XIV. STRANGE BEDFELLOWS ?

Just how Custer really felt
about the red man is perhaps not easy to tell
-- there have those said he respected him,
his simple life, but it fell
upon him as a good soldier
to deal with those who would not abide
by the treaties and had to be managed,
that in some ways he could see their side		8

that the government had not always been
forthright and cheated them at every turn,
that he saw the red man as the most admirable
of men, that they had earned
his respect in their having chosen
in dignity and pride to fight
for freedom and not submit to slavery,
that he empathized with their plight,			16

that in a way he felt a kinship to him,
brave and loyal in the great outdoors,
the finest and noblest life of any man
in all of history, and that he bore
a great admiration for the plains Indian,
and was sad in that he understood
that the coming of the white man would mean
the end of the redman for good,				24


that he undertook his duty under orders,
and perceived that to be
not to interfere on either side in the contest,
but was merely there to see
that peace and law and order prevailed,
and that any one who broke
that simply had to be dealt with,
that he was but bearing his yoke.				32

Perhaps, but then again Colonel Custer
was not a good soldier at all,
what he and others would term genius
was nothing but the most reckless gall.
The cunning of which his is attributed
was but an oversized ego and whim,
and it was not admiration that he felt
for the Indians, but contempt for him,			40

that simple-minded child of a human
who needed the white man's hand
to guide him. And he was not out
to preserve peace in the land,
he was out to get the red man,
to engrandize himself on the wa.
Why else would he permit his soldiers
to disfigure bodies and the innocent slay?		48




This colonel, who called himself general,
though he was busted from that rank,
was a witting or unwitting pupper'
-- no, in fact, the depths to which he sank
were no mistake, for he agreed with them,
and they fitted his purpose, indeed.
As much as anything else, his glory
and power were his only creed.				56

There were forces at work in the nation
who saw a need to contain
certain tendencies that Grant had,
and some around him who remained
locked in the tradition of Lincoln,
and the American System mentality,
even if that was not the purpose
of many around him making policy.			64

Not that there was not corruption,
though in fact, that was overblown,
but it could be used to block him
from going this way on his own.
And Yellow Hair was as eager to enter
this battle as any before,
especially as it meant his star would rise
and help open for him new doors.				72




Soundly rooted in the tradition of Jackson,
pursuing the footprints of Cass,
who had been Old Hickory's Secretary
of War, and who had surpassed
even the treachery of that role
by authoring Popular Sovereignty
and presiding over Southern secession
when he served as Secretary					80

of State under Buchanan
(though when the dye was cast,
he resigned in protest never admitting
that he had helped it come to pass),
Custer maintained association
with the Radical Republican,
Michigan's Senator Zachariah
Chandler who had been						88

appointed Secretary of the Interior
late in 1875 by Grant,
by then beseiged and broken,
and had proceeded to implant
his own reforms over the Indian Bureau
which helped to bring about
the condition Yellow Hair rode into
-- indeed, it was from out					96




out of his office had come the order
of that winter sent to the Sioux
that they had to report to reservation
or face the men in blue.
He had not only utilized Custer
to get at Belknap under the guise
of corruption, but had interceded
with Grant about whom the General despised,  	104

the reckless Custer, and thus helped him
win once again his command,
perhaps strange bedfellows -- the "Democrat,"
Custer, and this "Republican."
But the politics of the nation
were deeply embroiled in turmoil
-- in '72, there had been a great rift
as some had sought to spoil					112

the re-election bid of President Grant
by forging an alliance between
a new liberal Republican faction
and Democrats which had seen
both these nominate Horace Greeley,
that radical editor from New York.
Reconstruction was dying
-- party alliances were at a fork.				120




But Chandler had also done much more,
for he had wanted the Civil War,
supported Seward before the nomination
of Lincoln, as self-appointed monitor,
had harassed generals and hurt the war effort,
opposed Greenbacks, pushed Lincoln
to appoint Stanton, blocked civil service reform,
and later led the impeachment of Johnson.		128




