Fast Thunder

[wind]

Hello, friends!
Is there any photograph of Fast Thunder (a scout from Spotted Tail agency who brought Crazy Horse back to fort Robinson)

[grahamew]

Bell (188?)


With Spotted Horse, as above


Trager or associates, 1891


Early 1900s

[wind]

Can you tell me when did Fast Thunder become a scout? When did he leave the Northern tribes and came to the agency?

[kingsleybray]

Fast Thunder was born about 1839. He belonged to the Oglala Oyuhpe band. He fought against the Crows, Shoshones, and other tribal enemies in the north. He fought with the Oglalas in the Fetterman fight of Dec. 1866. According to George Sword's account to Judge Ricker, he distinguished himself as the bravest Oglala in the Wagon Box Fight (Aug. 1867), riding closest to the wagons.

As far as I can tell he is first listed in Agt Saville's census of March 1874 at Red Cloud Agency, conducted immediately after the troops arrived to establish Camp Robinson nearby, sparking a mass departure by many Northern Lakotas. So this may be the context in which to place his staying at the agency.

Fast Thunder seems to be one of the younger war leaders who were persuaded by Old Man Afraid of His Horse to offer support and protection to the agency in 1874. Many of these warriors belonged to the warrior society OMAf had founded, the Wichiska (White Packstrap). That looks to be a Wichiska warbonnet Fast Thunder is wearing in the 1875 delegation photo in Washington. This society assisted Agt Saville in policing the agency in 1874-75.

After Saville's departure at the end of 1875, Agt Hastings and subsequently the military agents bypassed Old Man Afraid of His Horse, and his warrior network collapsed. In the crisis year of 1876 many of them (e.g. Fast Thunder, Face, White Crane Walking) transferred over to Spotted Tail Agency. There is a document in National Archives-Kansas City, records of Pine Ridge Agency, dated Oct. 3, 1876. It authorises the transfer from Red Cloud to Spotted Tail Agency of a number of individuals and their families. At the head of the list is Fast Thunder and 40 people. There is an indication that some of these people were already at Spotted Tail, the authorisation simply legitimises their presence there.

Fast Thunder was among the scouts enlisted at Spotted Tail Agency in March 1877. He is listed among the scouts enrolled from the Corn-Loafer band. When the scouts were re-organized at the beginning of July, Fast Thunder was enrolled as a corporal in Co. D, one of the two companies based at Spotted Tail. He served under First Sgt Swift Bear and Sgts White Thunder, Red Leaf, Good Voice, and Thunder Bear.

Note Ephriam's findings from the Spotted Tail Agency letterbooks in the thread on Fire Thunder. Fast Thunder's father Lance Owner surrendered at Red Cloud Agency in March 1877, and was then transferred over to Spotted Tail.

Fast Thunder pierced several of his Northern kinsmen at the Miniconjou-Sans Arc Sun Dance held below Spotted Tail Agency in July 1877. At Crazy Horse's personal request he was among the party that escorted Crazy Horse from Spotted Tail to Camp Robinson on Sept. 5, 1877.

I don't have all my documentation to hand right now, and I'm not sure just when he transferred permanently back to the Oglala agency. By 1890 he was a prominent man in the Makaha community, Wounded Knee Dist., Pine Ridge Res. Maybe Ephriam has a handle on when he moved to Pine Ridge?

Hope this helps.

[wind]

Thank you, Kingsley.

And what about "Ephriam's findings from the Spotted Tail Agency letterbooks"? What is it and where is it?