July 14, 1876

On this day 148 years ago, local farmers were in a vortex of activity occurring all around them. Two months previously, "The Centennial" celebrations had commenced in the city of "Brotherly Love", Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. By July, a few influential Carroll County, Ohio residents had visited, no doubt using the advertisements in the local Carroll Chronicle as their guide in planning their ultimate adventure. The paper listed several "renowned" hotels situated close to the Pennsylvania Railroad tracks; such as "The Holland Association" at 419 N. Main St. SE in Philadelphia, promoted as "an institution having a high reputation for honorable conduct". I assume this assurred prospective guests that they wouldn't encounter any "ladies of the night" within their establishment.

The Centennial, celebrating 100 years of the nation's birth, was an incredible affair. The grounds were situated on the line of the PA RR and encompassed 450 acres of Fairmont Park. The largest buildings ever constructed were here, the top five covering 50 acres and costing $5 million to build, and then there were 195 more temporary structures. The phrase, "build it and they will come" was never more evident with 1,250,000 people counted in attendance during the month of May alone. The Centennial would carry on for 6 months, finally wrapping up in November. For reference, each State was given a piece of the fair grounds to create a story of their individual heritage, and, there were many other fledgling businesses on display too. Some of which would grow into mighty monopolies during the upcoming "Gilded Age".

The summer of '76 was also known for its hotly contested presidential political campaign - Hays vs Tilden. Some may say, "Who?", but many current political scholars have referenced this 1876 election as a direct comparison to the contested 2020 election. In 1876, the Democrat, Samuel Tilden, secured the vast majority of the country's votes, but this was insufficient to clearly secure the win in the electoral college. So, the result of the presidential election was tossed into the House of Representatives, where reportedly lots of skulduggery led to the Republican, Rutherford Hays, being declared the winner by one vote.

As if all this wasn't enough to stir up the nation during this memorable year, many were also keeping a close eye on "The Indian Wars" out west. People were still fighting the different tribes as late as 1876? Most definitely, yes!

General George A. Custer hailed from the humble crossroads known as "New Rumley" in Harrison County, Ohio, just a skip and a hop from the Carroll county border. You visit today "downtown" New Rumley and you'll see the impressive monument of Custer mounted on his horse. However, and despite many "Custer" relations in the area, General Custer is best known in his "home town" of Monroe, Michigan, where his family moved to from Ohio. At one point, I seriously thought that my lineage traced to Custer, but this was not to be.

From all accounts, Custer was an untamed persona who was on a mission to remove the Indian stalwarts from the land, land which the US Government had moved their tribes on to. Custer's goal was to clear the land for the settlers who were pioneering their way west.

Custer took a brash approach to removing an Indian conclave - Little Big Horn, Montana - which consisted of between 2,500 and 4,000 warriors. I say "brash" because his orders were to split his limited number of US troops into five different divisions, each separated from one another. Needless to say, all the troops were systematically destroyed by such great Indian leaders such as the famous "Sitting Bull".

Let's fast forward to the end. Reportedly, Gen. Custer shot three Indians as they attacked his troops who were huddled in a narrow ravine. Custer killed three others with his saber before he was felled by a shot through his head by the aggrieved Indian chief, Rain-In-The-Face, who had recently been incarcerated by the US troops.

Reports in the July 14th edition of the Carroll Chronicle relayed the breaking story to the local residents. "The whole number killed was three hundred and fifteen ... The battleground look like a slaughter-pen, as it really was, being in a narrow ravine. The dead bodies were much mutilated." Reporting in the following week's edition highlighted how "Mrs. Custer is left without blood relation (Custer and his two brothers, nephews, and brother-in-law were all murdered) ... Mrs. Custer bore up bravely at first, but now is almost in despair ... She believes her husband fell alive into the hands of the Indians, and was tortured to death."

Here are my main two takes from all of this.

First, the battle of Little Big Horn actually took place on June 25th, a full twenty days before the news of this catastrophic event reached Carroll County residents. Imagine today a national event or travesty taking twenty days for all of the country to hear of it? Most commonly today, we know within minutes of major breaking news stories.

Secondly, in a recent discussion with a colleague of mine, I mentioned how information today is many times more guarded in how it is released to the public. Back in 1876, the press left little to the reader's imagination. "Bismarck, Dak., July 9. The remains bear many evidences of torture. Some seem to have been shot with arrows in certain parts while still living, and from others, portions of their bodies were removed. The heads of nearly all had been crushed with stone clubs. In some cases the heads were severed from the body and the entrails taken from some, and from many the limbs were chopped off. Some bodies were partly burned. The clothing belonging to some was found and recognized, but the bodies could not be found." This unedited version today would be considered way too much information.

Personally, I wouldn't mind a little bit of the detail though, of what went on, but sans the blow by blow description. Perhaps, such as the reporter in this local article submitted?

"N.Y. Herald - Custer's Battlefield, Little Horn, June 28, via Bismarck, D.T., July 6, I write from the scene of Custer's magnificent but terribly fatal charge, from a plateau on which, but a few hours since, I saw at a glance 115 heroic soldiers of the Seventh United States Cavalry lying where they fell at the hands of a savage foe, cold and dead. Near the top of a little knoll in the center of this plateau lay Custer himself, and it touched my heart to see that the savages, in a kind of a human recognition of heroic clay, had respected the corpse of the man they knew so well. Other bodies were mutilated; Custer was untouched - a tribute of respect more real than a title of nobility. He lay as if asleep, his face calm and a smile upon his lips ..."

These were the events reported 148 years ago today on what was a hot summer's day back then and with a country embroiled in so much turmoil. Will our country, as a united people, be able to celebrate this country's 250th birthday in two years' time? I'm not sure, but civility might be our only chance.