Custer's Last Fight - Another Eyewitness Account

[Capt Hamp Cox]

CHAPTER 4. THE CUSTER FIGHT.

Dinner over, the old man wished to sit on the open veranda in the clear
pure air and see the sunset shadows grow slowly over the hills and valleys all about. Another pipe-smoke to get his mind centered properly on the old times, and after a short time of quiet he began to relate the incidents of the Custer fight: "The Indians were camped along the west side of the Big Horn in a flat valley. We saw a dust but did not know what caused it. Some Indians said it was the soldiers coming. The chief saw a flag on a pole on the hill. "The soldiers made a long line and fired into our tepees among our women and children. That was the first we knew of any trouble. The women got their children by the hand and caught up their babies and ran in every direction. "The Indian men got .their horses and guns as quick as they could and went after the soldiers. Kicking Bear and Crazy Horse were in the lead. There was thick timber and when they got out of the timber there was where the first of the fight was. "The dust was thick and we could hardly see. We got right among the soldiers and killed a lot with our bows and arrows and tomahawks. Crazy Horse was ahead of all, and he killed a lot of them with his war-club; he pulled them off their horses when they tried to get across the river where the bank was steep. Kicking Bear was right beside him and he killed many too in the water. "This fight
was in the upper part of the valley where most of the Indians were camped. It was some of the Reno soldiers that came after us there. It was in 'the day just before dinner when the soldiers attacked us. When we went after them they tried to run into the timber and get over the water where they had left their wagons. The bank was about this high (12 ft. indicated) and steep, and they got off their horses and tried to climb out of the water on their hands and knees, but we killed nearly all of them when they were running through the woods and in the water. The ones that got across the river and up the hill dug holes and stayed in them. "The soldiers that were on the hill with the pack-horses began to fire on us. About this time all the Indians had got their horses and guns and bows and arrows and war-clubs, and they charged the soldiers in the east and north on top of the
hill. Custer was farther north than these soldiers were then. He was going to attack the lower end of the village. We drove nearly all that got away from us down the hill along the ridge where another lot of soldiers were trying to make a stand. "Crazy Horse and I left the crowd and rode down along the river. We came to a ravine; then we followed up the gulch to a place in the rear of the soldiers that were making the stand on the hill. Crazy Horse gave his horse to me to hold along with my 'horse. He crawled up the ravine to where he could see the soldiers. He shot them as fast as he could load his gun. They fell off their horses as fast as he could shoot. (Here the chief swayed rapidly back and forth to show how fast they fell). When they found they were being killed so fast, the ones that were left broke and ran as fast as their horses could go to some other soldiers that were further along the ridge toward Custer. Here they tried to make another stand and fired some shots, but we rushed them on along the ridge to where Custer was. Then they made another stand (the third) and rallied a few minutes. Then they went on along the ridge and got with Custer's men. "Other Indians came to us after we got most of the men at the ravine.
We all kept after them until they got to where Custer was. There was only a few of them left then. "By that time all the Indians in the village had got their horses and guns and watched Custer. When Custer got nearly to the lower end of the camp, he started to go down a gulch, but the Indians were surrounding him, and he tried to fight. They got off their horses and made a stand but it was no use. Their horses ran down the ravine right into the village. The squaws caught them as fast as they came. One of them was a sorrel with white stocking. Long time after some of our relatives told us they had seen Custer on that kind of a horse when he was on .the way to the Big Horn. "When we got them surrounded the fight was over in one hour. There was so much dust we could not see much, but the Indians rode around and yelled the war-whoop and shot into the soldiers as fast as they could until they were all dead. One soldier was running away to the east but Crazy Horse saw him and jumped on his pony and went after him. He got him about half a mile from the place where the others were lying dead. The smoke was lifted so we could see a little. We got off our horses and went and took the rings and money and watches from the soldiers. We took
some clothes off too, and all the guns and pistols. We got seven hundred guns and pistols. Then we went back to the women and children and got them together that were not killed or hurt.


"It was hard to hear the women singing the death-song for the men killed and for the wailing because their children were shot while they played in the camp. It was a big fight; the soldiers got just what they deserved this time. No good soldiers would shoot into the Indian's tepee where there were women and children. These soldiers did, and we fought for our women and children. White men would do the same if they were men. "We did not mutilate the bodies, but just took the valuable things we wanted and then left. We got a lot of money, but it was of no use. "We got our things packed up and took care of the wounded the best we could, and left there the next day. We could have killed all the men that got into the holes on the hill, but they were glad to let us alone, and so we let them alone too. Rain-in-the-Face was with me in the fight. There were twelve hundred of us. Might be no more than one thousand was in the fight. Many of our Indians were out on a hunt.

