FREE ESSAY ON BATTLE OF LITTLE BIG HORN

BATTLE OF LITTLE BIG HORN

Five springs ago I, with many Sioux Indians, took down and packed up our tipis and moved
from Cheyenne river to the Rosebud river, where we camped a few days; then took down and
packed up our lodges and moved to the Little Bighorn river and pitched our lodges with
the large camp of Sioux.
The Sioux were camped on the Little Bighorn river as follows: The lodges of the Uncpapas
were pitched highest up the river under a bluff. The Santee lodges were pitched next. The
Oglala's lodges were pitched next. The Brule lodges were pitched next. The Minneconjou
lodges were pitched next. The Sans Arcs' lodges were pitched next. The Blackfeet lodges
were pitched next. The Cheyenne lodges were pitched next. A few Arikara Indians were
among the Sioux (being without lodges of their own). Two-Kettles, among the other Sioux
(without lodges).
I was a Sioux chief in the council lodge. My lodge was pitched in the center of the camp.
The day of the attack I and four women were a short distance from the camp digging wild
turnips. Suddenly one of the women attracted my attention to a cloud of dust rising a
short distance from camp. I soon saw that the soldiers were charging the camp. To the
camp I and the women ran. When I arrived a person told me to hurry to the council lodge.
The soldiers charged so quickly we could not talk (council). We came out of the council
lodge and talked in all directions. The Sioux mount horses, take guns, and go fight the
soldiers. Women and children mount horses and go, meaning to get out of the way.
Among the soldiers was an officer who rode a horse with four white feet. [This officer
was evidently Capt. French, Seventh Cavalry.] The Sioux have for a long time fought many
brave men of different people, but the Sioux say this officer was the bravest man they
had ever fought. I don't know whether this was Gen. Custer or not. Many of the Sioux men
that I hear talking tell me it was. I saw this officer in the fight many times, but did
not see his body. It has been told me that he was killed by a Santee Indian, who took his
horse. This officer wore a large-brimmed hat and a deerskin coat. This officer saved the
lives of many soldiers by turning his horse and covering the retreat. Sioux say this
officer was the bravest man they ever fought. I saw two officers looking alike, both
having long yellowish hair.
Before the attack the Sioux were camped on the Rosebud river. Sioux moved down a river
running into the Little Bighorn river, crossed the Little Bighorn river, and camped on
its west bank.
This day [day of attack] a Sioux man started to go to Red Cloud agency, but when he had
gone a short distance from camp he saw a cloud of dust rising and turned back and said he
thought a herd of buffalo was coming near the village.
The day was hot. In a short time the soldiers charged the camp. [This was Maj. Reno's
battalion of the Seventh Cavalry.] The soldiers came on the trail made by the Sioux camp
in moving, and crossed the Little Bighorn river above where the Sioux crossed, and
attacked the lodges of the Uncpapas, farthest up the river. The women and children ran
down the Little Bighorn river a short distance into a ravine. The soldiers set fire to
the lodges. All the Sioux now charged the soldiers and drove them in confusion across the
Little Bighorn river, which was very rapid, and several soldiers were drowned in it. On a
hill the soldiers stopped and the Sioux surrounded them. A Sioux man came and said that a
different party of Soldiers had all the women and children prisoners. Like a whirlwind
the word went around, and the Sioux all heard it and left the soldiers on the hill and
went quickly to save the women and children.
From the hill that the soldiers were on to the place where the different soldiers [by
this term Red-Horse always means the battalion immediately commanded by General Custer,
his mode of distinction being that they were a different body from that first
encountered] were seen was level ground with the exception of a creek. Sioux thought the
soldiers on the hill [i.e., Reno's battalion] would charge them in rear, but when they
did not the Sioux thought the soldiers on the hill were out of cartridges. As soon as we
had killed all the different soldiers the Sioux all went back to kill the soldiers on the
hill. All the Sioux watched around the hill on which were the soldiers until a Sioux man
came and said many walking soldiers were coming near. The coming of the walking soldiers
was the saving of the soldiers on the hill. Sioux can not fight the walking soldiers
[infantry], being afraid of them, so the Sioux hurriedly left.
The soldiers charged the Sioux camp about noon. The soldiers were divided, one party
charging right into the camp. After driving these soldiers across the river, the Sioux
charged the different soldiers [i.e., Custer's] below, and drive them in confusion; these
soldiers became foolish, many throwing away their guns and raising their hands, saying,
Sioux, pity us; take us prisoners. The Sioux did not take a single soldier prisoner, but
killed all of them; none were left alive for even a few minutes. These different soldiers
discharged their guns but little. I took a gun and two belts off two dead soldiers; out
of one belt two cartridges were gone, out of the other five.
The Sioux took the guns and cartridges off the dead soldiers and went to the hill on
which the soldiers were, surrounded and fought them with the guns and cartridges of the
dead soldiers. Had the soldiers not divided I think they would have killed many Sioux.
The different soldiers [i.e., Custer's battalion] that the Sioux killed made five brave
stands. Once the Sioux charged right in the midst of the different soldiers and scattered
them all, fighting among the soldiers hand to hand.
One band of soldiers was in rear of the Sioux. When this band of soldiers charged, the
Sioux fell back, and the Sioux and the soldiers stood facing each other. Then all the
Sioux became brave and charged the soldiers. The Sioux went but a short distance before
they separated and surrounded the soldiers. I could see the officers riding in front of
the soldiers and hear them shooting. Now the Sioux had many killed. The soldiers killed
136 and wounded 160 Sioux. The Sioux killed all these different soldiers in the ravine.
The soldiers charged the Sioux camp farthest up the river. A short time after the
different soldiers charged the village below. While the different soldiers and Sioux were
fighting together the Sioux chief said, Sioux men, go watch soldiers on the hill and
prevent their joining the different soldiers. The Sioux men took the clothing off the
dead and dressed themselves in it. Among the soldiers were white men who were not
soldiers. The Sioux dressed in the soldiers' and white men's clothing fought the soldiers
on the hill.
The banks of the Little Bighorn river were high, and the Sioux killed many of the
soldiers while crossing. The soldiers on the hill dug up the ground [i.e., made
earth-works], and the soldiers and Sioux fought at long range, sometimes the Sioux
charging close up. The fight continued at long range until a Sioux man saw the walking
soldiers coming. When the walking soldiers came near the Sioux became afraid and ran
away.
Bibliography
An Eyewitness Account by the Lakota Chief Red Horse
recorded in pictographs and text
at the Cheyenne River Reservation, 1881