The Hardin tribune-herald. [volume] (Hardin, Mont.) 1925-1973, 1934-06-22
BY DIR. THOMAS B. MARQUIS

history of Indian warfare on our
frontiers is distorted by mistakes as
to identity. Mistakes may be as to
tribes, but most commonly as to in
dividual leaders. In reading of Pom
tiac as an arch conspirator it is well
to keep in mind that maybe the In
dams involved with him considered
him as but a minor factor. Our books
tell US that when William Henry
Harrison's soldiers killed Tecumseh
There fell the foremost aboriginal
warrior of that time.
It may be, though, that at Tippe-
ano there were chiefs regarded by
the Indians as of far more Importance
than he was. Black Hawk is repre-
Sented in u writings as the principal
chief when red men and white men
fought in southwestern Wisconsin 100
years ago. But his own tribesmen may
have classified him as n having no
special high ranking among them.
Army officers usually originated the
designations in identity and character
traits of Indian opponents. These des-
ignations regularly were adopted by
federal officials, and so they became
authoritative, or ION record"
But that didn't make them alto
gether reliable. Army officers always
were disposed to magnify their own
exploits by magnifying the Importance
of opponents whom they engaged in
combat. In fact, though, our govern
mental and military system was so diff
ferent from the governmental and mil
itary system of the Indians that neither
side could comprehend fully the system
of the other. In consequence, each
side could readily get wrong ideas as
to who was among the opposing peoples
managing their affairs on plans so
widely variant. Old Indians in present
times who were hostile warriors half a
century and more ago knew almost
nothing of our military leaders they
fought. except for such knowledge as
they have gained from white people
during later years. On the other hand,
it is apparent that we do not know as
much as we pretend to know about
which Indian leaders we were dealing
with during those times.
It would be very difficult, if not en-
entirely impracticable, to search out
mistakes in identity of Indians in far
past times of activity as hostiles. But
it is not very difficult to find out about
some of such mistakes made in the
times still remembered by old Indians
yet living. In illustration of the pro-
position that such errors probably have
been made all along in our history,
some consideration is to be given here
to instances that occurred in our oWn
section of the old plains west.
For an instance of misconception as
to tribal identity, as well as to Indian
leadership, consider General Clusters
fighting on the Yellowstone in 1873,
when he and his Seventh cavalrymen
were guarding the surveyors for the
prospective Northern Pacific railroad.
OF course. he wrote an official report
Of that affair. One may read this re-
port as an appendix to Mrs. Clusters
Boots and Saddles" Or, one doubt
less could find the original paper in the
archives Of the wal department. at
Washington. It gives official and au-
thoritative information that the Gus
ter men at that time fought Sitting
Bull and his Uncpapa Sioux. So, If
one should wish to prove this to be the
case he could prove it by official doc
uments" at washington.
But let us examine another aspect of
this case. That fighting was at the
mouth Of Tongue river and a few miles
up the Yellowstone from that point. In
those times Sitting Bull and his Unc-
papas never roamed that far west. Their
habitat was mainly along the Little
Missouri, northward and eastward,
rarely as far west as Powder river. This
Tongue river area was in the region
inhabited by Cheyennes and Ogallala
Sioux. The mouth Of Tongue river was
one of the favorite camping places Of
the Ogallalas of the Crazy Horse band.
Furthermore, old Indians of those tribes
yet living tell Of their having fought
white men soldiers-they do not know
who led those soldiers-at that time
and place reported by Custer. They
say that most Of the warriors fighting
there were Ogallala Sioux of the Crazy
Horse band, with a few Cheyenne
among them. The present writer was
acquainted with one old Cheyenne, Tall
White Man, now dead, who was shot
through the thigh by the Custer SOL
diers during that battle in 1873.
Forts Reno, Phil Kearney and c. F.
Smith, from 1866 to 1868, were kept
in continual harassment by Indians
opposed to soldier presence in the re-
gion then claimed as exclusively In
dian hunting grounds. Many historians
have written many stories of that
thrilling two years. Practically all of
them attribute all of the Indian hos
tility to Red Cloud and his Ogallala
Sioux. In fact, the Indians themselves
accord Red Cloud the most eminent
position among them in those days. But
they say he was ably assisted by Crazy
Horse. And, further, a considerable part
of the Northern Cheyenne tribe and
some Of the Northern Arapahoes were
participants. The Northern Cheyennes,
in particular, took part as manifesting
a special resentment against Fort c. F.
Smith as being on land they claimed.
The campaign of 1876 has been dis
cussed by all writer's as mainly direct
ed against Sitting Bull and his Sioux"