Chief American Horse ( the elder )

[bighorn]

I've gone through most of the Threads on the message boards on " Chief American Horse " and found that there is a tremendous amount of confusion between Chief American Horse ( the elder) and later American Horses that followed.  There are numerous pictures that claim to be American Horse ( the elder ) but as I have been told to some authority that there are no know photos of The Elder. Amer. Horse ( the elder ) was killed at Slim Buttes in Sept 1877 but many references and pictures post date his death date.   Can someone help me here ?

[Dietmar]

Hello bighorn,

there are no known portraits of the American Horse (he went under other names as well), who was killed at Slim Buttes.

Most photographs show either the younger American Horse, son of Sitting Bear, who was a main Oglala leader at Red Cloud/Pine Ridge, or his sons.

There are also many photos of a Northern Cheyenne chief named American Horse in the internet.

[bighorn]

Thanks - That's what I understood too. So the painting of the Sioux warriors fighting on horseback at Big Horn and titled Chief American Horse and the print of American Horse handing over his Spencer to Gen Crooks at Slim Buttes are the only renditions of American Horse ?

[kingsleybray]

I'm not sure which image you mean of Sioux warriors fighting at Big Horn, but as far as the image of American Horse handing his Spencer to Gen. Crook goes, that is a work of the imagination purely. The artist, Remington if I'm remembering right, was not present in 1876. As you say, there are no known photographs of American Horse the elder, or Iron Plume. He is said to be a son of Old Smoke, the Oglala chief (c. 1789-1864). He had some relatives who settled in the Wounded Knee District of Pine Ridge Reservation.

[bighorn]

The painting I'm referring to is the Little Bighorn painting by Russel called The Custer Fight. I've seen it refereed to as American Horse at Little Bighorn. Yes, the surrender print is just a depiction.