"There was more than one chief in the fight, but Crazy Horse was leader
and did most to win the fight along with Kicking Bear. Sitting Bull was
right with us. His part in the fight was all good. My mother and Sitting Bull's wife were sisters; she is still living. "The names of the chiefs in the fight were: Crazy Horse, Sitting Bull, Lame Deer, Spotted Eagle and Two Moon. Two Moon led the Cheyennes. Gall and some other chiefs were there but the ones I told you were the leaders. The story that white men told about Custer's heart being cut out is not true."

Indicating that he was through, the manuscript was carefully read over to him very slowly in order that he would not be confused as to the exact meaning of what it contained. When finished he gave his emphatic approval by hearty "How How, Washta," and in his expert use of the sign language directed a pad be brought so that he could place his thumbprint to show that it was his own sealed document and final testimony on a subject about which white men have written countless and varied accounts, all of them being guess-work based upon circumstantial evidence, for no white man knows. There were none left to tell just what did occur and how. The chief was there and he saw and knows. He was last of the survivors of that historic episode, and it is fortunate that coming generations could have a truthful and reliable account from him before he too had passed to the
happy Hunting Ground.


Above account is from:  

                         CHIEF FLYING HAWK'S TALES
                   The True Story of Custer's Last Fight

                        As told by CHIEF FLYING HAWK
                                           to
                      M. I. McCREIGHT (Tchanta Tanka)
                               
                                    Alliance Press
                               Publishers, New York
                     Copyright 1936, By M. I. McCreight
                                All Rights Reserved

[Dan Chamberlain]

Capt;

I always get a little excited when I read such an account.  I have to believe the soldiers were scared poopless!  It also drives home the fact that frankly, properly led the US soldiers could have easily defeated a superior number of Indians who would have comitted to actually fighting.  

I find it interesting that the Chief talks about the manliness of a soldier who would fire into a teepee and harm women and children, given the attitude Indians had toward the women and children of our settlers on the plains.  Accounts come to mind of the capture and enslavement of white women and children in the 1860s in which infants were killed before their mother's eyes!  For sheer sadistic brutality towards captives, the native American plains indians had few peers, unless it was the native American eastern Indians!  

Regards;

Dan C

[ROB]

Good points Dan C. I always thought mutilation of enemies by the women was a Sioux custom. Maybe not if this account is true.
 Capt. Cox, I travel through Johnson City on my way to mt Kerr county deer lease. I will now go through thinking I'm just a little ways from a real interesting feller. Rob

[Capt Hamp Cox]

Dan and Rob,

Appreciate you taking the time to share your thoughts and comments.  I always enjoy finding first-hand accounts of historic events, but wonder just how much the time elapsed between "seeing" and "telling" affects the accuracy of the account.  Consider how multiple contemporary accident or crime scene witnesses often have totally differing perceptions of what they all just witnessed.  Add  20, 30, or 40+ years to the mix, and who knows what really happened.  Still think they're interesting and, in lots of instances, they're about all we've got.

Rob,  if you go US 290 west about two miles out of Johnson City, just honk (two longs and a short), and if the wind is out of the south, I might hear you.  Looks like we had a good fawn crop this spring, and the deer appear to be in great shape.  The season opens early this year.  Suits me, since the rut generally starts before opening day around here.

[Larry Gibson]

Capt Hamp Cox

" but wonder just how much the time elapsed between "seeing" and "telling" affects the accuracy of the account.  Consider how multiple contemporary accident or crime scene witnesses often have totally differing perceptions of what they all just witnessed.  Add  20, 30, or 40+ years to the mix, and who knows what really happened"  

In this case I think we've left out "too much firewater" added to the mix also.  Interesting but to many conflicting statements made with other first hand (Indian) accounts.  Location of Indians and when and where they entered the fight, Crazy horse specifically.  Also almost all other indians agree Sitting Bull did not partake in fight yet this story says he was right there.  According to this story Crazy Horse was everywhere doing everything which really conflicts with other statements.  "Seven hundred guns and pistols", "We did not mutilate the bodies, but just took the valuable things we wanted and then left" , "One soldier was running away to the east but Crazy Horse saw him and jumped on his pony and went after him. He got him about half a mile from the place where the others were lying dead." etc, etc,.  

