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Show THE NOBLE RED MAN. 551 restrained, to a great extent, by military courtesy, but as far as their statements have been made public they indicate that there was no very determined effort made to aid Custer. Major Reno waited on the bluff awhile ( length of time not settled yet), then moved slowly down the stream, and sent Captain Weir with his command to open communication with Custer. Weir soon returned with the informa-tion that the Indians were coming en masse; and, in a little while after, Reno's force was furiously attacked. We learn at this stage of the report that it was now 6 P. M. It seems impossible to stretch any action of which mention is made so as to cover the time between three and six. And yet it appears from an examination of the ground, that Custer could not, at three, have been more than three miles away. And, in the interim, the little squad of dismounted men whom Benteen saw across the river, had beaten off the Indians opposed to them and succeeded in reaching Reno without loss! But Reno's command was attacked, as aforesaid, about 6 P. M.; held its ground with the loss of 18 killed and 46 wounded, and had the enemy beaten off by 9 P. M. There is every evidence that Reno behaved with coolness and bravery, and Benteen with proper ac-tivity, during this battle ; and still the report does not inform us as to the exercise of those qualities earlier in the afternoon. And where all this time was Custer? The trail, the heaps of dead and the few accounts from eye- witnesses tell a plain story. He came at high speed to a ford of the Little Horu which would have brought him about the middle of the Indian camps. But in this short space of time the Indians had vanquished Reno, and their whole force were there to oppose him. He gave back from the ford, and the Indians followed in overwhelming numbers. They were now on the way he had come, and he continued his retreat along the bluffs down the river. He had in his command but four hundred and twenty men, and the Indians must have numbered nearly two thousand. Who can tell the agony of that terrible retreat and last desperate struggle? When the command had reached a point nearly a mile from the ford, Custer evidently saw that a sacrifice was neces-sary to save, if possible, a remnant of his command. To this end he chose his brother- in- law, Lieutenant James Calhoun ; with him was Lieutenant Crittenden, their company having been selected to cover the retreat. They were found in line all dead together, the offi-cers in their proper places in the rear, the company having died fighting to the last man. A little further on another desperate stand was made. Then a |
