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 pre...