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Post by carlo on Nov 16, 2009 5:14:07 GMT -5
Not a battle or skirmish by any stretch of the imagination, but this seems to be the most logical place to post this question...
On April 22 1865 Cheyenne Big Crow was hanged on a gallows outside of Ft. Laramie, WY, accused of taking part in the recent Little Blue raids in Nebraska. A month later, two Oglala Lakota itancan, Two Face and Black Foot, brought captive Mrs. Eubank and her daughter to Fort Laramie to turn them over to the Army. For their trouble of freeing these women, the itancan were also sentenced to death by hanging by the incompetent Col. Moonlight. Despite protests from several individuals, he had the chiefs hung with chains, next to Big Crow. They died singing their death songs. Moonlight ordered to leave their bodies to rot, hanging for months as "an example"...
There is some conflicting information re. the location of this tragedy, some contemporary informants placing the gallows "on a sloping hill about 1.5 mi. west of the fort", while others claim it was north or north-east of the fort.
Does anyone know the exact location the chiefs were hanged?
Many thanks, Carlo
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mika
New Member
Posts: 5
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Post by mika on Mar 20, 2010 3:37:54 GMT -5
Have you checked "With My Own Eyes: A Lakota Woman Tells Her People's History By Susan Bordeaux Bettelyoun, Josephine Waggoner" I believe Bettelyoun to be man witness to that incident.
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Post by carlo on Feb 6, 2011 13:02:49 GMT -5
For those interested: The last few months I was able to track down a few more first hand accounts and most agree it was 3/4 to 1 mile North to North West of the fort on a hill near the "old Road". I hope to be able to check this with the NHS staff in the near future. Carlo
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Post by cinemo on Jan 3, 2014 16:04:37 GMT -5
Big Crow was hanged on April 24, 1865, after Lt. Col. W. Baumer received order from General Connor on April 22. ( 1 )
Lucinda Eubank and little Willie was brought to Fort Laramie by Two Face ( alone ) on May 18. Two Face was arrested by Charley Elston and his Indian police. Black Foot was captured in his camp a few days afterwards , again by Charley Elston and his men. ( 2 )
In some sources is written, Lucinda Eubank was brought with her daughter, a mistake. The mistake was made by Colonel Moonlight, since his official report speaks of Willie as „her little daughter“ ( 2 )
On May 25, Colonel Moonlight issued an Order, that Two Face and Black Foot ...“ will be hung tomorrow at 2 p.m. as an example to all Indians of like character“... ( 1 )
The hanging was next to Big Crow, who was still hang on the gallow . This was about a mile and a half west of the fort. All three chiefs were hanged with trace chains from an artillery caisson, a grisly and inhuman act.
( 1 ) See the book : Circle of Fire: The Indian War of 1865, by John Dishon McDermott In addition, in that book , the arrest of Two Face and Black Foot is incorrectly described
( 2 ) See the book : Massacre Along the Medicine Road: A Social History of the Indian War of 1864 … , by Ronald Becher
Regarding that theme, there was an article by Dorothy M. Johnson , with the title :
"The Hanging of the Chiefs" Montana: The Magazine of Western History, Vol. 20, No. 3 (Summer 1970), pp 60-69 ( In Germany not avaiable )
cinemo
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