Crazy Horse: A Tragic Hero

George Armstrong Custer was a United States cavalry officer who served with distinction in the American Civil War and was the youngest ever brevet brigadier general at age twenty-three (History.com Staff, 2009). Custer had various disciplinary issues throughout his career ranging from abandoning his post for romantic reasons to leaving the field without searching for a slain reconnaissance unit (History.com Staff, 2009). His expedition in 1874 that led to the discovery of gold, was in violation of the treaty of 1868 wherein the Black Hills were recognized to belong to the Sioux Nation. Custer was known to have a reckless temperament and was often at odds with superior officers. Nevertheless, as a Lieutenant Colonel assigned to the Seventh Cavalry Regiment out of Fort Riley, Kansas, Custer was tasked to lead the force against Sitting Bull’s alliance (History.com Staff, 2009).

On June 25, 1876, The Battle of Little Bighorn took place near the Black Hills in Montana. This was one of the most controversial battles of the 20th century and the line between good guys and bad guys was grey at best. Gen. George Armstrong Custer (reduced to LTC after the civil war) had 366 men of the 7thU.S. Cavalry under his command that day. Sitting Bull (A Medicine Man) led 2000 braves of the Lakota, Northern Cheyenne, and Arapaho tribes (Klos, 2013). At the conclusion of the battle, the stories of the Indians savagery were used to demonize their culture and there were no survivors from the 7thcavalry to tell what really happened.

Lieutenant Colonel George Armstrong Custer led an Army expedition in the Black Hills (present-day South

Cavalier in Buckskin, a book about George Armstrong Custer’s life up until his death on June 25, 1876 at the Battle of Little Bighorn, taught me many things about how Custer lived and acted. It also taught me a lot about Custers personality in battle which made me come to the conclusion that he was a very confident man in what he did and how he fought his battles which in turn possibly could have ended his life because overconfidence can be deadly.

James Butler Hickok was born on May 27, 1837, in a small, clean, agricultural community called Troy Grove, Illinois which is located in the mid-northern part of the state. James Hickok was better known as “Wild Bill,” a name he got the name while fighting in the Civil War. Wild Bill’s early career consisted of many jobs. At the age of 17, Bill was a towpath driver on the Illinois and Michigan Canal; he also worked on a stage coach to keep bandits from robbing the stage and passengers. When he was working one night a cinnamon bear attacked Bill and he killed the bear with just a six inch knife. Bill was in the middle of his career when he started to work as a lawman and a scout. Wild Bill was involved in several duels, one was a duel with

Crazy Horse is apart of the Oglala Lakota tribe and is from Rapid City, SD.  He lived from 1840 to 1877.  Crazy Horse is most famous for “Battle of Little Bighorn” and resisting being put on a reservation.  During this time he was constantly running and fighting. But, he surrendered eventually.  Of course not by choice though.

Around 1770, the Ojibwaes destroyed one of the largest cheyennelands towns in North Dakota, and soon the Cheyennes also came into conflict with the Dakota. In addition to all this, a pituitary epidemic was eradicated in the tribe. At this time the horse was introduced to

Black Elk was born in 1863 in Wyoming (“Black Elk”). He would later become the Oglala Lakota holy man (“Black Elk – 1863-1950”). Chief Crazy Horse led a group of Sioux Native Americans in government resistance. Being Black Elk’s second cousin, Black Elk was able to closely see the actions of the government towards the Native Americans. In May of 1877, Chief

Highly respected for his bravery and insight, Sitting Bull became one of the head chiefs of the Lakota nation around 1868. Anderson goes on in the book to talk about the defense of the homeland of the Lakota's from the government, by Sitting Bull and the other tribes. Sitting Bull had no intention of selling any land and made that clear to the Americans. Land boundaries became a large issue between the Americans and the Lakotas. Americans pushed the Indians to define the territories so that purchases could be made.

Sitting Bull was trying to gather all of the Lakota under a common banner. Crazy Horse moved his camp to his, and between their reputations, they had gathered the largest Lakota force in history.

After the Civil War ended, Custer was offered the rank of Lieutenant Colonel with the command of the 7TH Cavalry Regiment4. Custer served in many campaigns the U.S. Cavalry conducted including Major General Hancock’s campaign against the Cheyenne and the Battle of Washita River against the Black Kettle5.

Although the exact date is unknown, Crazy Horse was born in 1840. He was born in Cha-O-Ha, which means in the wilderness or “among the trees”. For the first few years of his life, he was cared for by his mother, sister and all of the women of the community. The women taught him life lessons throughout his time while at the same time allowing him to teach himself lessons too. He always had someone close to him guide him. Crazy Horse was given the nickname ‘Light Haired One’ because unlike all the other boys in the Lakota tribe, his hair and skin were constantly getting lighter while he grew. Growing up, Crazy Horse was taught gentleness by the women in his community. He also taught himself the virtues of patience. Many lessons he learned were because he encountered them the hard way and not because he was told or showed by his loved ones.

Sitting Bull was great leader and a great warrior. He was recognized for many things including the Battle of Little Big Horn and the leader of Strong Hearts, He was the Sash Wearer. He spent much of his life taking care of his tribe and all Native Americans. Sitting Bull is the greatest Sioux chief and one of the greatest Native American chiefs ever.

Of course, as soon as rumors that the Black Hills contained gold began to circulate, this promise became as empty as any others made by the 'Great White Father' to native peoples. And on May 17th 1876, the breaking of this treaty precipitated the crushing defeat of the 7th Calvary at the hands of the Sioux nation led by the defiant, "You need not bring any guides; you can find me easily. I will not run away" , Sitting Bull (Cooke 136) in the Battle of Little Bighorn (Cooke 133-151). But this battle, though a victory over the Anglo invaders, was temporary and short-lived. By September 5, 1877 Crazy Horse was dead, Sitting Bull was in exile in Canada and "…in all the Great Plains, from Canada south, there was no longer a free tribe or a "wild" Indian. It had not taken long; in 1840 the boundary of the permanent Indian Country had been completed and the Great Plains were to belong forever to Indians. A mere thirty-seven years later every solemn promise had been broken and no bit of ground large enough to be buried in remained to any Indian that could not--and probably would--be arbitrarily taken from him without warning" (Andrist 300). The Westward expansion was on, and the push to break up and the sell the Great Sioux Reservation was supported by a "westward-pushing railroad [and] promoters eager for cheap land to be sold at high profits to immigrants"

Not only could horses travel places that people couldn’t, but they also had tougher legs and bodies that were able to protect them better; making them more sustainable for travel. Some of the first Americans who settled here were brought by the mustangs (Speir) and (American Expedition).