Great Leader: White Bear (Satanta) of the Kiowa, c 1820-1878
The last Kiowa war chief led his people to victory in one of the key battles of the American west, and showed just how far he was willing to go to keep his own freedom. Satanta, from the Kiowa words for White Bear, was born the son of Red Tipi and a Spanish woman who had been captured by the Kiowa and adopted into the tribe. His father was a noted warrior and leader and it was only natural that his son would follow in his footsteps. Early in life, Satanta became known both as a bold and daring warrior and a great speaker, able to persuade others through his oratory.
Satanta first enters the historical record in 1864, at the First Battle of Adobe Walls. The combined Kiowa, Apache and Comanche forces were under the overall command of Kiowa Principal Chief Dohasan, who led a Native command team composed of Satank, Guipago and Satanta, among others. Satanta led several charges against Kit Carson's New Mexico volunteers. At some point in the battle, he liberated an army bugle and put it to use. When Carson's buglers would blow a command, one of Satanta's men would imitate it. Soon, the New Mexico contingent didn't know whether they were coming or going and were forced to leave the field. Like many Native leaders, Satanta tried co-existence and cooperation as a means of dealing with the White influx on the Kiowa's home range. He was a signatory to the Little Arkansas Treaty of 1865 and the Medicine Lodge Treaty of 1867. The later treaty stipulated that the Kiowa would remove to a reservation. When that didn't happen, General George A. Custer took Satanta hostage until it did.
In 1867, while at Fort Zarah, Kansas, a young Kiowa warrior was killed in the civilian encampment which generally accompanied army posts in the west. Fed up, the Kiowa prepared to avenge their own, while the cavalry in the fort prepared for attack. Satanta intervened to calm both sides before a battle could ensue. Later in the day, though, the cavalry decided to attack. Through talking, Satanta led the defense of his people's encampment and forced the cavalry to back off. In 1871, General William T. Sherman (yes, that Sherman), was traveling in Texas with an army ambulance train. In those days, ambulances hauled wounded but also supplies. Kiowa patrols in the area allowed the ambulance train to pass, but later attacked a civilian wagon train, the Warren Wagon Train. Incensed, Sherman personally took up the pursuit and himself captured Satanta, along with Satank and Guipago. He ordered them taken to Jacksboro, Texas to stand trial.
Satank, an older warrior and leader, had no intention of standing before a White tribunal. As he rode in a wagon with the others, he pulled a blanket over his head. His White captors believed he was cowering in shame, but he was actually gnawing at his own wrists to remove the shackles binding him. He eventually removed the fetters, found a knife he had stashed in his clothing and lunged at the nearest guard, already singing a death song. He overpowered the guard and grabbed his rifle, but was shot to death in the attempt and his body left along the trail. His family were too frightened to claim the old man's remains, but were eventually removed to Fort Sill and buried.
Meanwhile, Satanta and Big Tree were tried and found guilty of murder. Satanta informed the court that he, "was a great chief among my people. If you kill me, it will be like a spark on the prairie. It will make a big fire, a terrible fire!" Undeterred, the judge pronounced sentence that Satanta would be taken to a place of execution and hanged by the neck until dead. After the prisoners were removed to their cells, the judge recommended commutation to life imprisonment, perhaps a more exquisite form of punishment. Satanta spent two years at Huntsville until he was released on parole. Once released, he was accused of participating in raids on buffalo hunters. White hunters would kill the animals for skins and leave the carcasses, depleting food supplies for Native families. Guarding the buffalo herds was serious business, but though Satanta was present, he carried no arms and did not attack anyone. Still, he was found guilty of violating parole and returned to Huntsville.
White guards described him as staring through the bars of his cell toward the north, the traditional hunting range of the Kiowa. He was put on a chain gang, but refuse to work and slowly withered away. He was taken to the prison hospital and, on October 11, 1878, he took drastic action to end his confinement, jumping from a window in the prison hospital. He was buried on the grounds at Huntsville, but in 1963, his grandson received permission to remove the remains to Fort Sill, Oklahoma, where Satanta lies buried.
Satanta first enters the historical record in 1864, at the First Battle of Adobe Walls. The combined Kiowa, Apache and Comanche forces were under the overall command of Kiowa Principal Chief Dohasan, who led a Native command team composed of Satank, Guipago and Satanta, among others. Satanta led several charges against Kit Carson's New Mexico volunteers. At some point in the battle, he liberated an army bugle and put it to use. When Carson's buglers would blow a command, one of Satanta's men would imitate it. Soon, the New Mexico contingent didn't know whether they were coming or going and were forced to leave the field. Like many Native leaders, Satanta tried co-existence and cooperation as a means of dealing with the White influx on the Kiowa's home range. He was a signatory to the Little Arkansas Treaty of 1865 and the Medicine Lodge Treaty of 1867. The later treaty stipulated that the Kiowa would remove to a reservation. When that didn't happen, General George A. Custer took Satanta hostage until it did.
In 1867, while at Fort Zarah, Kansas, a young Kiowa warrior was killed in the civilian encampment which generally accompanied army posts in the west. Fed up, the Kiowa prepared to avenge their own, while the cavalry in the fort prepared for attack. Satanta intervened to calm both sides before a battle could ensue. Later in the day, though, the cavalry decided to attack. Through talking, Satanta led the defense of his people's encampment and forced the cavalry to back off. In 1871, General William T. Sherman (yes, that Sherman), was traveling in Texas with an army ambulance train. In those days, ambulances hauled wounded but also supplies. Kiowa patrols in the area allowed the ambulance train to pass, but later attacked a civilian wagon train, the Warren Wagon Train. Incensed, Sherman personally took up the pursuit and himself captured Satanta, along with Satank and Guipago. He ordered them taken to Jacksboro, Texas to stand trial.
Satank, an older warrior and leader, had no intention of standing before a White tribunal. As he rode in a wagon with the others, he pulled a blanket over his head. His White captors believed he was cowering in shame, but he was actually gnawing at his own wrists to remove the shackles binding him. He eventually removed the fetters, found a knife he had stashed in his clothing and lunged at the nearest guard, already singing a death song. He overpowered the guard and grabbed his rifle, but was shot to death in the attempt and his body left along the trail. His family were too frightened to claim the old man's remains, but were eventually removed to Fort Sill and buried.
Meanwhile, Satanta and Big Tree were tried and found guilty of murder. Satanta informed the court that he, "was a great chief among my people. If you kill me, it will be like a spark on the prairie. It will make a big fire, a terrible fire!" Undeterred, the judge pronounced sentence that Satanta would be taken to a place of execution and hanged by the neck until dead. After the prisoners were removed to their cells, the judge recommended commutation to life imprisonment, perhaps a more exquisite form of punishment. Satanta spent two years at Huntsville until he was released on parole. Once released, he was accused of participating in raids on buffalo hunters. White hunters would kill the animals for skins and leave the carcasses, depleting food supplies for Native families. Guarding the buffalo herds was serious business, but though Satanta was present, he carried no arms and did not attack anyone. Still, he was found guilty of violating parole and returned to Huntsville.
White guards described him as staring through the bars of his cell toward the north, the traditional hunting range of the Kiowa. He was put on a chain gang, but refuse to work and slowly withered away. He was taken to the prison hospital and, on October 11, 1878, he took drastic action to end his confinement, jumping from a window in the prison hospital. He was buried on the grounds at Huntsville, but in 1963, his grandson received permission to remove the remains to Fort Sill, Oklahoma, where Satanta lies buried.
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