As you say, "interesting" but of little value.

Larry Gibson

[Dan Chamberlain]

Larry;

Ever in the Air Force?

Dan C

[Larry Gibson]

Larry;

Ever in the Air Force?

Dan C

No, all my time has been Army.

Larry Gibson

[williamlayton]

i'm certain that brutality and such have no culture or race or nationality-check out genesis.
blessings

[Dan Chamberlain]

William, I was simply pointing out the "Native American's" incredulity at the alleged behavior of the troops from the 7th Cav.  I am amazed when revisionists point to the criminal treatment of Indians at the hands of American immigrants, while ignoring or glossing over credible accounts of some of the most hideous treatment of man on this earth by the Native peoples.  I'm not excusing either side, simply shaking my head at the attitude of an Indian who in all likelyhood had first hand knowledge of equally horrendous treatment of immigrant peoples.   Regards;

Dan C

[Holiday]

Nice discussion, folks. I tend to agree about the revisionist history of the "eye witness".The thing that amazes me is how political correctness seems to creep into history. I have no problem with history pointing out the wrongs done to the Native American by the American Government. Bad things happened, I won't deny that. But what boils my hide is the folks that think that the indians sat around and were always victems. For one thing, the American Indian was a first class fighting man and was never an easy "victem". The indian was a warrior and lived his life as such. He did things that would make us shudder today, but to him was normal treatment of the enemy. He was vicious in battle, and cruel to his opponents. The American Natives of the 19th century didn't want pity, he demanded respect! And from the writtings of the soldiers of the time, they respected the indian. Our cavalrey officers called them the finest light cavalrey in existance. This was from a group of cavalrey that was itself called the best cavalrey in the world by the European military.

[Capt Hamp Cox]

This account http://www.webroots.org/library/usanativ/clb00000.html supports Larry’s comments regarding Sitting Bull, but also lends support to Chief Flying Hawk’s comments regarding Crazy Horse.


"Of course it was his (Sitting Bull’s) role to assume all the airs of a conqueror, to be insolent and defiant to the "High Joint Commission," sent the following winter to beg him to come home and be good; but the claims of Tatonka-e-Yotanka to the leadership in the greatest victory his people ever won are mere vaporings, to be classed with the boastings of dozens of chiefs who were scattered over the Northern reservations during the next few years. Rain-in- the-Face used to brag by the hour that he had killed Custer with his own hand, but the other Indians laughed at him. Gall, of the Uncapapas, Spotted Eagle, Kill Eagle, Lame Deer, Lone Wolf, and all the varieties of Bears and Bulls were probably leading spirits in the battle, but the man who more than all others seems to have won the admiration of his fellows for skill and daring throughout that stirring campaign, and especially on that bloody day, is he who so soon after met his death in desperate effort to escape from Crook's guards, the warrior Crazy Horse."

[williamlayton]

i agree and your point is well taken--i think what i am thinking is a problem or concern with or over "manifest destiny" or whatever term your are going to call it wheather it be what we are doing in the middle east or what hitler di, or what communism did or--oh heck you get tha drift.
everbody has a reason and some even write history to justify it.
i'm jest goin ta leave tha soapbox here and anybody can climb on it--jest take your best shot.  oh by the way - we don't have the last say in how history is interpreted.
blessings

[Dan Chamberlain]

I keep reading accounts where his rank changes.  I guess some people are using his Civil War rank of Colonel as the highest rank attained.  However, regardless his rank, it appears he was the best fighting man on the field that day and the following!  Everyone talks of Custer.  I think one fine and exiting made for TV movie would be Benteen's defense of the high ground!  His morning after foot charge in to massed Indians who were preparing to overrun his position has to be as exiting as any battle against hostile Indians ever recorded!  After all, 90% of our fights with Indians were running affairs, or against unsuspecting villages.  let's hear it for a soldier!

Dan C

[MOGorilla]

I thought Custer's rank of General was restricted to only times of war.  During peace, he reverted to Colonel.   I read somewhere that this really irritated him and he refered to himself as General, because he considered we were at war with the Native peoples.  Some of this is probably a revisionist view of History.