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About Omaha daily bee. (Omaha [Neb.]) 187?-1922 | View Entire Issue (May 29, 1910)
TTIE OMAHA' SUNDAY BEE: MAY 20. 3910. P One Hundred Years of Nebraska History; Celebration at (Continued from Page Ons.) en pointing, talking all the while la most Interesting manner. "What! You want my picture? Very well, fire away; 1 be willing." Adjoining the cabin paint shop Isa patch f potatoes which the octogenarian takes ' a; rest pride in cultivating. "Go over now and see Judge fJow," said "Grandpa" Beta, by way of parting, "for you'll find him the real old man. If that'a what you are after. He Uvea with his on i In-law, John Peter, over yonder," and at the came time the hoary-headed painter tood straight as an Indian warrior and swinieo me war u.u,n - v-.u. vi forest tree, to the Peter, residence. The suggestion w as readily accepted, and upon Inquiry at the house designated a man who leaned upon a cane and looked to be well up In years, replied In answer to a question: "No, I'm not Judge Gow why, he', an jBld man. I am John Peters, and I married I Judge Oow' daughter." Into the house Mr. Peter, led the way, Isvnd there the real Judge Qow waa met a jrine old gentleman, .tralght and well pre- ! aerved, despite that he lack, but two year. I Of being 100 year. old. "Ye., lr, If It will be any accommodation ! to you, you may take my picture for The ee," cordially remarked the Judge. simultaneous wun ins acceptance ol picture proposition, he arose from hi. chair, tossed over to the table a copy of the mag- zine which he had been reading, and ex- piainea: "ine room is raxner oara ior pno- togxaphio work, so I'll Just .tep out In the ,,-,. ,h . .. ... No mail of 40 yeara could have said It viurv nmi:iiiiu.iiiij mm nu cdo ruun- r. reier. louoweu vo ,a.u. .v,.r. """" ""cv the house. "Walt a minute, father, and I'll bring your chair. "No, .on. I don't want my chair-I prefer l atandlng portrait." At that the ".on," himself 71 year, old, meekly acquiesced. Judge Gow Is well worth study, for he is K remarkable specimen of manhood. It is hi. dally custom to walk from hla home to the postoffice, where he takes keen Inter- est In the arrival of the mails. He came to Bellevue In 1854, and has lived there con- tlnuously ever since. He is a native of New York and came to Nebraska by way of Michigan. For ten year, he was county Judge of Sarpy county, and that accounts for the title by which he 1. familiarly known ln Bellevue. "To what do you attribute your longevity and excellent preservation of faculties?" the Judge wa. asked. "Correct living, freedom from the hurly- burly of a strenuous age and an abundance of elbow room and fresh air," came the answer as glibly aa though a schoolboy were reciting from a well-thumbed lesson leaf. "WHO JtXLKO&Jl?&JITjtoliEk, Unveiling- HE unveiHng at Monroe, Mich., I the home bf his boyhood, on I June 4, In the presence of Preal- ' THOMAi IS udiii iiuv jiu wuivr uiofciii- uii ciu upt?ii piuin nar ino eua ui me ran- wnicn waa Known as tiio niuin.a.iiu. uui guished men of the country, of road. Although the month wa. ln April, umn," composed of four troops of the Sec a memorial statue erected by the cavalrymen were destined to be wel- ond cavalry and several companies of the the state of Michigan to General George A. corned to Dakota by one of the worst bllz- Seventh infantry. Before General Terry Custer, will arouse new Interest in the life- sards In Its history, and the superstitious left It was given out that the Seventh tory and tragio fate of this popular hero, regarded as an 111 omen the harshness of cavalry would be sent, to scout up the who was the idol of millions of Americans, the greeting which the elements gave Powder river, while the wagon train, and all that a dashing cavalryman and them. escorted by the Infantry, would be sent Indian fighter should be. Several soldiers who became lost while to establish a supply camp at the mouth. General Custer met his death at the striving to make their way to the shelter of the Powder, hands of man Sioux Indians who yet are of the town, were badly frozen, and after- When General Terry returned, orders living in ths two Dakota.. Tha CuBter wards bad to have their feet and some of were Issued on June 10 for