XV. CUSTER'S LAST STAND

"Hoka hey!" cried Crazy Horse,
and the warriors resounded the cry,
"Hoka hey!, Let us go," the Sioux said.
"This is a good day to die!"
Crazy Horse said to his Oglala
and all those with him here,
as they lifted high their rifles
and rode off echoing the cheer.				8

Terry and Gibbon had no knowledge
of the setback which Crazy Horse
had inflicted upon Crook just days before,
as they met now at the concourse
of the Rosebud and Yellowstone Rivers,
and agreed upon a plan
for Custer to survey along a trail
left by the Sioux which ran					16

westward to the Big Horn Mountains.
From there he was to wait
at a point along the Little Big Horn River
where all would congregate
for a concerted attack. His orders
were not to engage his  men
in battle with the hostiles until
it could be waged by all of them.				24


But Colonel Custer wanted the glory
he might win through victory,
to soothe the sting of reprimand
and his errant testimony,
to gain once more the star he'd lost
of brigadeer general, and to be
afforded the acclaim he'd need
to seek the Presidency.						32

Still, the orders he'd been given
contained just loophole enough
for him to have the latitude
that would serve his swashbuckling guff
by exercising his 'discretion,' although
that's hardly the term that applies,
and so instead of waiting,
he rode on to claim his prize.					40

A forced night march brought the regiment
to the bluff lying beween
the Little Big Horn and the Rosebud.
His scouts told him they had seen
great numbers of Indians ahead
toward the Little Big Horn to the west,
and still others to their rear,
which to Custer had to suggest				48




that his presence was known to them.
Ahead of schedule now, he must
either let them escape if they wanted to
or act immediately to thrust
battle upon unknown numbers.
Never one to turn back
from a fight and full of confidence,
he prepared for the attack.					56

Twelve miles from the river, Custer
detached Captain Benteen to go
with a squandron off to the south,
and then sent Major Reno
with another three companies
to cross a small creek and ride
parallel, to the west, with Pahuska's
five companies. He then applied				64

One company to return to the rear
to guard the slow pack train.
Nine miles further, he recalled Reno
to ride as two columns until they came
to a solitary teepee inside in which
one dead Indian was found;
it stood amidst signs that there
had been a great village all around.			72




When word came of the encampment
just across the river ahead
three miles, and the scouts reported
that a band of forty had fled
toward it when they were sighted,
Custer ordered Reno to ford
the Little Big Horn, find the village,
and attack, while he'd afford					80

close support. Reno rode off.
Custer followed just in sight
and then turned his men and rode
with them away, off to the right.
It had worked well at Washita
and other times for Yellow Hair,
but now the camp was strong with braves
and they knew that he was there.				88

Before Reno reached the camp,
the warriors poured out on him.
With no help from Benteen or Custer,
they dismounted, and then
retreated from the shelter woods
as the warriors picked away
at his frantic, fleeing troopers.
But his retreat from the fray					96




freed the forces of mounted Indians
from their village defense
so they could ride off against Custer
who had by the commenced
up a hill where he could see
the Indian encampment just partly.
He sent a message to Benteen
to join him there quickly.					104

When Benteen received the message,
he continued on ahead
and came upon Reno's men and stopped
to help, while Captain Weir led
his troops toward the sound of heavy
fighting, but along the way,
they were engulfed by a wave of braves
they fought off for the rest of the day.			112

Colonel Custer had ridden forward and been
met by a three pronged force
-- attacked at once by Chief Gall,
Rain-in-the-Face, and Crazy Horse.
Blocked on all sides, they dismounted 
-- with horses running off or killed,
short of ammunition, they were picked off,
one after another, until						120




the last of the rifles were silent,
and all of the men lay dead
-- two hundred and twelve soldiers
of the Seventh Cavalry had she
their blood in a desparate retreat
on foot from the force
of thousands mustered against them
by Sitting Bull and Crazy Horse.				128


