way with astonishing
rapidity—the commanding officer
falling from his horse in tho middle
of the engagement, which commenced
at 10 o'clock in the forenoon, and did
not last more than forty-five minutes
altogether.
A GHASTLY SIGHT.
After the massacre of Custer's force,
tho Indians returned to camp with six
soldiers as prisoners, and delirious with
joy over their success. These poor men
were tied to stakes at a wood-pile in the
village around the point of the hill,
and all burned to death, the bodies
dropping to the earth a blackened
roasted and hideous mass. While the
flames were torturing them to death,
little Indian boys fired red-hot arrows
into their quivering flesh, and the terrible
"amusement" was continued until
each of the unfortunate victims of sav-
age barbarity had fallen a corpse.
Ridgeley says tho sight was so awful
and horrifying that it never can be
erased from his memory. Sitting Bull
was met after the fight, and remarked
that "he had killed many soldiers and
one d**ned general, but he did not
know who ho was," evidently meaning
Custer. Then tho squaws armed themselves
with knives, and proceeding to
the field of battle, robbed tho dead of
clothing, trinkets and valuables, and
mutilated the bodies in a manner too
shocking and sickening for description,
but which may be imagined from tho
accounts heretofore published.
RENO'S FIGHT ON THE HILLS.
While tho six soldiers were being
burned, the Indians turned their attention
to another force attacking the lower
end of the village, and this was undoubtedly
tho force of Major Reno.
Ridgeley says that Custer's command
had been slaughtered before a shot had
been fired at the force under command
of Reno, while attacking tho lower end
of the camp. Tho Indians returned to
the camp in tho evening, and said that
tho "men on the hill had fought like
tho devil," but Ridgeley says they did
not make any statement of their loss in
either of the fights.
The Indians said that the soldiers on
tho hill had been driven back twice,
and then they "piled up stone in front
of them," and tho Indian attack proved
unsuccessful,
THE ROASTED PRISONERS.
Tho white soldiers were kept burning,
and subjected to every imaginable
torture for from forty-five minutes to
one hour and thirty minutes. Ridgeley
was not permitted to speak to them be
fore their horrible death, and he is
therefore unable to say who they wore.
Ono was noticeable from his small size
and grey hair and whiskers. These peculiarities
may lead to tho identification
of one of tho ill-fated prisoners.
Reno killed more Indians than Custer—the
latter falling in the middle of
the tight, and two captains, believed to
be Yates and Keogh, were the last! to
die, according to RidgelEy's observation.
THE ESCAPE OF THE WHITE MEN.
Ridgeley says that the night after the
Custer massacre tho Indians were wild
with delight., many drunk on whisky
stolen from the whites, and squaws
performed tho duty of guard for the
prisoners, and becoming drowsy as tho
night progressed, Ridgeley and his two
companions escaped from the camp,
and securing ponies, began their long
journey toward civilization and home.
The three laid in one piece of woods
for four days on account of the numerous
and straggling war parties which
were scouring the country in every direction.
They passed one large fishing
party on tho way, but escaped observation.
The fourth night out from Sitting
Bull's camp, Ridgeley's pony stumbled,
throwing his rider to the ground
and breaking his arm in two places,
and he still wears a sling for the comfort
of the injured limb. In coming
eastward they came north of
Fort Lincoin because they were
afraid of encountering war parties,
which were traveling west
to join Sitting Bull. They managed
to subsist on game and avoided contact
with friend or foo until they reached
Fort Abercrombie. The arm of the
Rocky Mountain trapper, which had
been injured at the same time of the
capture, seemed to grow worse to devel-
oping erysipelas after their arrival at
Fort Abercrombie, where he died a few
days ago. Ridgeley's remaining- companion
in these terrible experiences has
rejoined his friends, residing in north
-
ern Minnesota, and Ridgeley himself
came to Minneapolis yesterday .morning,
with the intention of visiting Fort
Snelling for the purpose of securing
employment as a scout or otherwise—
the broken arm preventing him from
doing any hard labor at present,
DESCRIPTION OF SITTING BULL.