the right wing, massacre was on land the counterpart of their fingers amputdAad. The storm con- six troops, under Major Reno, to make a the disaster suffered by the Americans on tinued all that night, the following day and scout up the Powder river. They were pro the sea, when the battleship Maine was the next night,, and caused great suffering vlded with twelve days' rations. The-fol-blown up In the harbor of Havana. A among those who were not provided with lowing day the rest of the command eurlous coincidence is the fact that the good shelter. marched to the mouth of the Powder. Up loss of Ufa ln each of the disasters was In the spring of 1876 matters were in a to this time not a single hostile Indian had practically the same. very unsettled condition. Sitting Bull re- been seen. The trail of a small party of The Custer battlefield Is situated on the fused to make a treaty with the govern- perhaps a half dozen tepees was dls Uttle Big Horn river, in southern Montana, ment, and would not consent to live on a covered, the supposition being that they This hlstorio spot is the chief attraction reservation. In addition to his constant at- wera agency Indians on their way to Join for sightseers who visit that portion of tacks on the white settlers, driving back th8 j,ostneB. The Indications were that the great west Tha battlefield will always even the most adventurous, his warriors th, hostiles were west of the Powder, and be looked upon with awe as the visitors re- were Incessantly invading and stealing from lnformaUon from General Gibbons was to eall to remembrance that 25th day of Juno, the land assigned to the peaceable Crow tne etfcct that tj,ey were south of the Yel 187S, when tha brave commander and his Indiana They appealed for help to the iowstone river. f-tih?,! .nt fnH V. A It). vmrAmm nt (hot hnrl nmmllul tn KhlM . ...... ww..v. ...... an overwhelming force of bloodthirsty tUoux warriors, only to be the victims ot a maiuKM mtiloH fio via tiinl In th. annals of Indian warfare. General Custer graduated at West Point Just In time to take part in the battle of Bull Run. He served with his regiment, the Fifth cavalry, for a time, but event- 'ally waa appointed aide-de-camp to Gen- fleers and 133 men; one platoon of gatllng follow It down to Tongue river, scout up ' aral MoClellan. At the age of 23 he was guns, two officers and thirty-two men (of that """earn, and then rejoin the regiment promoted from captain to brigadier gen- the Twentieth Infantry) and forty "Ree" l the mouth of the Tongue by the time bis . .jj Indian scouts. Brigadier General Alfred H. uPP'le were exhausted. A supply depot After the olosa of tha war of the re- Terry, the department commander, was in was established at the mouth of the Pow , bellion he was assigned to duty in Texas comand of the expeditionary forces. dcr- Thi was guarded by the Infantry, as a major general of volunteers, remain- The little army left Fort Lincoln on the 0I,1 nere h wagon train was left, tng thera about on year. In 1866 he re- morning of May 17, 1876. Previous to the General Terry, with his staff, took passage turned to his old home at Monroe, Mich., departure the Seventh cavalry marched on the supply steamer Far West and went and In the autumn of that year was sent around the parade ground, with a band at to the mouth of the Tongue river. General to Kansas, where he assumed the command the head playing "Garryowen," the battle Custer, with the left wing, marched to iSia of the Seventh cavalry, since known as tune of the regiment, which was first mouth of the Tongue, where he remained Custer's "Fighting Seventh." to which he used when the regiment charged at tha uutil the 19th, waiting tidings from Reno bad been assigned, with tha rank of lieu- battle of the Washita. The regiment as to the result of his scout. On that date tenant colonel ln tha regular army. marched away to the tune of "The Girl I word came from Reno that he liad dls- General Custer remained ln Kansas five Left Behind Me," played by the regimental covered the trail of a large body of Indians years. He waa then ordered with his regi- band. leading up the Rosebud river. Custer's ment to Kentucky. The regiment was The Seventh cavalry was divided Into two command then pushed forward and rejoined