Journal Aug 12.
Custer's Last Charge to Be Depicted.
To every one who watched the brilliant
achievements of General Custer in the civil
war and, later on, the plains, the Battle of
"The Little Big Horn" will always be interesting.
Led into an untenable position
by the carelessness and incompetency of his
subordinates. Custer made a brave stand
for his life and the preservation of his command,
but numbers were against him and
he was overpowered.
Colonel Cody and Mr. Salsbury have decided
to make a representation of Custer's
last charge as part of the programme they
are offering to the public in their "Wild
West" exhibition. The programme as at
present arranged will be carried out every
day without fail, and the adding thereto of
the "Battle of the Little Big Horn" will
serve only to make the exhibition
more interesting, and the entertainment
more valuable and more educative. Among
the many noted persons taking part in the
representation who were engaged in the
campaign of 1876 through the valley of the
Big Horn at the time of the massacre of
Custer, and his forces will be Buffalo Bill
himself, who was then Chief of Scouts of
the United States army; Private Hackett,
who was with Colonel Reno in the first engagement
of that campaign, and Chiefs
Painted Horse, Little Wolf, Last Horse,
Black Bear, Red Elk and other who were
among the Indians opposed to Custer's
forces.
Extensive arrangements have been made
to perfect all the details and make them as
true to the original as possible. New and
correct scenery on an extensive scale made
from photographs and sketches, and duplicates
of the implements of civilized and
savage warfare used in that battle
have been procured for use
in the representation. These, with so many
of the original participants in the war, will
serve to make the reproduction of these
scenes by Messrs. Cody and Salsbury, not
only historically correct, but peculiarly
unique, in that it will be the first time in
the history of amusements that original
characters are seen in mimic
representation of historical events in which
they were chief actors. On Wednesday
when the first representation is made one
of the most distinguished audiences of military
and other notables ever gathered together
will be present.
Post
Aug 12.
Although the Wild West show continues
to enjoy a very large patronage at the arena,
corner of Stony Island avenue and Sixty-third
street, the management has decided to introduce
a novelty in the programme next Wednesday in
the form of an exact reproduction of Custer's
last fight, partcipated in by three chiefs who
were in the conflict. Meantime the regular entertainment
will be presented twice daily, "rain
or shine."
[Times?] Aug 13"
The only novelty of any account in this
week's amusement bill will be found in Buffalo
Bill's Wild West. There, Wednesday
next, it is intended to add to the realistic exhibition
of frontier life a dramatic representation
of the tragic massacre of the Little
Big Horn, where the gallant Custer and
so many more brave American soldiers bit
the dust. Many of the Indians who took
part in that horrible affair will appear in the
mimic show. Every attention will be paid to
the details of the work, and as nearly a perfect
representation will be given as the prescribed
limits of the arena and the limited
number of people will allow, but it is safe to
say that all the salient features will be
brought out with a fidelity to history astonishing
to the spectator. New scenery on a
grand scale has been made from photographs
and sketches; all the necessary and correct
implements as properties have been secured,
and as many of the actors were actual participants
in the battle a thrilling representation
may be confidently anticipated by the
public. Col. Cody and Mr. Salsbury do not
do things by halves.
Herald Aug 13"
LITTLE BIG HORN MASSACRE.
The massacre of the Little Big Horn has
become a sadly memorable event in the history
of the Indian fronter. It was and will
be remembered when all other battles between
the United States army and the Indians
shall have been forgotten. It occupies
a page alone in the memoirs of Indian
warfare. To reproduce this scene, having
as actors many of those who actually participated
in the campaign and some
who were in the battle itself, is a wonderful
undertaking. Ye this is soon actually
to be done here in Chicago. Chiefs
Plenty Horses, Painted Horse and Rocky
Bear, who were in the fight, are now with
Cody and Salisbury in their great "Wild
West," and with them are many of the
Indians who formed the rank and file of the
Indian forces. Assisted by other Indian
members of the "Wild West" and joined by
members of the Seventh United States cavalry,
led by Colonel W. F. Cody himself,
these historic characters will in the Wild
West grounds on Wednesday, Aug. 16, give
a vivid and realistic picture of the great
battle, giving in detail every incident of
that terrible struggle. This great exhibition
will not only be of historical interest,
but will, it is promised, be a beautifully real
picture.
The addition of this feature will not cause
the omission from the programme of any
other of the interesting numbers which have
made the "Wild West" so popular, but is in
the nature of an extra attraction. At all
other performances prior to Wednesday
next the same attractive exhibition that has
already won such universal and unqualified
approval will be given each day.
New scenery has been prepared, and will
not only be on a scale of immensity never
before seen, but will be made with absolute
fidelity to the photographs and sketches
made on the ground. Over three hundred
people will be engaged, and no doubt the
entire representation will be faithful, thrilling
and interesting.