HE savs that Sitting Bull is a large
man, a half-breed, and very intelligent.
Owing to some injury received, the
right foot turns outward and the deformity
affects his gait very perceptibly.
He says that he will drive every
white man from the Black Hills, and
receives regular supplies of powder and
lead from Canadian traders. Ridgeley
says that he saw Bed River carts in
Sitting Bull's camp, all loaded with
ammunition. When Ridgeley and his
companions were captured, the Indians
took their ponies and furs, and they are
thus left in very destitute circumstance?.
There are two chiefs in Sitting Bull's
camp who are believed to be white men,
as RIdgeley says they can talk English
quite as well as he can. The,Indians
are maneuvered like regular soldiers,
and DISPLAYING a surprising knowledge of
military tactics. Five weeks before the
Custer fight three Red river carts had
reached Sitting Bull's camp, loaded
with powder and lead
As a whole, Ridgeley's story surpasses
any romance, but his veracity and integrity
are so well vouched for that
there is no room to doubt the substantial
accuracy of his narrative.
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Post by Mitchell BigHunter on Jun 6, 2020 5:31:06 GMT -5
keyapi the lake of knifes is the oldest tribe, all Sioux are branched off, is this true?
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Post by Mitchell BigHunter on Jun 21, 2020 15:51:34 GMT -5
LIeut. Edgerly's story, Western Minnesota Press, Pub. Aug.19 1881.
Lieut Edgerly, of the Seventh cavalry, who
was in Beeteen's battalion which joined Reno's
retreat, gave me the following account: At
about 10 o'clock in the morning of the 25th of
June, 1876, we were say fifteen miles from
the hostile camp. Our force was then all together.
We halted while Custer went on a hill
with the Crow and Rees scouts to take a look
at the Indian camp, which was in sight. When
Gen. Custer came down from the hill officers'
call was sounded. The officers all went to
where he was, and he told us that our presence
was discovered that his scouts had chased
a small number of Indians that they had seen,
and they had gotten away and gone in the direction
of the Indian camp, and as there was
no use in trying to surprise them, as his intention
had been, the next morning, we would
press on as quickly as we could and attack
them in their village if possible. The idea was
that the Indians world not stand against
whole regiment of cavalry, and that as soon as
they learned of our advance they would try to
get* away from us. He then ordered troop
commanders to mount their troops and report
when they were in readiness to move on. In
about a minute every troop commander had reported.
Gen. Custer and his adjutant. Col. Cook,
then organized the regiment into four battalions
of three troops each, giving to cach of
the four senior officer the command of a battalion.
These officers were Reno. Benteen.
Keogh and Yates. He ordered Maj. Reno
to move straight down the valley to the
Indian village and attack, and he would be
supported. He ordered Col. Benteen to move
off toward the left, at an angle of about fortyfive
degrees from Reno's course, and attack
any Indians he should find. The idea was
that the Indiana would run either to the
right or left He detailed Capt. McDougall,
with his troops, as rear guard, to take charge
of the pack train. The orders he gave to Col.
Keogh and Capt Yates I don't know, but they
went off with them—five companies and about
250 to 300 men—in a direction parallel to
Reno'*. The last that I saw of Gen. Custer
alive he was going off in the direction mentioned.
Col. Benteen moved off as ordered,
and almost immediately struck a series of high
hills. He sent an officer—Lieut Gibson—to
the tops of several of those hills, to see if any
Indians were visible in the direction of his
route. Lieut. Gibson reported several times
that there wore no signs of Indians, and then
Col. Benteen swung around to the right, and
about five or six miles from the starting point
we came upon Reno's trail and followed it
rapidly. After following it several miles, an
orderly trumpeter, from Gen. Custer, came in
and Handed Col. Benteen a note to this effect:
"We have struck a big village. Hurry up'