distributed through various portions of the columns t'eslgnated as right and left wings, Rtno Who informed them that as near as . south on the disagreeable duty of breaking commanded respectively by Major Marcus coulll be judKed there were about XiO lodges p llUc!t distilleries and suppressing the A. Reno and Captain F. W. Benteen. Each ot Indians and their trail was about three Ku-Klux. After being stationed at Eliza- wing was subdivided Into two battalions of week, old bethtown. Ky.. for about two yeara, th. three troopa each. Nothing of special ln- CuM.r end hll tr rrached ka i a. a a 4 a.i ai J iivi v 11 a - tjf t I a WLM m s uti an general ana nis regiment were, m in. spring of 1873, ordered to Dakota. The order to proceed to Dakota was balled with Joy by the general and .very man In the regiment, as It meant active duty one mora Instead of th. senin,ly ansoldlerly life which they had led during 7 J:"y. t .; JT?. their stay In Kentucky and other parts of it.. .a. t iuu Jk i v. - i &na wu .u.. wi . . , v.,. officers and several hundred of his dash- Ing troopers were to meet their death In .Jl .v.: i.- inn f th. ""-", i - Missouri river In a manner that would Shock the entire civilized world. In the spring of 1871 railroads had not 1 yt reached Yankton, but had been com- Bellevue environment! are conducive to long life. It the number of octogenarians cow living there may be taken as ah index. "No, our graveyard ain't no powerful big," explained Duncan Menkes, the venerable . sexton, who proudly proclaims, himself forty years a resident of Bellevue. "Fact Is," the old man continued, "we ain't much on dyln' here in Bellevue. Of course, now And then somebody dies, but the funeral 'business here ain't what you could call lively. Bet you there's more real old peo ple in Bellevue than any other town In the state." Standing beside a rough stone marker, totally devoid of polish, but enduring as fock of ag Sexton Mpn,eg td the Btory of ,h- UIlknown grav- ttltrtaented there." ..,t was away back , tne 50s iometime," he Bai(1 ,.,nat a famly consisting of father, mother and several little ones, passed through Bellevue enroute to the wilder countiy beyond. They were typical sol- dlers ot fortune the kind of people who like to keep Just a little ahead of clyillza- tlon while stopping In Bellevue they traveled by wagonevery member of the family waa atrlcken with some kind of feVer. They all came very nearly dying. Two of the children did die. They lie buried nerei The father and mother and surviving children went on after a period of conval- escence, but not until the father, assisted by th9 mother, dragged to thla spot the heavy atones which mark the burial place 0f the two dead babes. They had no way of carving any lettering on the rough 8tonea ond tne name, hav, , , vaaHed out of mlnd .. ' ..... ... .jiu age ana cnna lire tnrive aiiKe in peaceful Bellevue. Romping children are iuuuu in iuciiuv, auu us 11 o uua a loucu UI me picaresque 10 environments aireaay " i me younger generation to keep an array of wild animal pets. Pretty little Alma Fraker, bedecked with snowy white apron pinned about her simple frock, stood in the forest-like yard of her home churning butter in an old-fashioned dasher churn. Playing around her waa a crow, which anawered to the name of "Jim," a duck which the little girl called "Grandma," and two sprightly young wolves, "Where did you get these wolves?" the chtldi was asked, "Over yonder," and she pointed to a dense clump of tangled shrubbery on the aide of a rather steep mound near the river brink 200 or so yards away. Surely, an hour'a trolley ride from Omaha to Bellevue la very like an Alladln-like transition to another world, so sudden la the change from metropolitan hurly- burly to the rustic simplicity of primitive life. rETFiTt A.a2fiRPY J somes the hum of modem It. V VZJU 5 ( y WfftL . ' I Monument to Memory of Custer, Hero of Indian pleted to a point one mile from that town, There the regiment and Its equipments were unloaded and the men went into camp r and protect them. Accordingly an expedition was organized tn hunt rirtwn -nil fnrnA t h A XLa rlikA Mini 1 if to cease their depredations. The expedition consisted of tho Seventh cavalry, twenty' eight officers and about 700 men; two