On July 4, 1876, Lieutenant Charles A. Varnum wrote a detailed letter to his parents from a camp on the Yellowstone River. He was one of the few surviving officers of the Seventh Cavalry Regiment. His account offers a rare and personal look at the events surrounding the Battle of Little Bighorn.
Varnum described the regiment’s movement under General George Custer. The force numbered about 605 men. Varnum commanded a squad of roughly 36 scouts, guides, and interpreters. They started up the Rosebud River on June 22 after discovering a trail left by Native American forces.
The command made about 12 miles on the first day. On the second day, they covered 30 miles. Early on the third day, they found a heavy trail. About ten miles from camp, they located a circle surrounded by a brush fence. It was arranged for a sundance, a ceremony used for making warriors.
The scouts found a stick with a fresh scalp attached. The trail showed signs of two or three Indians, likely made that morning. The command marched 20 miles. Varnum was sent back six miles to examine a creek for signs of Indians leaving the trail. After his return, they advanced eight more miles and camped in an Indian camp about two days old.
The signs pointed to an immense force. The command hurried to take the enemy by surprise. Custer came to speak with the scouts. Six Crow scouts who knew the country well said the trail led toward the Little Horn, a fork of the Big Horn. They wanted to go ahead about 20 miles to a high bluff overlooking the valley.
Custer wanted an intelligent white man to go ahead with them and send back information. Varnum took the six Crows, five Rees, and an old frontiersman. They marched all night, covering about 60 miles. Varnum had ridden for 36 hours without rest or sleep.
Custer planned to start at 11 p.m. and reach them by morning. At 2:30 a.m., they reached the hill and hid in scrub bushes until daylight. When the sun rose, they spotted the smoke of an Indian village. By 5 a.m., Varnum sent the Rees back with a message for Custer.
The Crow scouts said they saw about 2,000 or 3,000 ponies on the plain, 12 miles away. Varnum could not see them himself. Custer’s camp was about eight miles off. He received the message at 8 a.m. and began moving. He joined the scouts on the hill.
Two Sioux warriors were spotted heading toward Custer’s column. Charlie Reynolds, the Crow interpreter, two Crow scouts, and Varnum set out to stop them. They failed. When Custer arrived, they informed him of the discovery. Custer decided to attack as soon as possible.
Around 2:30 a.m., the command approached the camp. Major Reno led three companies, A, G, and M, into battle. Varnum watched as they charged in with Lieutenant Hare joining them. The scouts scattered. Varnum reported to Captain Moylan to fight with Company A.
They dismounted and fought on foot near the village. Soon they were surrounded and outnumbered. They retreated to the woods and made a run for the bluff. The Indians did not pursue aggressively. Intense gunfire could be heard at the other end of the village.
On the bluff, the men regrouped. Lieutenants McIntosh and DeRudio were missing. Lieutenant Hodgson had been killed. Only five men and Lieutenant Wallace from Company G survived. Over a third of the command was lost.
Colonel Benteen arrived with three companies. The pack train came up with another company. This gave them four full companies, the remnants of three others, and some civilians. The total force numbered about 300 men.
They heard intense gunfire about two miles away. They knew Custer’s five companies were engaged in a fierce battle beyond the village. After regrouping, they marched along the bluff to join him. After a mile, they lost sight of him. The firing grew distant.
With wounded men and a cumbersome pack train, they chose a defensive position on the bluffs. The location was well chosen. The horses were sheltered in a hollow. The position could only be attacked from one direction.
The battle raged until around 9 p.m. The firing ceased until dawn. The men fortified their position with limited tools. The Indians unleashed a relentless barrage throughout the day. Men fell rapidly.
Young soldiers quickly became seasoned veterans. They fought alongside the dead and wounded. Flies and maggots surrounded them. The hospital held about 40 wounded men. It was protected by the mules and horses that surrounded it.
Varnum wrote that he would not attempt to describe the horror of the situation. There was no water. The men became furious. Detachments were sent under heavy fire to try to get some. Many were killed and wounded in those attempts.
The horses suffered terribly. They got no water and could not eat oats without it. The firing ceased on the afternoon of June 26. The men could see that the village was leaving. After dark, they changed camp to get away from the stench of dead animals.
In the morning, the Indians were gone. The cause was soon explained. General Terry with five companies of the Seventh Infantry and four of the Second Cavalry was coming to their relief. They had seen the Crow scouts who escaped and hurried to help.
Terry reached them about 10 a.m. Then the sickening details were seen in all their horror. Custer and his five companies had been exterminated. About 300 men had been killed. Their bodies were stripped and horribly mangled.
Sixteen officers had fallen. Among the dead were General Custer, Captain Keogh, Captain Yates, Captain Custer, Lieutenant Cook, First Lieutenant Smith, McIntosh, Calhoun, and Porter. Second lieutenants Hodgson, Harrington, Sturgis, and Riley of the Seventh Cavalry also died. Lieutenant Crittenden of the 20th Infantry and Doctors Lord and DeWolf were killed as well.
Colonel Benteen and Varnum were slightly wounded. Varnum received two slight flesh wounds, one in each leg below the knee. He was wounded while charging on foot to drive the Indians from a hill where they were killing men at an alarming rate.
Varnum reflected on the personal losses. Mrs. Custer lost her husband and his two brothers. One brother was a civilian traveling with the command. Mrs. Calhoun lost her husband and three brothers. A nephew, Mr. Reed, was also killed.
Half of the officers with the regiment had been killed. The regiment suffered significant losses. Varnum was placed in command of the remaining members of Company I. This made him a first lieutenant and 11th on the list.
The command was encamped on an old battlefield from August 11, 1873. A boat had been sent to Lincoln to establish communication with General Sheridan and receive orders. When mail arrived from Fort Ellis, they received a letter from Sheridan dated a month earlier.
Sheridan warned General Terry not to divide his command. He had intelligence that at least 5,000 warriors had assembled. Varnum believed they fought against about 4,000 of them. General Crook with 16 companies of cavalry was approaching from the south.
According to the dispatch, Crook had been reinforced by the entire Fifth Cavalry. That gave him 28 companies to engage the enemy. The Seventh Cavalry had faced the enemy with 12. Varnum closed his letter by telling his parents not to worry for him. He signed it, your affectionate son, Charles A. Varnum.