Bring up the packs. Signed,
W. W. COOK, Adjutant.'
We then passed on, and when within about
three miles of the Indian village we could see
that there was fighting going on in the valley,
and very shortly we saw a body of men—upwards
of a hundred—make a break for the
bluffs on the east side of Little Big Horn river,
on the west side of which the Indian village
was situated, cross the stream and disappear
in the bluffs. We were then on the right bank,
to tho east of the stream, and some distance
from it As the orderly who brought the message
from Custer had told us that the Indian
village was surprised, and that, when he came
away, Reno was driving everything before him
and killing them right and left, I supposed
that the men we saw running were Indians
driven by our men. We hurried forward in
the direction of the ford buffalo gal Reno crossed,
with intent to hurry to his support: but as we
approached the ford a Crow scout, Half Yellow
Face, came out upon our right and beckoned
us to come upon the hill. We immediately
turned to the right and went up the hill.
When we reached the summit we found col.
Reno and his battalion there, with several
wounded men crying anxiously for water, and
then learned to our surprise that they had
been driven from their ground. There were
few Indians around, behind rocks and the
points of the hills, who were shooting into us
at that time. A skirmish line was formed and
these Indians driven away in a few minutes.
Then I heard heavy firing over in the direction
in which we afterwards found the remains
of Custer's portion of the command,
and we could see clouds of dust and horsemen
rushing back and forth on the opposite side
of the river and about four miles
away. While this firing was going
on. Col. Weir, my captain, came to
me and asked me what 1 thought we
ought to do. I told him I thought we ought by
all means to go down to Custer's assistance.
He thought so too, and I heard the first sergeant
express himself to that effect. He then asked
me if I would be willing to go down with only
troops if lie could get permission to go. 'l
told him I would. He then walked towards
Col. Reno and Benteen, and very shortly time
back, mounted his horse, took an orderly with
him and went out in the direction from which
we had heard the firing and which had then
almost wholly ceased. I suppose that he had
received permission to go out with the troops
though he afterwards told me he had
not, and had not even asked for it).
So I mounted the troops and followed
him. After going a few hundred yards, I
swung off to the right with the troops and went
into a little valley which must have been the
one followed by Custer and his men, or nearly
parallel to it, and moved right towards the
great body of Indians, whom we had already
seen from the highest point. After we had gone
short distance down the valley, Col. Weir,
who had remained to our left on the bluff, saw
large number of Indians coming toward us,
and motioned with his hand for me to swing
around with the troops to where he was, which
did. When I got upon the bluff I saw Col.
Benteen, Capt. French and Lient Godfrey
coming towards us with their troops. We
moved along on that bluff for a short distance,
when the Indians commenced to fire on us.
The troops were all dismounted, formed
on the top of the ridges and returned the fire.
This firing was kept up about half an hour
when the troops were drawn back to their
original position by order of Col. Reno. Our
troop had one man killed in coming back and
one horse only, although two or three Indians
ran up on the hill immediately after we left
and emptied their Winchesters on us. As soon
as we got back to where Reno Was we found
the other troops disposed around on the crests
this elevation, and Weir's troops and Godfrey's
fell in side by side so as to prolong the
irregular line already formed by our troops.
Almost as soon as we took this position the
Indians came up in our front and opened fire.
The firing was heavy, but only a few men were
killed, as most of the shots went over our
heads. It continued for more than an hour,
and until an hour after dusk. That ended the
first day's fight.
The next morning, before daylight, heavy
firing commenced again from the hills, five to
seven or eight hundred yards from us, and
continued until about 10 o'clock. After that,
there was very little firing, although the Indians
in small numbers could be seen on the
ridges around us During the afternoon the
Indians on the other side of the river had
taken down their lodges, or tepees, and about
4 o'clock they all started off.
From the time we took our position the afternoon
before, we lost but four men. We
remained right there, or in a new position adjoining
that night and the next morning
Lieut Bradley, of Gen. Terry's column, who
had command of the scouts, came and told us
that Custer and all his men were killed. Shortly
after Gen. Terry came along with his column.
He then sent his regiment over to bury the
dead. Tho first dead soldiers we came to were
Lieutenants Calhoun, Crittenden and enlisted
men of troop. The bodies of these officers
were lying a short distance in the rear of their
men. iii the very places where they belonged,
and the bodies of their men forming a regular
skirmish line. Crittenden's body was shot full
of arrows.