com- panles of the Seventeenth Infantry and one company of the Sixth Infantry, eight of- -" the regiment had reached the Bad Lands of the LltUe Missouri Hvar. On tha 0U General Custer w a. t wttn four troops to , make a aoout up th. LUU. Missouri for about twenty miles. H. rturned the m. day without having discovered any recent n ,h. mm.n "Indian signs." On the lst tha command apuuwi tha f .It 1 1 an MtaaniiiH wUhrMtt tilf. . flcuH. On th. 1st and Id of June tha - ---- troops were compelled to remain In camp owing to th. fact that a snow storm pre- valli. For three d.ys the troops remained in ctmp on the Powder river. General Terry went to the Yellowstone to communicate with the supply steamer, Far West, which life along the overhanging trolley wire, wakening the onlooker from hi. ye olden reverie atraneelv Imnrmlnh m th rex"' ' 'rnRuly '""Piessing him the while w ith a feeling of awe so near and VP f ,n far trnm lnttor rlnv n li-ll ia Inn what iwrnrtnTinPi hon of th m n,i je ne(i Uellevue! ' The mere fact ot a. having been the frst whlte settlement in Nebraska is not Bellevue'. only claim to distinction, for it BhgM be remembered that Bellevue was rlrst ln many other Important thlngs-the flr8t seat of government, deathplace of first governor, birthplace of flr.t Nebraska wnite chnd, piace where the first newspa- nr was nrlnted and alto of flr.t rinff(r ..'.' .i - f- - ; - ;:.'-i ; i . r T-Jb?ZS22ZZr .-ftl a ji rf iiC' 'IP ' xVsl if ..nnr JlJ ATT - rrrwTnr.TrrTfT.rB riR2T wmTJS.WDIIfirr.axi LIVE IW NEBBA52A. was at the mouth of the Powder river. He also went up the Yellowstone to com- munlcate with General Gibbon's command. . . officer- ..,. th. bellef that no Indians would be found at all, and that the expedition would be back at Fort Lincoln by the middle of August. Major Reno was ordered to scoutlg the forks of fowder, then acroa. Mizpah creek, fol low it down to near Its confluence with tha Powder; then across to Pumpkin creek, the mouth of the Rosebud river about noon on June 21. As the result of conference u,n.ral. Tarrv. lbhon. and c,. on cav . . ' . ., , " covered by Reno. Accordingly, at noon on June 22, the regiment left camp. As It P"" out It was reviewed by Generals n-. nihw. . r.A r-..M,- .k. ib"ltn,?r' ,,v'" P'a,"t W.rd f" " n returned the salute, Oi each officer as he returned the salute. On June 3 and great many liviian camping places wer P. appearing to be of nearly h m strength. One much larger than ot lh 'nr was passed. BELLEVUE TRADING POST IN 1SS4. In fact, Bellevue came very nearly being the Omaha of Nebraska. Jature and early rtrr.wr. - 7 rtrcumst. but alon ances seemed to favor Bellevue, g came fate to decree otherwise. 1,,-f a- tk. ...1 . ... n,nflt. fmm v,i. rt k - nt fortune's wheel, did Bellevue lose the seat of government and thereby lose Us prestige as a coming city. The untimely death of Francis Burt, first territorial governor of Nebraska. Indirectly turned the pivot of fate on the losing side for Bellevue. Governor Burt had selected "Bellevue as the temporary capital. True it remained for the people to .ubsequent v Hr tv, .i,w. v. h. The grass for a considerable distance around it had been cropped close. Indicat ing that large herds had been grazed there. The frame of a large "sun-dance" lodge was yet standing, and in it was found the scalp of a white man, probably one of Gen eral Gibbons' command, who had been killed some weeks previously. The com mand halted herd and General Custer had a consultation with his troop commanders. "At this time," afterwards wrote Captain Hi 8. Godfrey of Troop K, "a stiff southerly breeze was blowing. As we were about to separate the general's headquar ters flag was blown down, falling toward our rear. Being near the flag, I picked it lip and stuck the staff ln the ground, but It fell again to the rear. I then bored the staff into the ground, where it would have the support of a sage brush. This circum stance made no Impression on me at tha time, but after the battle an officer asked me If I remembered the Incident; he had observed It and regarded the fact of Its falling to tho rear as a bad omen, and felt sure he would suffer a defeat." The command had little rest on the night of June 24, the general being anxious to get as near the divide, near the