The Scotsman - Tuesday, 18th July 1876, page 3

1 'HE MASSA ^ KE BY THE SIOri-S ; INDIANS .

CORK, Monday night.—Details of the massacre of General Cnster's troops by tbe Sioux Indians in Montana havo befcu received here. A correspondent , writing on July 1 from " Sioux Expedition, north of the Big Horn," says :—"At noon on the 22d of June General Unster, at the head of his tine regiment of twelve veteran companies, leffc camp afc the month o£ the Eosebiid to follow the tra'l of a very large band of llJIfitllQ f^ioux. Le ading up the river anil -westward in the direction of the Big Horn, the signs indicated that the Indians were making for the eastern branch of the last-named river, marked on the map as the Little Big Horn. At tlio same time General Terry, with Gibbon' s command, of five compames of infantry, four of cavi'.lry.aud the Gatling battery, started to ascend the Big Horu , to assail thy enemy in the rear. Tlit* march of the two columns was so planned as to Wag Gilihoii'n laws within TO-operating distance oi Vae anticipated scene of action by the evening of the SCth, On the evening oi th.e 2-tth Gibbon's command was landed on tbe south sido of the Yellowstone, near the mouth of the Big Horn, and on the Zfith was pushed 23 miles over a country so rugged that tile endurance of the men was tasked to the uttermost. The infantry then halted for the uight, but the deputy commander with the cavalry advanced 12 miles Eurkbertothe mouth of the "Little Bi g Horn Until niidnight .in the hope of opening communication With Cugter. The inoniinffoft.he 2(ith brought the intelligence, which iwaa coin muni rated by three badly frightened Crow Indian scouts, of tbe battle of the previous day, and its results. The inarch of the uexfc mornins revealed at every step some evidence of the conflict which had taken phi-cc two days before. At an earl y hour the head of the column entered a plain half-a-mile wide, bordering the Iei6 bank of the Little U)p Horn, wliere had recently been au immense fndian village extending three ni'iles along the stream, and where were afcill standing funeral lodges with horix-s slaughtered around them, and containing the bodies of nino chiefs. The {ground was everywhere fitrewnwith carcasey of horeea, cavalry equipments, besides buffalo robea, paclcagea of dried meat . weapons, and utensils belonging to the Indians, On this part oE tbo field was found the clothing of Lieutenants Stur^es and Porter i pierced with bill. lete, and a blood-stained gauntlet belon^inR to Colonel Vates. Further on were found bodies of men, among whom were recognised Lieutenant Mackintosh, the interpreter from Fort Eice, and Reynolds, the guide. Tust then a breathless scont arrived with the intelligence that Major Reno, with a remnant of the 7th Cavalry, was entrenched on a bluff near by waiting for relief. The command pushed rapidly on, nnd Boon Came in sight of a group sni-rnunding a cavalry guard upon a lofty eminence on the ri^bt banii: of tha river. General Terry forded the stream, accompanied by a small party, and rode to the spot. AH the way the slopes were dotted with tlie bodies of men and horses . In the centre of tbo eacloaiire was a depression in the surface, in which the wounded men were sheltered, covered with canvas. E<no' a command had been fighting from Sunday the 25th until the night of tha 26th, when Terry's arrival caused the Indiana to retire. Up to this time ileno and rtoge with him were in complete ignorance (if the fate of the other five companies whiiih had separated from them on the 25th to make an attack under Ouster on the village at another point. While preparations were being made for the removal of the wounded a , party .was sent on Cudter'y trail to loolc for traces of his command. They found waiting them a sipht to appal the stoutest; heart. At a point but three miles down the right bank of the stream, Custer had eviduntly attempted to ford and attack iho village. : From the f-)ril the trnil wan found to lead hack np t<f the bluffs and to the northward, as if the troops had heen repulsed and compelled to retreat , aud at the Barne time had been cut off from regaining the forces under Keno. The bluffs along the ri^h fc bank come sharply down to the water, &nd art» .interspersed by numerous ravinea all along the slopes and rid ^ea ^ and in the rAflfaoe tlifiy lay n.