Tho next lot we came to consisted of Col.
Keogh and his troop. They had evidently been
falling back towards the knoll where we found
Custer's body—fighting as they retreated. The
other men that I saw showed no signs of regular
formation their bodies were scattered over
the ground with a general tendency toward the
knoll buffalo gal Custer was.
On the knoll which I spoke of, we found the
Bodies of Gen. Custer, Col. Cook—his adjutant
—Col. Tom Castor, several enlisted men and
several horses, while lower down, just at the
base of the knoll were Lieut. Riley, Capt
Yates, and a great many enlisted men and
horses. Gen. Custer's brother, Boston, and
his nephew, Reed, were about 100 yards from
the general's bodv,
Tho only bodies of officers that I saw muti-
lated were Col. Tom Custer and CoL Cook. All
the bodies were stripped of their uniforms.
The great majority of the men were stark
naked, but in a good many cases they left the
undershirt, socks and drawers on the bodies.
The bodies were on the east side of the river,
below the main village and about four miles
from where Reno had taken position.
When 1 went out with the troops, on the
afternoon of the 25th, I could see quite a
number of Indians galloping back and forth
on the battlefield, where we afterwards found
the bodies, and firing at objects on the ground,
but we could not see what the objects were.
When I first reached the top of the hill
where Reno was, on the 25th, I heard the
heavy firing, and it continued about fifteen or
twenty minutes. Then the heavy firing was
all over. After we buried Custer and his men
on the east side of the river, we crossed to the
west side and buried the dead of Reno's command—about
forty in number—and then we
found two Indian lodges, or tepees, with six
bodies of Indians in one and five in the other,
beautifully dressed, and fastened to a pole in
the center of the tepee. Chief Low Dog has
told me since he came here that that is an honorable
way of disposing of men who have died
fighting bravely, and that their bodies are left
to the enemy, to whom they belong. 1 never
knew another such case. My opinion is that
they were left because the Indians left in a
hurry, being frightened by the approach of
Terry's column. Around the tepees where we
found the dead Indians wore as many dead
ponies as there were Indians. The ponies were
arranged in a circle around the tepee, with
their heads towards the tepee.
From what I saw I think there were as many
as 7,000 Indian warriors. I judged from seeing
Terry's command—about 500 men—the
size of which I knew, ride down where I saw
the Indians the day before. Terry's command
looked like a handful compared to the Indians.
Custer's trail showed—and this is what the
Indians say—that he passed down the river—
which is only about fifteen or twenty yards
wide there—on the east side that is, on the
right bank. Reno had crossed and attacked
from the west The river bank was so high
and steep that it was impracticable to get
down to it from tho bluff until he got to a
place a little over three miles from where Reno
took his position after his retreat across the
river. There he found a ford, and the general
belief was that he attempted to cross and was
attacked and driven back to where he was found
dead. Dead bodies were found all the way
from this ford to where Custer's body was
found. Custer's hair—which he had been accustomed
to wear long—was cut short before he
started on the march. His body was naked,
but not mutilated.
I have heard the statements made by the
chiefs and taken by you, and I believe that
they told what they believe to be the truth.
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Post by Mitchell BigHunter on Jul 10, 2020 21:00:12 GMT -5
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Post by Mitchell BigHunter on Jul 12, 2020 15:33:46 GMT -5
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Post by Mitchell BigHunter on Jul 16, 2020 14:08:10 GMT -5
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Post by Mitchell BigHunter on Jul 21, 2020 13:30:01 GMT -5
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Post by Mitchell BigHunter on Jul 27, 2020 21:23:59 GMT -5
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Post by Mitchell BigHunter on Jul 27, 2020 21:24:39 GMT -5
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Post by Mitchell BigHunter on Sept 26, 2020 4:11:54 GMT -5
June.9. 1951 Bismarck tribune, Saturday.
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Post by Mitchell BigHunter on Nov 23, 2020 0:29:05 GMT -5
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