Little Big Horn, over which the Indian trail led. as possible before daylight, where the com mand would be concealed during the day, and give ample time for the country to be studied, to locate the village and to make plans for the attack which was In tended to be made on the 2tth. A little after 2 o'clock on the morning of the 26th, the command was halted to await further tidings from the scouts. Shortly before 8 o'clock General Custer rode to the several troops himself and gave orders to be ready to march at 8 o'clock, stating that the scouts had discovered the local ity of the Indian village or camp ln the valley of the Little Big Horn, about twelve or fifteen miles beyond the divide. At 10 o'olock in the morning the command was again halted. A ravine furnished shelter and the men were Instructed to maintain quiet and do nothing that would reveal their presence to the enemy. It was not long, however, until several Indians were observed moving along the summit of the ridge, .and the command knew that its presence had been discov ered. Therefore, further concealment was unnecessary, and it was docided that ln order to prevent the escape of the hostiles It would be necessary to attack them with out deiay. The column was soon on the march once more, and a little before noon crossed the dividing ridge between the Rosebud and little Big Horn valleys. Soon after passing this point the regiment was cU vlded into battalions. The advanced bat talion, under Major Reno, consisted of Troops M, A and U, the Indian scouts and an interpreter. The Ill-fated battalion under General Custer consisted of Troop I, Captain Keogh and Lieutenant Porter; Troop F, Captain Yates and Lieutenant ReJly; Troop C, Captain Tom Custer and Lieutenant Harrington; Troop K, Lieutenants Mmlth and Kurgls; Troop L, Lieutenants Calhoun aud Crittenden; Lieutenant Cook, was the the power to convene the first session of the legislature ln Bellevue. and with the prestige thus gained, supplemented by the natural advantages the place then offered as a beauty Bpot for city building, it is reasonably certain that the metropolis of Nebraska would have grown up on the lte of Bellevue. Governor Burt was appointed from South leaving far-famed Arbor Lodge as a mnnu Carolina and the long Journey to Ne- ment to his strong love of the home bcautl braska was fraught with many hardship, ful. He waa ln Impaired health at the time of hi. appointment and the tax upon hi i strength waa too great. The governor reached Bellevue on the evening of October 7, 1854. On the morning of Oc- URST GOV. QTTM&jrSEZCBZXOFCT adjutant and Dr. G. W. Lord was medical officer. The battalion under Captain Benteen was composed of Troops H, D and K. The pack train was ln charge of Lieutenant Mathey and was under escort of Troop B, Captain McDougall. The battalions under Cus ter and Reno did not meet any Indians until Reno arrived at a burning tepee, ln which was the body of a warrior who had been killed ln the battle with General Crook's troops a week before. Near the tepee a few Indians were seen. They did not appear to be surprised at seeing the troops. Neither did they make an effort to delay the advance of the soldiers, but kept far enough ln advance as if to Invite pursuit. Reno's command and tha scouts followed them clasely, until Reno received orders "to move forward at as rapid a gait aa he thought prudent, and charge the village afterwards, and the whole outfit would support him." - Tha order was received when Reno was not very fax from the Lit tle Big Horn river. His battalion then moved at a trot to the liver, where Reno delayed about ten or fifteen minutes water ing the horses and reforming the column. Reno now sent word to Custer that he had everything in front of him and that the enemy was strong. Custer had moved off to the right, being separated from Reno by a lino of high bluffs and the river. After moving for ward about half a mile Reno formed his battalion in line of bottle and advanced across tho valley. After preceedlng a mile further he deployed the battalion os skir mishers. A body of hostiles was ln front of him, and although being steadily rein forced, fell steadily back, firing occasion ally, but apparently making no determined effort to check Reno's advance. Suddenly