On this day in 1877, Crazy Horse and his warriors–outnumbered, low on ammunition and forced to use outdated weapons to defend themselves–fight their final losing battle against the U.S. Cavalry in Montana.
Six months earlier, in the Battle of Little Bighorn, Crazy Horse and his ally, Chief Sitting Bull, led their combined forces of Sioux and Cheyenne to a stunning victory over Lieutenant Colonel George Custer (1839-76) and his men. The Indians were resisting the U.S. government’s efforts to force them back to their reservations. After Custer and over 200 of his soldiers were killed in the conflict, later dubbed “Custer’s Last Stand,” the American public wanted revenge. As a result, the U.S. Army launched a winter campaign in 1876-77, led by General Nelson Miles (1839-1925), against the remaining hostile Indians on the Northern Plains.
Combining military force with diplomatic overtures, Nelson convinced many Indians to surrender and return to their reservations. Much to Nelson’s frustration, though, Sitting Bull refused to give in and fled across the border to Canada, where he and his people remained for four years before finally returning to the U.S. to surrender in 1881. Sitting Bull died in 1890. Meanwhile, Crazy Horse and his band also refused to surrender, even though they were suffering from illness and starvation.
On January 8, 1877, General Miles found Crazy Horse’s camp along Montana’s Tongue River. U.S. soldiers opened fire with their big wagon-mounted guns, driving the Indians from their warm tents out into a raging blizzard. Crazy Horse and his warriors managed to regroup on a ridge and return fire, but most of their ammunition was gone, and they were reduced to fighting with bows and arrows. They managed to hold off the soldiers long enough for the women and children to escape under cover of the blinding blizzard before they turned to follow them.
Though he had escaped decisive defeat, Crazy Horse realized that Miles and his well-equipped cavalry troops would eventually hunt down and destroy his cold, hungry followers. On May 6, 1877, Crazy Horse led approximately 1,100 Indians to the Red Cloud reservation near Nebraska’s Fort Robinson and surrendered. Five months later, a guard fatally stabbed him after he allegedly resisted imprisonment by Indian policemen.
In 1948, American sculptor Korczak Ziolkowski began work on the Crazy Horse Memorial, a massive monument carved into a mountain in South Dakota. Still a work in progress, the monument will stand 641 feet high and 563 feet long when completed.
I’m with the Monument for Crazy horse. Tecumseh and Sitting bull Monuments would also be in my favor.
My wife and I have been to Ft. Robinson, Nebraska, where Crazy Horse was stabbed with a bayonet under questionable circumstances and died on a table a few hours later. That building where he died is still standing, and the spot where he was stabbed has a memorial marker in the ground.
The sadder part is that General Phil Sheridan had recently sent a telegram to the commander of Ft. Robinson and ordered that Crazy Horse be sent to Sheridan’s HQs in Chicago where Sheridan intended to negotiate with him and peacefully resettle Crazy Horse and his followers. Too late.
Have also visited the Crazy Horse Monument in South Dakota. That project has a long, long way to go.
Today, Civilization is in mortal conflict for it’s very Soul with Crazy Ass Liberals and I’d rather fight to the death if necessary rather than adopt their baby killing, homo, commie, muzzie, hateful racist, doper life style. I will tip my hat to Crazy Horse’s Spirit.
I have come to hate the State. They are violent people. They don’t defend people’s liberty, they take it. Over and over again. Columbus brought swords to America, and every since that time, the violence from the State never ends in America.
“I am a lawman from the American government and I am here to kill you.”
May God Remember LaVoy Finicum along with many, many, many, others who wanted to be left alone to live a free life.
The Gov’t wants to acquire all water sources and even private land that contains the water sources.
Hey kokoda
You been over to that mammouth blog lately. There is some great stuff happening there. They have a #resistTrump thing going on and are losing their shit on fact Trump is officially the next Prez. I made a couple of comments. I find amazing to see the liberal mind in action. Might post some screen shots of some of the stuff they are writing here. Great entertainment.