Show GEN CUSTERS CUSTER'S LAST BATTLE i Member of Newton Mass Police Pollee Force for Many Years Tells of Fight of Little Big Horn Captain John Ryan for thirty four year a member of the Newton Mass police department and veteran of the Civil and Indian wars was a first sergeant of M Df Troop U. U S. S Cavalry aIry alry under General Custers Custer's command command com com- mand and has substantiated his claim of being the man to fire the first and last shots In the battle of the Little Big Horn In 1874 the Cavalry under command command com como mand of General Custer conducted the Black Hills expedition for the purpose purpose pur pur- pose of 01 determining If it gold existed In the hills as the Indians had re re- re- re ported With the troops were many mining experts and professors from several of tho the large universities They explored the tho hills for or ninety days The rocky nature of the ground made It very ery hard on the horses On one of these prospecting tIng trips Ryans Ryan's horse lost a shoe Under the rules If It his horse became lame he would be forced to dismount and continue on foot r The blacksmith was at the the main camp but Sergeant Ryans Ryan's Ingenuity hit upon a scheme He He had a new cavalry overcoat which had cost him bim 14 Cutting o off C one sleeve he sewed the in up bottom placed heavy pads r cs- cs l t V i a a aI I 1 fit 4 41 1 Explored the Hills for Ninety Days it t and then drew it up over the horses's hoof hoot securing it above the fetlock In this manner the animal was kept from lameness The horse of another member of or orthe the he detachment gave out and It had to o be shot Its unfortunate rider wan waa forced to walk but Ryan made good use of the calamity by removing a a. shoe With the aid of a geologists geologist's hammer bammer he fast fastened ned the shoe on his mount and was able to ride again through the remainder of the summer He rode this horse an intelligent Kentucky bay for or 10 years between November 1866 and December 1876 on all of Custers Custer's marches and engagements engagements engagements en en- and he declares that the tho animal undoubtedly sav saved d his life UCe in Custers Custer's last fight On many occasions said Captain Ryan lyan I have shared my rations with with my horse and have even crept around In n the tho night to pilfer a little forage for or him Captain Ryan served three years in Co C Mass and one year in Co K K Mass In the Civil war and and ten years with General Custer In Troop M. M U. U S. S Cavalry and had charge of the detail that burled General General Gen Gen- eral oral Custer his brother Captain T. T W. W Custer Duster and First Lieutenant nant W. W W W. Cook adjutant U. U S S. Cavalry and and two other commissioned officers and and men men- His own company 11 M Di entered that engagement with forty five men find horses of whom fourteen enUs enlisted ed Wen men and one second lieutenant were killed ten men wounded and all their horses gorses but nine killed Ho He Is the man who identified Captain Thomas W. W Custer whose body was so terribly I mutilated by the Indians is u Captain Custer was tho the first lieutenant of Captain Captain Captain Cap Cap- tain Ryans Ryan's company for about four tour years before Custer was promoted to captain of another company Capt Ryan was wounded four tour times Umes during the Civil war at the battIe battle bat bat- tIe tle of ot Reams Ream's Station Va on the Neldon Weidon Wei- Wei I don railroad In front of Petersburg I He Ue was wounded while repulsing a Confederate charge on August 25 1864 which was birthday birth day while a member of Gen T T. F. F Meaghers Meagher's Irish brigade known as the tho Second brigade First division Second corps Army of the Potomac |