tho hoetlles developed great force, opened a brisk fire, and made a dash toward the foot hills on the left Hank whero tho Uee scouts were. The scout. Immediately fled, some of therm abandoning the field alto gether. Reno, not observing any troops coming to his assistance, did not obey his orders to charge the village, but dismounted his men to fight on foot. His loss up to this time was one wounded. The position In which he found himself was a strong one, well protected In front by the bank of the river and fringe of timber, somewhat open ln the rear, but sheltered by timber In the bottom. Those present differ In the esti mates of the length of time the command remained In the bottom after they were attacked In force. Home say "a few min utes"; others, "about an hour." While Iteno remained there his casualties were few. The hostiles had him nearly sur rounded, and there was some firing from the rear of the position by Indians on the opposite bank of the river. One man was killed near Reno, and di rectly afterward Reno gave orders to those near him to "mount and get to the bluffs." This order was not generally heard or com municated; while those who did hear It were preparing to execute it, he counter manded the order, but soon afterward he repeated the same order, "to mount and get to the biuffs," and again it was not gen tober IS, same year, he died at tlie home f the Rev. William Hamilton, missionary. It waa the Intention of Governor Burt, as Ms . tory records, to not only serve the new y created territory as Us appointed governor, but to remain permanently and build with the empire builder, who already foresaw a great future. He had made one point clear, via: He atood for Bellevue aa thej eat of government. Following the unexpected doHth of Gov ernor Burt, Thomas B. Cuming, territorial eecretary, ascended to the gubernatorial chair a. acting governor. By that time the then village of Omaha waa coming Into prominence aa a candidate for the capital, and Governor Cuming was favorable to Omaha. Opposition wa. violent, but the new governor atood firm on behalf of Omaha, and the first territorial legislature. Instead of being convened In Bellevue, as the late Governor Buit had ordained, came to Omaha ln a hastily Impravlsed building reared by anxious patriots. Thus It Is apparent that the Omaha boosting .pir.t was at work even ln that early age. So Bellevue lost the .eat of government by a mere turn of fate', pivot at a time when the prize waa almost, but not quite within Its grasp. Los of the capital marked the death struggle of Bellevue so far a. commercial supremacy goes. Omaha at once took higher rank and many Bellevue resldont followed the tide Omahawards. Oth-rj went to Nebraska City, Plattsmouth and elsewhere. Notable among those who went to puttsmouth wa. Teter Sarpy, perhaps tfm mMt prominent figure ln Bellevue h8t0ry. j. sterling Morton, who was af- terwards to become a national figure, to glt ln tne presidential cabinet and to rear a 8im wno Blso sat In a Dresldenfs cabinet. raBt ng iot wkj, Nebraska City, and there remained continuous' until his death, In this day of modern travel where on plush-seated Pullmans the traveler miy recline In luxurious ease while crossing the continent, It la somewhat difficult to grasp a correct conception of the hardship in- cldent to a long Journey in the primitive age when Governor Hurt came to Nebraska. As a reminder of those hardships It Is timely to recount the Burt Itin erary. Coming to Bellevue from tils home ln Pendleton, S. C, he Journeyed first from Pendleton to Athens, Ga., In his own carriage, thence to Nashville, Tenn., by rail; from Nashville to Louisville, Ky., by stage coach; from Louis ville to ChicnRo by rail; from Chicago to Alton by rail and from Alton to St. Louis by boat. In St. Louis the governor remained a few days under the care of a physician, then re-embarked by boat on the Mississippi to St. Charles, Mo., where the craft left erally understood. Individuals, observing the preparations of those near Reno in formed their troop commanders who then also gave orders to mount. Several men who did not hear the orders to mount and make for the bluffs were left behind and did not make their escape until night, one not being able to make his way across