XVI. SHALL EAGLES BE CROWS?

When the word of the death of Long Hair
began to spread across the land,
there was a great hue and cry arose.
The public could not understand
how the great 'hero' could have fallen.
In fact, the same reckless way
that had brought him victory in the past,
had condemned him to death this day.			8

And now all the Democratic papers
which had cried out so loudly when Grant
had been refusing to let Custer go back
to his command because of his adamant
belief that he was the worst person 
that could be involved in such a brawl
(he was careless and did not obey orders
-- not a good soldier at all),					16

and had alledged that it was petty politics that,
in reality, Grant was about,
and that he was ruining a good soldier's career,
now all began to shout
for revenge against these red 'devils,'
these 'blood-thirsty, savage' Sioux,
retribution that they would cry for
until the carnage was through.				24


It was not until two days after
Custer's demise of 25th June,
that Terry and Gibbon had arrived
on the scene and found the bodies strewn,
stripped of any useful garb or weapons.
But the body of Custer, who
had had his long hair trimmed for summer,
was untouched. If they knew					32

that this was Pahuska's regiment
and that they had killed Hard Ass,
they did not desecrate or scalp him.
General Sheridan amassed
the men of every outpost
from the Canadian border to Mexico
and ordered all of these troops
into the Sioux country to go.					40

Crazy Horse had surveyed the victory
and then listened to the stories told
before he went to cover his head.
He felt weary now, almost old.
There were skimishes with surviving soldiers
that day and the next, and 
talk of one great charge to drive
the white man out of the land.				48




But Crazy Horse was making other plans,
and scouts reported they had seen
another great army approaching.
And so they abandoned where they'd been,
removing the great encampment,
in a long line, they marched to find
shelter in the White Mountains
leaving the Little Big Horn behind.			56

It was not in jubilation,
but without joy the people turned.
In their wake, the grass of the valley
caught fire. As it burned,
billowing clouds of pale smoke
rolled up like thunder clouds.
And the people slipped off
quietly covered by the shroud.				64

Sitting Bull had anticipated
what the army would do now
and developed a strategy to deal
with it knowing full well how
the numbers would soon be with them.
He split his army, intent
on avoiding another major battle,
into strong bands, and each was sent			72




in different direction, spreading them
out over an area vast and wide.
From the Moon of the Black Calf
to that of the Falling Leaves, they tried
to avoid the growing tide of bluecoats,
who, though hindered by the rain
and cold and lack of supplies,
were able still to sustain						80

a continued march against them,
subduing them one by one.
They would die or go to the agency
-- surrender and lay down their guns.
Along the Yellowstone River,
they were to encounter Sitting Bull,
who sent a message to Colonel Miles,
demanding that they pull						88

out so he could hunt there.
"You scare all the buffalo away ...
I want you to turn back ... If you don't,
I will fight again." In a parley,
he repeated his wish and told them
to leave all their supplies for them,
to which Miles replied, "Surrender
and return to your reservations."				96




Miles gave Sitting Bull fifteen minutes
to surrender or fight that day,
and Tatanka turned his pony
and briskly galloped away.
Outnumbered by three to one,
Miles rode through the prairie fire
the Sioux had set to block their way,
and struck hard at the entire					104

force of Sitting Bull which engulfed him,
so that he was compelled
to fall back into a defensive square,
from out of which he shelled
the warriors with artillery fire,
breaking them, and they fled.
For forty two miles he pursued them,
leaving scores of them lying dead.				112

In the aftermath of battle,
two thousand Sioux came in.
Sitting Bull fled to Canada.
Crazy Horse, knowing he could not win,
sought to allude the soldiers.
The twilight of the Sioux came to pass
less than one year after Custer
had fallen at Greasy Grass.					120




In exile, Sitting Bull was asked why
he did not surrender and go in,
and he said that he was a red man,
that the Great Spirit had made him
of different heart and wishes:
"Each man is good in his sight.
It is not necessary for eagles to be crows ...
We die defending our rights."					128




