The Leon reporter. (Leon, Iowa) 1887-1930, 1911-08-24
the CUSTER MASSACRE
Chief Who Led Attack


coming after the Sioux. tried to
get my people back to Fort Lara
mie before the trouble commenced
l wished to miss the soldiers on the
way for you know, they are never
good when they come on marches
for this purpose. They do not seem
to feel any different towards the diff
ferent tribes like they should. They
fight any Indian they run on to.
eve were on our way back to
the post when one morning the SOL
diers charged our camp, drove off our
horses, and run our women and chill
dren into the hills. All the warriors
fought back as best they could with
what weapons they caught up in
their excitement, but the soldiers
burned all our teepees, food, robes,
and evrything they could find. They
fired on all they saw, wounding many
and killing some. That broke the
friendly feeling we had for them.
And our hearts we're bad when our
babies and children cried from the
cold.
ga night or two afterwards, my
warriors raided the soldiers horses
and got many of the ones they stole.
We stayed around them for several
days getting as many horses as we
could, then went to where the rest Of
our people were and all started for
the Sioux who camped over on the
Platte river. When we reached there
we were all nearly starved. Our wo-
men and children were almost too
weak to travel. 1t was here, after
the Sioux saw what a pitiable con-
dition we were in and had given us
food that we held big council. At
ter the pipe l rose and said:
Friends! The pony soldiers
have fired on my people. They have
broken our friendship. They have
driven our women and children into
the hills to go hungry and cold. They
have burned our homes, stole our
horses, and now have our hatred.
They are coming here to fight you,
and we have come to you as friends.
Give us arms and horses and we will
fight Give our women robes and
food for our children, until we can
supply them, and my warriors will
fight them to the death. Stay with
us and we will stay with you. We
will fight with you until we are all
killed or they are driven back
"'Then one after another of my
warriors rose and counciled war. 1t
was war, war, war. We wanted our
revenge, and it came with Custer.
At this great council such as I have
only seen once, all agreed to stay to-
gether and fight. We knew we could
easily cope with them. The Sioux
gave US horses and all the fighting
equipment they could spare. We
were pretty we'll provided for and
abided our time when we would
come in touch with the soldiers on
their way again.
"'We moved camp and stopped on
the lower Rosebud. While here a
messenger came from the south tell
ing us bunch of soldiers were COM
ing from that direction Crook y.
Another came from the east and told
us he left the soldiers at Pumpkin
creek They were under Custer. A
council of war was called at once
and we realized that our counsel at
the first council was good. All agreed
to hang together and fight and not
let any one go away from camp. All
had to go in and fight even if exter-
minated. We moved our camp up
the Rosebud several days later after
the Sioux held sun dance, and went
over on the head of what is now
known as Reno's creek. From here
all the warriors went back and met
the soldiers who came under Crook.
We had big, big fight and when all
was over nearly all the soldiers were
hurt. What was not killed went
back home Only three Sioux and
one Cheyenne was killed.
"'We went down to the mouth of
/ the creek and here held another
council and decided not to go back
and meet the other soldiers, but to
rest and let them come to us. So
we moved down under the bluffs
where we would have protection
from the direction from which the
soldiers came. We camped opposite
what is now Big Shoulders allot-
ment 1t was here that other Indians
came and told us that Custer was
coming and wanted to fight bad. Sit
ting Bull and his band we're camped
right at Big Shoulders place; Crazy
Horse and his people were camped
just below him, while Elk Heads
we're down by the river. The next
camp were my people; we were at
Medicine Tails place. These were
the leaders and the bands whom Gus
ter sought.
e." That morning I remember it
we'll. We were going to have a
dance, but it did not come of. All
were preparing for all the dancers
to gather, as the dance was to be in
the next few days. About the time
for all the dancers to gather another
chief came and told our haranguers
to call for the dance.
4 started to get my horses and
drive to the river for water, and as
went back into the hills, looked up
the valley and saw great dust COM
ing. Puzzled over it's meaning I
went on and took my horses to the
river, then back to the hills from
where I saw the fight commence.
I realized that the soldiers were here
8 b. !,