The Leon reporter. (Leon, Iowa) 1887-1930, 1911-08-24
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erly of Leon, who is now a
1S3zt7l section foreman on the Great
~ Northern r. r. at Great
Northern Junction, ~ miles west OF
Billings, Montana. He writes that he
receives $40 per month, coal and oil,
in addition to free house rent, as the
Great Northern provides houses for
their section foremen. He also en-
closed a clipping telling what is
claimed to be true story OF the
terrible massacre of General custer
and his men, which was recently
published in the Billings Daily Ga
Zette:
The Custer massacre has been a
historical mystery ever since that
fateful morning of 1876, when ne
and his devoted men were slaugh-
tered in a desperate struggle with
hostile Sioux and Cheyenne on the
banks of the Big Horn in Montana.
Not a man of that brave, band of In
dian fighters escaped to tell the tale.
They sleep the eternal sleep on the
hillside where they fell. Historians
and army officers have long quar-
relied about the causes which led to
this tragedy, and with little agree
ment. The Sioux and Cheyennes
engaged in the battle have main
tanned a sullen silence when Ques-
toned. But now Two Moons, the
blind and aged chief of the Chey-
ennes, has broken the silence OF 50
years, giving his version of the fate
full fight. Esquon Dupahs, the dis
tinguished Indian artist known as
Richard Throssel and now OF Bill
ings. recently interviewed the old
chief on the reservation in Montana,
and to him Two Moons confided his
story of the fight. Dupah's account
of the interview is as follows:
1.-TWO Moons, the once great war
rior and war chief of the Cheyennes,
was among those gathered for their
great medicine ceremony, the sun
dance, or as they call it now the will
low dance. Age has dimmed his
sight to almost blindness, though the
years sit lightly on his massive tig-
ure.
HE it was who first counciled war
and who with his subchiefs urged
the Sioux to stay with them and light
to the death, and the result OF his
heated advice was all too plainly
shown in the outcome of Clusters
campaign. This one event that SO
shook the nation on that summer
day, 1876, has remained much OF
mystery, save what the Indians
chose to tell and what can be sur
missed from. the silent stone markers
on that lonely battlefield. 1t was my
wish to interview this famous leader
about that part of his career, and
being a Grow I hoped that by open
ing the conversation in that language
it would lead him to tell me much
that he would not, were l an idle
pleasure-seeking tourist.
AT the first opportunity we, my
INTERPRETER, Red Water and myself
searched the camp for Two Moons.
The afternoon meal was over and
the camp folk were preparing for the
coming dance. The smoke hung low
over the camp ground and the sun
disappeared, leaving the skies rad
liant and beautiful.
ave passed most of the camp cir
Gle before we found his lodge. he
was seated alone, and as we ap-
preached I noticed that he must be
completely blind. We shook hands
as we entered and I spoke in Grow
as seemed natural when addressing
an Indian. He answered in the same
language and this is the story he told
to us:
81 came to this world in the land
of the Shoshone and on the day
was born a Shoshone CHIEF was
killed. At the age of six, captain
came to us and paid us large
-, annuity on the Laramie river. Three
years later, the Cheyennes started TO
Horse Creek to get another annuity.
From there they started for Powder
River. At that time I was old
enough to kill buffalo calf with my
bow and arrow. (This in the life OF
an Indian boy is his first achieve
ment.) On their way they encoun-
tered a large bunch of Pawnee and
there was big fight. That was a
long time ago, but it was my first
fight and remember seeing many OF
the dead Pawnees as though it were
yesterday. Many of these fights
made us active on our horses and not
afraid. Some two years later we
went to the Big Platte river and
again received an annuity. At the
age of 10 / was scout for the gov
eminent, the same as man, and 1t
! was here that learned much that
helped me in after years. We start
ed for Fl. Laramie and while at
that place a Pawnee killed my father.
.'When 16 years Of age we went to
war with the Omahas and that made
: big fight. The next after that, we
came to the head of Pryor creek and
it was here that won my first coup
by killing two Crows that came into
I the canyon. (He had gained his first
recognition as warrior and was en-
titled to wear an eagle plume on
state occasions.) Three years later I
was shot through the leg by Paw
nee while fighting at Cherry creek,
and the next year at the mouth OF
the Big Horn was shot through the
arm by a Grow. 49,
cat the age of; % I was made a
chief and 10 years later was made
\ the head chief. The next year, or
when I was "a, we were out in the
western country getting robes and