^ they had t'onpht—line behind line^phowing" where defensive positiooa had been successfully taken up and held till none were left to fiRht, Tbon. huddled in a narrow compass, horses nnd men were killed promiscuously. At the highest point of the ridgo lay Ouster, surrounded by a chotsn bimd. Here were his two brothers and hia nephyw, Mr Reed, ColonelB Yfttes and Cook, and Captain Smith , all lyiu^ in Q, CIPolo ot a few yards, the^r lioraes beaidQ them. Here, bcliind Yates' ' companythe last Btaud had been made, and here one after another these liiafc survivors o£ Ouster's hvd companies met their death. The companies had Bucceysivcly thrown themaeh'ea across the path of the advancing enemy, and had been /inmhiJated; not a mnn has escaped to tell tbe tale , but it was inscribed on the Ruvface of the barren hills in a lansnago more eloquent than words. The 260 bodies have been buried. The last one found was that of Mr Kello^. t-orreapondenfc o? the -Disriiarck Tribune ^ and a1oo» I believe, of the New Ywk Herald. The following- are the names of the officers who?e remaina arii reeosnised: —General Custer , Colormi Keogh, Colonel Yates, Colonel Ouster, Colonel Goolc, Oa.^t&in Smith, L^utenant M'tutuah , Lieutenant Calhoun, Lieutenant Hodyson, and Lioiitenaot -ReiUy- A}1 of thesis b^onp to the 7th Cavalry, Lieutenant Crittendcn, of the 20th Infantry, was serving temporarily with the regiment. Lioutttnanta Poi-tor, Stiirges, and Harrinyton, and Aaaistant-Surgedn Lord are reported missing, ns their remains were not recognised ; but there ie small ground to hope that aiiy of them survived , ivs it vs obvious that the trodpa were completely surrounded by a force ten times their number* The history of Eeno's operations comprises all that is now. known of this fanguinary nn ' iiir. It seemfi that C'uBter, with night coi.Mpamys, reached the river in the forenonn of the 2i' 'th . having marched continuously all the previous days and nights. Seeing the upper or pouthern extremity of thevilLipe, nnd probably under estimating its extt-nt, be pave ordprs to Rrno to ford the river, and charge the village with three <;ompanieB , while he moved down the riKbtb.ink behind the bluff, to make a similar attack at the other end. Reno made hia charge, but fiuiling that. lie was dealing with a force TO any times hia own numbers, dismounted Ilia men, and sought shelter In the timber which fringed tiie river hank. The position appearing to him untenable , he remounted, .and cut Lis way to tho river, forded, under a murderous fire, and g.iined the bluff, where he was Bnhsequuutly found. Here h>; was afterwardB joined by Colonel Berteen, with three coni-Vnniys , which had just reached tbe field, and by Captain M^ouyall, with his company and the pack mules. The position w.is iin mediately after completely invested by the Indiana, who for more Vava fourteen boure ' allowed the gomeon no rest, and inHicted senoUB ir>]uriert. 35ut for the timely arrival of relief, tlie command would have been cut off to a man. The nuttiliet saved with Keno waa ;)29, inclndini; 51 wounded. The lues among the InilianB was probably considerable, as bodies have been found in nvery direction , anil they left Imbind only a email portion of their dead. \Vo reuiaiued nearly two days on the scene of this diaaster to bury the dead, and prepare for transporting tha wounded to a place of safety. 1'he nBi(;hlioiiring country waa still full of Rcattered hands of IndiaUli watfilmii( our moveroenta, auJ dituhtlesB pre-? areil to take advantage of any want of vigilance. nformation derived from many sources, inrludin^ of course tlie ob8i:rvation8 of oHiccra encased in tlia battle, leaila to the conclnaion that 2500 or SOOO Indiana composed the Bghting fnrce arrayed agains'i; Ouster and hi-i COO. A scout who witnessed the BCCIH; after the battle saya that the Indians tortured tboee whom they had captured alive, and that B'piftws and old Indian men iimaRund tutt heads o( tlie aLim wifeli fliuue hihnii.frii.