| T O P I C R E V I E W |
| Smcf |
Posted - September 13 2004 : 09:06:25 AM
Hi Folks - I watched a BBC program on the battle which put forth the views of a British archaeologist involved in the after-fire digs. By way of a foreword, a narrator read out a report by Lieut. James H Bradley detailing his encounter with the 3 Indian scouts. I'll append my written form of this narration below, but my question - is this the first written report of the battle? i.e. written on the 26th, or was it reported in retospect - does anyone know?
"June 26th 1876 - Lieutenant James H Bradley, 7th Infantry, Scout Patrol"
"We entered a valley cut by a dry creek and here came upon the fresh tracks of ponies. We had seen a heavy smoke rising in our front, apparently 15 or 20 miles away. While speculating on the circumstance, 3 men were discovered on the oppsosite side of the Big Horn apparently watching our movements, some of the crow scouts I had furnished to General Custer."
"We at once signalled to them. They responded that Custer had followed the Indian trail and yesterday struck the Village on the Little Big Horn, Sioux warriors letting them get close to the Village and then sallying forth in overwhelming numbers to meet him. The corpses of Custer's men were strewn all over the country. It was a terrible, terrible story - so different from the outcome we had hoped for." |
| 2 L A T E S T R E P L I E S (Newest First) |
| Smcf |
Posted - September 14 2004 : 03:55:46 AM
Many thanks for the information. |
| Anonymous Poster8169 |
Posted - September 14 2004 : 12:50:20 AM
It's a heavily edited extract from Bradley's daily journal --- not "report". Pages 152-54 of the University of Oklahoma Press edition. Bradley's original field diary is gone, and what survives today appears to be a worked-up version that Bradley wrote after the campaign. Two or three men with Reno kept journals; Godfrey's the most significant.
R. Larsen
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