the river until the following day when the appearance of fresh troops drove the Indians away. Reno's command left the bottom by troop organizations In col umns. The commander was foremost In this retreat, or "charge," as he designated It ln his official report. Owing to the strength of the, Indians the batallion could not get to the ford where It had entered the valley, but was fortunate enough to strike a crossing farther above, where a pony trail led to the top-TJf the bluffs on the farther side. Here the command got Jam med, and lost all semblance of organization. Reno's casualties thus far were three officers and twenty-nine enlisted men and scouts killed; seven enlisted men wounded; and one officer, one interpreter and four teen soliliei'8 and scouts missing. Nearly all the casualties occurred during the re treat and after leaving the timber. The Ree scouts continued their fight until they reached the supply camp at the month of the Powder river on the 27th, while the Crow scouts; remained with the command. What occurred with reference to General Custer can be best told In the words of Captain Godfrey, as written by him twelve or fourteen years after the massacre, and who was with the battalion commanded by Captain Benteen: "Not long after leaving the water hole a sergeant met him (Captain Benteen) with an order from Custer to the command ing officer of the pack train to hurry it up. The sergeant was sent back to the train with the message; aa he passed the column he said to the men. 'We've got 'cm, boys.' From this and other remarks we in ferred that Custer had attacked and cap tured the village. "Shortly afterward we were met by a trumpeter bearing this message signed by Colonel Cook, adjutant: 'Bendeen, come on. Big village. Be quick. Bring packs,' with the postscript, 'Bring packs.'. The column had been marching at a trot and walk, according as the ground was smooth or broken. We now heard firing, straggling shots, and as we advanced the engagement became more and more pronounced and ap peared to the coming toward us. The col umn took the gallop with pistols drawn, expecting to meet the enemy which we thought Custer was driving before him In his effort to communicate with the pack train, never suspecting that our force had been defeated. "We were forming Into line to meet our supposed enemy, when we came ln full view of the valley of the Little Big Horn. The valley was full of horsemen riding to and fro In clouds of dust and smoke, for the grass had been fired by the Indians to drive the troops out and cover their own movements. On the bluffs to our right we saw a body of troops and that they were engaged. But an engagement appeared to be going on in the valley, too. Bellevue the Mississippi and rr:erd the M!-url. From St. Charles to St. Joseph the Jotirn y waa made on the Missouri, but on rcaclilna; ( St Joseph the river wrs found to be In the midst of one of Its erratlo (polls, thus n dangnring navigation, and tho remainder of the Journey wa. made by hack. Cnn-y ' template the full Import of thin alK-gaff 1 Joumoy, oorsidcr the primitive method of , locomotion as well as the distance and you will not wonder that the ordeal wa. ton much for the physical endurance of a man already III before he started. A singularly puthotlc feature of the death of Governor Burt is tho fact that his wlfe to whom he was devoted with more th4 usual tenderness, was at the old home in South Carolina, thereby being deprived of attending him In hi fatal Illness. For several years prior to his ap pointment as governor of Nebraska Gov ernor Burt had alternated between Wash ington City and his South Carolina home, having frequent occasion to absent him self at tho national capital on official busi ness. Concerning his migration to what ' was then the wilds of Nebraska, Mr.. Burt wrote In a letter to her husband ln Wash ington, which In later year, beoama publio property: "I hope you will accept the Nebraska . appointment. I care not how wild the ; country, nor how many hardship, we en- j counter, If we can only settle soma place where we may be together without Inter ruption." In coming to Nebraska, Governor Burt was accompanied by his son, Armlstead, but Mrs. Burt remained behind pending the founding of a home ln the new