Post by carlo on Mar 6, 2014 8:43:06 GMT -5
Given the recent discussions about Looking Glass, I thought it might be interesting to post this event from 1869:
During a spring buffalo hunt along Pryor Creek, Mountain Crow hunters found some of the animals had Lakota arrows stuck in their backs. The hunt was immediately called off while scouts were dispatched in all directions to locate the enemy. They soon found a camp of war shelters a few miles upstream from the mouth of Pryor Creek. From the mirror flashes between the Lakotas, the Crows knew that they had been discovered also. The Lakota war party was large (Hunts To Die estimated as many as 400 men, which may be too high), made up of mainly Sans Arc warriors, accompanied by Miniconjous, Oglalas, and Brules. But half of them were on foot, which put them decidedly at a disadvantage now that they had been discovered.
When news reached the Crow camp that the enemy was just a few miles to the north, the Crows held a war dance in anticipation of next day’s battle. In addition to the 200 Mountain Crow lodges were eighteen lodges of the Nez Perces. Their leader Looking Glass entered the dance circle and vowed, in signs, that during tomorrow’s battle he would dismount and fight. Not to be outdone, his friend White Bird came forward and pledged to take the gun from a Lakota. All seemed confident in a successful outcome.
The next morning Crow scouts reported that the Lakotas had split up, and were now dispersed on both sides of the creek. The Crows and Nez Perces did the same. They fielded about 150 Crow men, leaving as many behind to protect the camp, and about twenty Nez Perces warriors. But the Lakotas took the initiative. At dawn the mounted Lakotas on the west bank of the creek charged at the Crows while those on the east side started a flanking movement. They were unaware that the other half of the Crows was concealed in a nearby hollow. Hunts To Die remembered that he and the other Crow and Nimiipuu warriors “rose in front of them”, driving the surprised Lakotas to flight.
Meanwhile, on the west bank, the Lakotas were pushing the Crows and Nez Perces back when Looking Glass remembered his vow. He dismounted and was momentarily enveloped by the enemy, at which time the Crows counterattacked and drove the Lakotas off. One of them was left behind on foot and was being chased by a Crow warrior. The Crow struck the enemy, but the Lakota turned and shot his attacker in the stomach. Then another came after him and counted second coup. But also he was shot down by the Lakota, with a bullet through his chest. Next came a third Crow, who counted the third coup before being shot through the thigh. The brave enemy was finally rescued by a comrade, who pulled him up on his horse and rode off.
The chase now turned into a rout. “War bonnets were flying loose, and they threw away robes” as the Lakotas desperately tried to escape the pursuers. “In the running fight we killed eleven horses”, Hunts To Die recalled, “and then broke the heads of their riders.” Those on foot who could not find a comrade to ride double with where left at the mercy of the Crows and Nez Perces. White Bird, Bull Tongue and thirteen year-old Two Whistles were among the pursuers. White Bird overtook a running enemy, jumped from his horse and wrestled the gun from the enemy’s hands. He had also kept his vow.
By the end of the rout fifteen Lakotas lay dead on the battlefield. The Sans Arcs were hit hardest, motivating some winter count keepers to call this the “Winter when Fifteen Sans Arcs were Killed”. The Crows gathered the stray enemy horses, picked up weapons and ransacked the abandoned war camp before returning home. Although the Crows lost three young men in the fight and the Nez Perces one, it was a significant and meaningful victory over the Lakotas.
Carlo
During a spring buffalo hunt along Pryor Creek, Mountain Crow hunters found some of the animals had Lakota arrows stuck in their backs. The hunt was immediately called off while scouts were dispatched in all directions to locate the enemy. They soon found a camp of war shelters a few miles upstream from the mouth of Pryor Creek. From the mirror flashes between the Lakotas, the Crows knew that they had been discovered also. The Lakota war party was large (Hunts To Die estimated as many as 400 men, which may be too high), made up of mainly Sans Arc warriors, accompanied by Miniconjous, Oglalas, and Brules. But half of them were on foot, which put them decidedly at a disadvantage now that they had been discovered.
When news reached the Crow camp that the enemy was just a few miles to the north, the Crows held a war dance in anticipation of next day’s battle. In addition to the 200 Mountain Crow lodges were eighteen lodges of the Nez Perces. Their leader Looking Glass entered the dance circle and vowed, in signs, that during tomorrow’s battle he would dismount and fight. Not to be outdone, his friend White Bird came forward and pledged to take the gun from a Lakota. All seemed confident in a successful outcome.
The next morning Crow scouts reported that the Lakotas had split up, and were now dispersed on both sides of the creek. The Crows and Nez Perces did the same. They fielded about 150 Crow men, leaving as many behind to protect the camp, and about twenty Nez Perces warriors. But the Lakotas took the initiative. At dawn the mounted Lakotas on the west bank of the creek charged at the Crows while those on the east side started a flanking movement. They were unaware that the other half of the Crows was concealed in a nearby hollow. Hunts To Die remembered that he and the other Crow and Nimiipuu warriors “rose in front of them”, driving the surprised Lakotas to flight.
Meanwhile, on the west bank, the Lakotas were pushing the Crows and Nez Perces back when Looking Glass remembered his vow. He dismounted and was momentarily enveloped by the enemy, at which time the Crows counterattacked and drove the Lakotas off. One of them was left behind on foot and was being chased by a Crow warrior. The Crow struck the enemy, but the Lakota turned and shot his attacker in the stomach. Then another came after him and counted second coup. But also he was shot down by the Lakota, with a bullet through his chest. Next came a third Crow, who counted the third coup before being shot through the thigh. The brave enemy was finally rescued by a comrade, who pulled him up on his horse and rode off.
The chase now turned into a rout. “War bonnets were flying loose, and they threw away robes” as the Lakotas desperately tried to escape the pursuers. “In the running fight we killed eleven horses”, Hunts To Die recalled, “and then broke the heads of their riders.” Those on foot who could not find a comrade to ride double with where left at the mercy of the Crows and Nez Perces. White Bird, Bull Tongue and thirteen year-old Two Whistles were among the pursuers. White Bird overtook a running enemy, jumped from his horse and wrestled the gun from the enemy’s hands. He had also kept his vow.
By the end of the rout fifteen Lakotas lay dead on the battlefield. The Sans Arcs were hit hardest, motivating some winter count keepers to call this the “Winter when Fifteen Sans Arcs were Killed”. The Crows gathered the stray enemy horses, picked up weapons and ransacked the abandoned war camp before returning home. Although the Crows lost three young men in the fight and the Nez Perces one, it was a significant and meaningful victory over the Lakotas.
Carlo