XVII. THE GHOST DANCE

The Sioux at the agency had signed
papers relinguishing claim
to the Black Hills and Powder River,
and as more of the people came
to the reservations, the Congress
ordered all rations suspended until
all the white demands were met
and the non-agency Sioux were stilled.			8

And now even Crazy Horse,
Tashunka Wikto, was telling them
that he would go into the agency
when the new grass came again.
They gathered at his lodges
to hear what he would say:
"My brothers, our Uncle Spotted Tail
has spoken to me this day.					16

There is no use to fight any more.
We have no chance to defeat
the pony soldiers. But what I say
here is for myself. Your feet
must do what your heart tells you.
I have fought long. I love this Land
of the Spotted Eagle. But I
am tired and the soldiers stand				24


too many now. I am all done.
I am going in. I have sought
that Sitting Bull surrender with me,
but he will not. He thought
that he does not wish to die just yet.
He has gone to the land
of the Grandmother. His trail is broad,
those who with him would stand,				32

may follow it. But my home is here
on this Montana soil and to the east,
in the  Paha Sapa, sacred to our fathers.
I will not run away. At least,
I shall die here. I am going in.
I gave my promise to follow Spotted Tail
along the road to peace."
He did not know it would mean jail.			40

When he rode in the next morning,
half of the Sioux came, too,
while the others rode north to Sitting Bull.
Spotted Tail came and drew
up next to him to ride with him:
"We never have trouble here.
The air is still and free from dust.
The skies are always clear.					48




We keep the peace. You must listen
and understand this I say."
Crazy Horse nodded and rode ahead.
It was the dust of the day
when he got down from his horse
and greeted the soldiers there.
They promised he would not be harmed
and he marched off to where					56

the soldiers escorting him led him
-- the guard house of the agency troops.
When the steel clamps closed upon his legs,
he gave out a great whoop.
He broke away from the soldiers
having seen the iron bars,
he would rather die than be caged
off from the sun and the stars.					64

Crazy Horse ran toward the darkness,
but shackled, only two strides,
before one of the bayonets
of a soldier struck his side.
He stopped and stood erectly
with the help of friendlier hands,
but he told them to let him go,
and so they let him stand.					72




"Can't you see I have my last wound ...,"
he told them as he
turned and walked three proud steps
toward the soldiers, then slowly
collapsed down into the dirt
of the agency prison yard.
"Take him to the guardhouse,
and clear this place at once," said the guard.		80

But Touch-the-Clouds would not move,
he picked up the dying Sioux
and carried him toward the guardhouse,
followed closely by the two
aging parents of Crazy Horse.
His kidneys both pierced through,
the post surgeon examined him,
but there was nothing he could do.				88

His parents cried the words for him
of the chant for Fallen Ones,
the Katela Song of the Sioux,
but even before they had done,
Touch-the-Clouds asked Tashunka 
what message he had for
the people: "Tell them it is no use
to depend on me any more ..." 				96




Crazy Horse now was in the arms
of Wakanta Tanka. In defeat,
the tribes were all on reservations.
What ever it was they'd eat
was doled out to them by the white man
-- they sat around in idleness.
The buffalo were gone now
-- their lives full of emptiness.				104

But one among the Arapaho,
set upon a vision quest,
had dreamed he transported
into heaven and was blessed
by the Great Spirit who told him
that the white man would be destroyed
and that the buffalo and the Indian
would come back if they employed			112

the ritual he was shown.
His religion was expressed
in the Ghost Dance. Before long,
all across the west,
Indians were leaving reservation
to dance Wovoka's charms.
And as they left the agency land,
the army became alarmed.					120




The Ghost Dance Shirt that was worn
when the ritual was performed
was believed to protect them
-- that soldiers' bullets could do no harm.
And Sitting Bull hoped the dance
would set the old Sioux spirit free,
as they began to gather to dance
the Ghost Dance at Wounded Knee.			128




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