country a fond domestic dream which was rudely shattered by death. The remain, of Gov ernor Burt Were taken back to South Caro lina for burial. The first Information the wife had of her bereavement was when the body was well on its way. She was literally heartbroken and pining away, soon died. ; Tho boy, Armlstead, became a pioneer physician in New Mexico, year, later, and tho last account ot him he was still living there. The Nebraska Historical society had a letter from him a few years ago in which details of his father's death were dis cussed. With the lots of the capital, the decline! of fur traffic, the advent of the railroads Into Omaha and tho consequent cessation of river navigation, all this bringing about the removal of a large part of the papula tion. Bellevue, tho fires of ambition com pletely extinguished, lapsed into a -comatose condition, and is now quite content to be known as the cradle of Nebraska history, tho superlative of all M'ssmni liver beauty landscape?, and a green clad monument to "What Misht Have Been." Fitting It Is, Indeed, that the Slate His torical society has chosen Bellevue as the principal scene of the forthcoming anni versary picnic. Battlefield Owing to the distance, smoke and dust, it . was Impossible to distinguish If those It y the valley were friends or foes. There was a short time of uncertainty as to the direc tion in which we should go, but some Crow scout came by, driving a small herd of ponies, one of them said, 'soldiers,' and motioned for the command to go to the right. Following his directions, we soon Joined Reno's battalion, which was still firing. "It is possible yet probable that from the high point Custer could then see nearly the whole camp and force of the Indians and realized that the chances were des perate; but It whs too late to reunite his forces for the attack. Reno was already in the fight and his (Custer's) own battallo".. was separated from the attack by a dis-J tance of two and a half to three miles. He had no reason to think Reno would not push his attack vigorously. A commander seldom goes into battle counting upon the ' failure of his lieutenant: if he did. he ctr-f .... V - vwiiiiy wuuiu proviue mai sucn laoiura should not turn into dlstaster. Thft Tnrilnn- U'Pr. nun kv them (Captain Weir and Lieutenant Edg erly) to ride about what afterwards proved to (be Custer's battlefield shooting Into tha bodies of the dead men. Looking to wards Custer's field, on a hill two miles away we saw a large assemblage. At first our command did not appear to attract their attention, although there was gome commotion observable among those nearest to our position. We heard occasional shots, most of which seemed to be a great dis tance off, beyond the large groups on they hill. Whllo watching this group the con- elusion waa arrived at that Custer had ' been repulsed, and the filing was the part ing shots of the rear guards. The filing ceased, the groups dispersed, clouds of dust arose from all parts of tha field, and the horsenw-n converged toward our position. After being besieged on the bluffs Until the morning of tho 27th, Reno's and Ben teen's battalions were relieved by the ar rival of General Terry, when they learned of the disaster which had befallen Custer and his command. On the 2tsth the dead were buried. All the bodleB except a few hail been stripped of their clothing. Nearly all were scalped or mutilated in some man ner, but there waa one notable exception, that of General Custer, whose face J.'i expression were natural; he had been slJot ln the temple. and ln tho left sIiIb. The killed of the entire command was 2(i.ri, w hl j the wounded numbered fifty-two. In mer f ory of the gallant dead the government some years ago erected a large monument on tho top of the hill near where the bodies of General Custer and many of his officers and men were found, on which is engraved the names of the dead heroes. On each spot where a body was found a marble headstone had been erected, a cross mark- Ing the place where Custer's body was t found. The extension a few years ago of a railroad through the vicinity of the Custer battlefield renders It easy of access, tar year by year the number of touris'-'K no visit the spot soaked with the C!QTAof heroes. Is increasing. J