Crow Scouts at the Little Bighorn/Greasy Grass
Ever since Colonial times, armies had turned traditional rivalry between tribes to their advantage in wartime. One way to do this was by using warriors of one tribe as scouts against the other. Familiar with the country, the enemy tribe's ways of doing battle, perhaps even their language or customs, these scouts provided valuable information. When war broke out between the United States and the Sioux in 1876-77, the Army turned to members of the Arikara and Crow tribes to recruit scouts. Some of these men would be unwitting witnesses to history.
By 1876, the Crow were already living at Crow Agency Montana, and most were considered friendly as opposed to the "hostile" Sioux, Arapahoe and Cheyenne. When the chance came to work with the Army against their traditional enemies, however, only a few Crow warriors stepped forward. Among those who agreed to serve were 6 Crow scouts and 39 Arikara. Custer generally worked with the Arikara, but as he prepared to set out for Little Bighorn, the Crow Scouts were also assigned to him. He asked Michel "Mitch" Bouyer, a mixed race Sioux/Lakota and Creole to accompany him to serve as his Chief of Scouts, interpreting and directing the Natives. Four of the Crow, Curley, Goes Ahead, Hairy Moccasin and White Man Runs Him rode with Custer. Two other Crow, Half Yellow Face and White Swan, were with Marcus Reno's column. When Bouyer scouted the enemy encampment, he knew they were in for trouble. Even the youngest warrior, Curley, who was only 17 at the time, had an idea they weren't going to survive. He and his three colleagues took time out to change into traditional dress. Custer got angry and asked what they were doing. The men re-urged Bouyer's warning and said that, if they were going to die, they would die as Crow warriors and not as White Soldiers.
Custer lost his temper and relieved them of duty, ordering them off the field. Curley took this as a slight to his honor and refused to go. Bouyer finally persuaded him to leave. Curley didn't go far, but found a spy glass and watched the fight from the top of a ridge about a mile from the battlefield. He later eluded Sioux pursuers for two days and arrived at the Junction of the Bighorn and Little Bighorn Rivers, where the steam Far West waited to take Custer's troops on board. Using sign language, Curley finally got the point across that Custer had been defeated and what had happened to him and his men was quite bad. Meanwhile, back on the battlefield, the older scouts, Goes Ahead, Hairy Moccasin, White Man Runs Him, and an Arikara named Strike the Bear had joined Marcus Reno and were helping to repulse the Sioux attacks. All of them survived and retreated with Major Reno, except for White Man Runs Him, who continued fighting with Col. John Gibbons, who rescued Reno's men and continued after the Sioux.
After the war ended, the Crow, Arikara and some Sioux scouts were disbanded because their services were no longer needed. In 1887, when some Crow again rose against the Army, a few of the former scouts, including Curley, were called back into service. In the years following the battle, most of the scouts gave their account of what they had seen and experienced that day. In 1913, four of the scouts reunited at Little Bighorn for a photograph among the headstones of the fallen troopers.
By 1876, the Crow were already living at Crow Agency Montana, and most were considered friendly as opposed to the "hostile" Sioux, Arapahoe and Cheyenne. When the chance came to work with the Army against their traditional enemies, however, only a few Crow warriors stepped forward. Among those who agreed to serve were 6 Crow scouts and 39 Arikara. Custer generally worked with the Arikara, but as he prepared to set out for Little Bighorn, the Crow Scouts were also assigned to him. He asked Michel "Mitch" Bouyer, a mixed race Sioux/Lakota and Creole to accompany him to serve as his Chief of Scouts, interpreting and directing the Natives. Four of the Crow, Curley, Goes Ahead, Hairy Moccasin and White Man Runs Him rode with Custer. Two other Crow, Half Yellow Face and White Swan, were with Marcus Reno's column. When Bouyer scouted the enemy encampment, he knew they were in for trouble. Even the youngest warrior, Curley, who was only 17 at the time, had an idea they weren't going to survive. He and his three colleagues took time out to change into traditional dress. Custer got angry and asked what they were doing. The men re-urged Bouyer's warning and said that, if they were going to die, they would die as Crow warriors and not as White Soldiers.
Custer lost his temper and relieved them of duty, ordering them off the field. Curley took this as a slight to his honor and refused to go. Bouyer finally persuaded him to leave. Curley didn't go far, but found a spy glass and watched the fight from the top of a ridge about a mile from the battlefield. He later eluded Sioux pursuers for two days and arrived at the Junction of the Bighorn and Little Bighorn Rivers, where the steam Far West waited to take Custer's troops on board. Using sign language, Curley finally got the point across that Custer had been defeated and what had happened to him and his men was quite bad. Meanwhile, back on the battlefield, the older scouts, Goes Ahead, Hairy Moccasin, White Man Runs Him, and an Arikara named Strike the Bear had joined Marcus Reno and were helping to repulse the Sioux attacks. All of them survived and retreated with Major Reno, except for White Man Runs Him, who continued fighting with Col. John Gibbons, who rescued Reno's men and continued after the Sioux.
After the war ended, the Crow, Arikara and some Sioux scouts were disbanded because their services were no longer needed. In 1887, when some Crow again rose against the Army, a few of the former scouts, including Curley, were called back into service. In the years following the battle, most of the scouts gave their account of what they had seen and experienced that day. In 1913, four of the scouts reunited at Little Bighorn for a photograph among the headstones of the fallen troopers.
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