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Background
Riding with Custer, rushing to make the mail call, 2nd Lt. William Van Wyck Reily gives his mother an extraordinary account of the campaign, predicts the upcoming battle, and expresses a premonition that his survival is uncertain:
I have just returned from a fourteen days scout, and have leave tomorrow with Gen. Custer for a fifteen days scout... We have seen no live Indians... We start tomorrow, and expect to have a fight inside of four days... We have pretty hard times, but I will assure you that I am satisfied, and am not complaining.
Lt. Reily was of course, right: they did have a fight within four days, and he did not live through the campaign. His body was found just feet away from Custer's family and officers on Last Stand Hill, at age 22. When his mother inquired as to the state of his remains on the field, the Army sensitively protected her from the truth from his horribly mutilated body (see March 14, c.1889.)
Physical Description
Autograph Letter Signed ("Willie"), in pencil, 2 1/2 pages, octavo, Yellowstone River, June 21, 1876. To "Darling Ma" ( Ellen Febiger).
all pages and transcript
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Yellowstone River. Montana
June 21st 1876
My own darling Ma;
I have just returned from a fourteen days scout, and have tomorrow with Gen. Custer for a fifteen days scout.
We went out under Col. Reno 7th cav. from the Powder river, following the stream until we struck the Little Powder, when we changed our course, and followed the Misspah creek for some miles, then we followed the Tongue river for some distance, crossing over, and following the Rose Bud for some distance, then followed the [text is crossed out] Yellowstone river until we met the main command. Our horses are almost played out, we lost two en route. Our scout for the most part extended through lands, with
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cactus & sage brush for the only things for one's eyes to rest upon, and such a country to march through, so hard that it could only be imagined, and not described. We have seen no live Indians, except our scouts, but we have seen plenty of fresh graves of the Siouxs. When an Indian dies he is put either up in a tree, [text is crossed out] on the top of four sticks driven in the ground, but they never bury them as they are supersticious [sic]. We start tomorrow, and expect to have a fight inside of four days if we have any. The mail leaves in a few minutes so I must close. Much love to all. We have pretty hard times, but I will assure you that I am satisfied, and am not complaining. I may be able to go to the Centennial without asking, if so
expect
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me in September some time, if I live through this campaign.
Pray for
Your devoted Son
WILLIE