Custer of the West Page #3

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to our success were:

First...

...the Indians

were asleep.

Second...

...the women and children

offered little resistance.

Third...

...lndians have been winded...

...by our change in policy".

P.S.

Should you require

any further contributions...

...towards your election

campaign...

...be so good

as to let me know.

Your obedient servant.

George".

- Where were these people?

- They're trappers and miners.

We caught them crossing

into Cheyenne territory.

There's a gold strike

on the reservation, sir.

Come on.

How long has this rabble

been here?

Four days, sir. And

we can't keep them here, sir.

With your permission, sir,

I'd like to march...

...them back to the railroad

and ship them back east.

Gold, Captain, gold.

Send them men away and they'll

just bring back a thousand more.

We've pushed the Cheyenne's

out of half their territory...

...we can't let these people

take the rest of it!

Come in, gentlemen.

I've to give you this letter,

it's from General Sheridan.

Thank you, dear.

Sorry to keep you waiting,

gentlemen. Excuse me.

All right.

Go ahead, Captain, tell him.

Tell me what?

I brought somebody to see you,

sir.

- Who?

- A Cheyenne.

He's here?

- Yes, in the other room.

- Make him any promise?

I only promised him

that you'd see him.

Speak our language?

Been to Washington twice,

he's negotiated two treaties.

Both of which we broke.

I'm George Armstrong Custer.

Office of the

United States Army.

The Captain tells me that

you understand our language.

Is that so?

Good.

Because I want to understand me

very clearly.

I know the only reason

you come here...

...is to threaten me.

If I don't promise to keep

the miners out of...

...the Indian territory, you're

going to start killing them.

Isn't that true?

Am I speaking too fast for you?

I understand you.

I hope I can make it

plain to you that...

...I won't bargain with you

about the miners.

I will not be blackmailed...

...into making empty promises.

I am not in a position

to make any promises.

Whatever I decide to do, I'll

do it because it is right...

...according to my way.

Right!

I know you've got human rights.

Treaty rights, moral rights.

And if ever I should forget

any of them...

...there's always

Captain Benteen...

...to remind me of them.

But I am not a politician,

not a martyr, not a creature.

When I say moral-less,,

I mean...

...l'm not the best of all men.

I'm a soldier.

The only rights

that concern me...

...are the rights

of my soldiers.

The only duty of concerns me...

...is the duty of my command.

I'll make it very simple

for you.

The fact that we seem to be

pushing you clear...

...off the earth,

is not my responsibility

The problem is precisely

the same...

...as when Cheyenne

decide to take...

...another tribe's hunting

ground...

...you didn't ask them

about their rights.

You didn't care if they had been

there a thousand years.

You just took more men

and more horses...

...and destroyed them in battle,

you took what you wanted.

And right or wrong,

for better or worse...

...that is the way things

seem to get done.

That's history.

I'm talking about history.

You are a militarily defeated

people.

You're paying the price

for being backward.

And whatever my personal

feelings...

...I haven't said any...

...there's nothing I can do

to change all this.

Do you understand me?

I understand.

Captain.

Major...

...see what's going on out

there. Try and shut them up.

Yes, sir.

Let me in.

Go away!

Put that man in jail.

What's going on here, Sergeant?

- We're going to have trouble.

- What are these men doing?

We're digging for gold, sir.

This is government property,

Mister.

Save your breath, we ain't

stopping until you let us out.

This is a parade ground...

We're gonna keep digging

until...

...there's no fort left,

just one big hole.

Take that pick away from him.

Put those picks down!

Put them down!

Look these men up, Sergeant.

Put them in the guardhouse.

- Did he say anything to you?

- No sir, not a word.

Present sabres!

Sir, the second platoon's gone.

Deserted!

- Mulligan's platoon?

- They went after gold, sir.

Mulligan started it.

Major!

Get that mob out of here!

Where, General?

I don't care, Benteen.

Open the gate!

Let them out!

You're letting them go into

Cheyenne territory?

- You know that, don't you?

- I know that, Benteen.

I know that.

- Get them out!

- Yes, sir.

Open the gates!

Benteen.

Bring Mulligan back here.

Yes, sir.

Was it an important letter,

the one from General Sheridan?

"Unofficially the president

thinks that...

...the discovery of gold in

the Dakotas is wonderful news.

Best interest of the country...

...expects you to use

your best judgement".

You did what you had to.

Yeah.

I used my best judgment.

Captain!

Yellow as butter. Did you ever

see the light, Captain?

You're under arrest,

Mulligan.

Crister Mulligan's the name

now, sir...

...happy to see you

this fine morning.

Come off it, Paddy.

I'm taking you back

for desertion.

Desertion?

If it's men you need,

Captain...

...l'll buy you one in my place.

Five, fifty.

I'll buy you

the whole regiment...

...and every man in it'll

be named Paddy Mulligan.

Where are the others,

Mulligan?

The trouble started no sooner

we were out the gate.

Some wanted to go north

some wanted to go south.

I should've know...

...I couldn't get them to stick

to hard work.

For that matter,

neither could I.

I just wanted

to take off my Army boots...

...and gold mine in the clear

waters of that stream.

And that's how I found the gold.

Not leaving it

There's enough here

for both of us, Captain.

Think of all the good things

a decent man like you...

...could do with it?

Oh, well.

Back it goes.

Sooner or later some other

lucky man will find it.

Well...

I... now...

...I guess I better

put on my boots, huh?

I'll do you no harm,

Captain.

You can have your gun back,

just let me go.

All I ask is your word.

Desertion?

I suppose that's serious

business.

At ease, Sergeant.

I was hoping you'd come

to see me.

Chaplain tells me you got

new evidence.

Of course.

I don't know...

...how to put it

into words.

Put it in your own words then.

Well, it's so hard.

I don't know where to begin.

Come on.

Take your time, sit down.

Thank you, sir.

They asked me what I want,

"anything...

...you like, considering

it's your last request"...

...as a Sergeant.

Then I'll have strawberries.

And if they are not mature,

I'll wait.

You can get them,

I told him I would like them.

Go on.

I hope you're not in a hurry,

sir.

If there's any man with

his eye on the clock, it's me.

Where was I?

New evidence.

Yes, new evidence.

I'll give you a drink.

- Thank you, sir.

- All right, sit down.

I was talking about

strawberries.

Do you like strawberries,

General?

I'm listening.

Lovely fruit.

Once when I was still

a schoolboy...

...a teacher asked me

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