Daily Yellowstone journal., 1890-07-04
THE LEGEND OF CROW BUTTE.
The Sioux Were outwi,,ed. and Thor En-.

The Sioux Were Outwitted. n Thoir En-.
emies Silently stole Away at Night.
To the visitor fresh from the east the
most striking features in the landscape
of tits part ofthe country are tue buttes.
They often bear n fantastic resemblance
to gray old battlemcnts and towers,
and the likeness is heightened by the
general steepness Of their sides. On
close examination they prove to he
only great masses of soft. slate colored
clay. worn by wind and weather.
There is a long line of these curious
formations stretching for miles east of
this town. They r picturesquely
perched on the SUBMITS of the same
range Of wooded hills which reaches
into South Dakota and gives its name
to the Pine Ridge Agency. A similar
commanding situation was chosen for
their strongholds by the barons Of me
disval Germany, who were little better
than robbers. II the local legends speak
truly.
A few miles from this town and not
far from the large army post of Fort
Robinson is one of the largest and most
imposing of the group Of buttes referred
to. a landmark for miles around II is
called Crow Butte. and thereby hangs
q tale. for Crow Butte has It's legend Of
fierce marauders and hairbreadth es-
capes as well as the castles on the Rhine
which bear more poetic names. 1t is
an Indian story, of course, and the cir
cumstance which it records did not
happen 20 long ago but that many Of
the actors in 1t are still living.
A number of years ago. when this
region was sparsely settled, a band of
Crow warriors left their reservation in
Montana and northern Wyoming and
invaded the graf Sioux reservation.
At that time tie Sioux were scattered
all over this reg on as far south as the
Solomon river in Kansas. The Crows
met with lit opposition at first, and
laid waste thor enemy's territory until,
at Court House, in Cheyenne county,
Neb.. they were surprised by a warlike
party of Sioux returning from a buffalo
hunt on the Republican river. The
Crows were no match for them. and at
once beat a retreat toward their own
reservation, hotly pursued by the Sioux.
When they had reached Pine Ridge,
near the present site Of Fort Robinson,
the band divided into small parties,
most Of which got off safely. but m
party, finding itself hard pressed, took
refuge in a high cliff about three miles
and a half from the place where this
town now stands. Their position could
only be approached by precipitous paths
on the south and west sides. and these
they barricaded by telling trees across
them. The fugitives had made a great
mistake, however, for the Sioux at once
sew that they had caught their enemy
in a trap, and laid siege with the in
tention of starving them out.
The garrison held a council Of war,
at which a venerable chief named ka-
Ku-Cha made this short but telling
speech: II am too old to fight. | can
live only a few moons more. I shall
die for my people" He then explained
his plan of escape for the Others, which
wa adopted.
That night watchfires were lighted on
the southern side Of the butte, where
there is a depression in the ground
through which they could be plainly
seen from the Sioux camp below. These
fires the old warrior kept brightly burn.
ing until morning. Meanwhile the rest
of the party let themselves down over
the precipitous northern face Of the
cliff, which had been left unguarded,
by a rope made of strips of their blank.
cts. The dogs. which were all left be.
hind, kept up a continual bowling,
which still further deceived the enemy.
When the Crows had safely reached the
prairie at the foot of the butte they
stole the Sioux ponies and escaped.
At daybreak the besiegers discovered
how they had been cheated. and
swarned up the cliff. 1t is said that
they found the aged chieftain, alone on
the highest pinnacle, chanting his death
song, like the old hero he was. They
were so furious at the way in which
they had been outwitted hat they cut
him down at once, without putting him
through the usual preliminary tortures.
So the story runs, and ever since the
place has been known as Crow Butte
Crawford (Neb.) Cor. New York Til
bune.