|
Post by Dietmar on Aug 13, 2008 10:16:08 GMT -5
Black Coal, Northern Arapahoe by J.K. Hillers 1882 Black Coal was one of the Northern Arapahoe warrior leaders that made their reputations in the fights in the late 1860s against the whites at Bozeman Trail and Powder River Country. In 1868 he was sent with Sorrel Horse, another warrior society leader, to the peace talks at Ft. Laramie. When the Arapahoes already had settled at Red Cloud agency around 1871, one of their main leaders, Medicine Man, died and Black Coal succeeded him. He gained stature as a tribal intermediary during many conflicts with the dominating Lakotas at Red Cloud. He also became a scout at the agency and tried to improve conditions for his people. Under Black Coal as the main leader the Arapahoes stayed out of the Sioux War of 1876. That made relations between them and the Lakota even more strained. Nevertheless Black Coal (with Friday and Sharp Nose) visited Washington with the Sioux delegation in 1877. There he worked for the decision to move the Arapahoes to the Sweetwater country in Wyoming, where the Shoshone reservation was placed. In March 1878 the first twenty-one lodges under the leadership of Black Coal arrived there. He was recognized by white officials there as head chief of the Northern Arapahoes. Black Coal died in 1893. Please add what else can be found about Black Coal. Dietmar
|
|
|
Post by Dietmar on Aug 13, 2008 10:22:34 GMT -5
profile by Hillers 1882 Black Coal in Carlisle by John Choate (both photos from SIRIS)
|
|
|
Post by Dietmar on Aug 13, 2008 10:38:16 GMT -5
(from Denver Public Library): taken around 1884/85 with feather-bonnet
|
|
|
Post by grahamew on Aug 13, 2008 12:38:22 GMT -5
Left to right at the front on the seats: Friday, White Horse, Black Coal, Sharp Nose, Dunno (!). Dr McGillycuddy stands at the back, second from left, Fort Robinson (76?) Black Coal by Mitchell, 1877: At Carlisle. Sharp Nose stands to our right; I think that's White Horse sitting to the right, though it mat be Iron: Touch the Clouds, Sharp Nose, Black Coal and Friday, 1877. William (?) Spotted Tail stands behind.
|
|
|
Post by grahamew on Aug 13, 2008 13:48:35 GMT -5
There's a photo of Arapaho and Shoshoni headmen on the Wind River Reservation waiting to meet President Arthur in 1883 and Black Coal is there. The Arapaho moved to Wind River in 1878 after agitating to be removed from Red Cloud's influence, though it was noted that they frequently visited and entertained the Lakota, with whom, until the early 70s, they'd been close allies. Of course, after the move, they ended up with their hereditary enemies. Here's one of the photos taken at the time by Haynes, but it's not the one I'm familiar with and I can't tell whether Black Coal, who's wearing a waistcoat in the other photo, is pictured:
|
|
|
Post by grahamew on Aug 14, 2008 4:03:05 GMT -5
Here's the other picture. Black Coal is the man at the right with the hat tilted backwards:
|
|
|
Post by Dietmar on Aug 14, 2008 7:17:11 GMT -5
There are some prominent Shoshones and Arapahoes in the last two Haynes pictures. Washakie sits on a horse far right (1st photo). I think his sons are in the photo, too. I must have their names somewhere.
I noted the names of the Arapahoes in the Ft. Robinson group photo as: Friday, Six Feathers, Black Coal, Sharp Nose, unidentified White Horse stands at McGillycuddy´s left. Standing far right is Old Eagle aka Washington
The individuals in the Carlisle group photo are: standing l.t.r.: Iron, James Irwin, Sharp Nose sitting l.t.r.: White Horse, Black Coal, Little Wolf
|
|
|
Post by Dietmar on Aug 14, 2008 7:23:11 GMT -5
Here´s another photo from Denver Public Library: l.t.r.: Painting Horse, Rev. Mr. Coolidge, Black Coal (all Arapahoe) photo by Baker & Johnston, Evanston taken at Shoshone Agency, Wyoming You can see here perfectly why Black Coal was also called "Three Fingers".
|
|
|
Post by grahamew on Aug 14, 2008 9:07:51 GMT -5
Sorry, I jus thought this (White Horse) looked more like the man sitting next to Friday and Black Coal than the one standing with McGillycuddy!
|
|
|
Post by Dietmar on Aug 14, 2008 9:45:12 GMT -5
Grahame,
you´re right, but I believe that the photo above is of Six Feather, not White Horse as labelled at some websites. Somehow the names of these two seem to be confused either by Mitchell or by some archivist.
There are some other photos of Six Feather and White Horse as reference, for example the Carlisle image above.
|
|
|
Post by grahamew on Aug 14, 2008 10:11:48 GMT -5
That explains it. D'oh!
|
|
|
Post by liverpoolannie on Aug 14, 2008 22:04:21 GMT -5
|
|
|
Post by grahamew on Aug 15, 2008 9:55:35 GMT -5
Here's Baker and Johnston's Six Feathers - wearing the same bonnet as Black Coal. Baker and Johnston were responsible for some of the key photos of Washakie which are usually dated about ten years earlier than they were actually taken.
|
|
|
Post by Dietmar on Aug 15, 2008 16:40:29 GMT -5
Annie, thanks, I ´ve known about the battle, but not of this website. The photo is interesting. I wonder if Black Coal is really in it, because the other Arapahos are from the Southern part of the tribe photographed at Camp Supply. Here is a Charles Milton Bell photograph of Black Coal from the Beinecke Gallery: Btw, are the first photos in this thread really made by Hillers as labelled at the Smithsonian? They also look like Bell.
|
|
|
Post by Dietmar on Aug 15, 2008 17:03:40 GMT -5
The Beinecke has also a better scan of the Wind River group photo:
|
|