Democratic Sentinel, Volume 1, Number 43, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 7 December 1877 — The Bones of Custer’s Braves. [ARTICLE]

The Bones of Custer’s Braves.

Almost a year has passed since Gen. Custer and his heroic band fell victims to the savage hatred of Bitting Bull and his brutal followers, at the Little Big Horn, and the bones of the majority of those brave fellows, who died in the service of their country, have never been accorded a deeent burial, and today some of them have no covering save that which the elements have sent them, perhaps a snowy coverlet, but little whiter than the bleached remains of humanity which it obscures.

It was known that the “ white chief ” and his stalf officers had been taken from the bloody plain and borne far away, and it was at least presumed that the gallant men wno had assisted Custer to his fame would not be left to rot upon the field, a prey for tiie coyote. But this was merely a fancy, it would seem. On yesterday a gentleman whose name is withheld appeared at the Times office at the request of many comrades and related a story which it *Was his desire should not reflect upon Gen. Buell, or any other officer in the Northwest, but which certainly will not add anything to that gentleman’s reputation as a humanitarian. Ttie gentleman was one of a company of ninety-two civil employes of the Government, who have, during the season, been engaged in building the post to be known as the Big Horn. While at work at the post it came to their knowledge that the remains of nearly all of Custer’s men were lying on the battle-field exposed to the heat and cold, the sunshine and rain, and, feeling that it was due to their memory that their bones be hidden from sight, they applied to Gen. Buell for permission to go and bury them. The application was refused, as was also tbe use of tools to perform the work. After they had concluded their labors at the post, the company started for Medicine Bow, a static n on the Union Pacific railroad. On the 29th of October they came upon the Custer battle-field, where a horrible sight was presented to view. The ground was literally strewn with tho whitened bones of the “ white braves,” nearly all of which were entirely uncovered. Although their time was limited, the humane company set to work with tho few implements in their possession, and succeeded iu buryiDg a portion of the remains. Fearing that they would be snowed in in a canon in the Black Hills if they tarried longer, they departed from the scene after tarrying three hours. —-Ohicago Times.