Post by Mike on Dec 8, 2019 21:00:35 GMT -5
There were a number of warriors in the north and south at one point in their lives called Brave Wolf. Using Powell's 'People of the Sacred Mountain: A History of the Northern Cheyenne Chiefs and Warrior Societies, 1830-1879", Grinnell's 'Fighting Cheyennes', Powell's 'Sweet Medicine: Continuing Role of the Sacred Arrows, the Sun Dance, and the Sacred Buffalo Hat in Northern Cheyenne History' as the main sources, but not the only ones, I have come to the conclusion that we know very little about the Brave Wolf that died via a suicide charge at this battle.
In the summer of 1863, a large warparty of Northern Cheyenne, Oglalas, Miniconjous, and Arapahos approached a major Crow village in south central Montana. It was a bloody engagement for both sides and Crazy Horse had several horses shot from beneath him. It was a major early engagement in his career and a battle worth reading about.
Brave Wolf was a Northern Cheyenne that died in this battle in what was a suicide charge into the Crow lines. I have always wanted to know more about the Brave Wolf that was killed in 1863.
I will first list two Northern Cheyenne known as Brave Wolf at one point in their lives that were not the man who died in the Battle Defending the Tents:
Box Elder: He was also known as Strong Wolf, Dog Stands on a Ridge and Brave Wolf -when he was young, and Old Brave Wolf after his son was born. He was an Elkhorn Scraper/Crooked Lance during his fighting years. Made his name in battle leading a charge against Shoshone and Crows in 1830 using a sacred whistle his father Horn gave him. Fought into his 60's. Eventually became old and blind. Father of the contrary Brave Wolf. Head chief of the Northern Suhtai. Medicine Lodge (Sundance) instructor. Had power of prophecy, learned it from wolves and the Maiyun. He was also a Massaum Wolf Lodge priest. He was a Council of 44 chief, he was likely seated in 1854 but definitely by 1864. His father had been named Horn, and like his father, he was a holy man and a prophet who warned of Custer’s coming.
The Cheyenne Council of 44 Chiefs were voted in for terms of 10 years, all at once
Brave Wolf: aka Young Brave Wolf, the son of Box Elder and a contrary warrior for many years. He fought as a contrary in the Fetterman Fight, survived LBH, became scout for Miles. (aka Young Brave Wolf). Was very brave in many engagements, especially Powder River and the Rosebud.
Fought Reno until the soldiers’ panicked out of the timber. “…nsisted that Custer’s men came down close to the stream but did not succeed in crossing” He carried a thunder-bow for 10 years, exceedingly brave warrior for the Northern Cheyenne.
Not enough room to list his and his father's feats of arms.
What I do know about the Brave Wolf that died in the Battle Defending the Tents, was that he was seated as a Council of 44 Chief in 1854 and he died in 1863 in battle with the Crow. That's it.
His death opened a seat for the Northern Cheyenne and they did not fill it until the Medicine Lodge of '64 in the Dog Soldier country. Each main band received 2 seats, as far as the north went, the Northern Suhtai got 2, the Omisis 2, the Oivimana 2 and the Southern Suhtai also got 2 seats, they living with the Dog Soldiers were considered a separate band.
This Brave Wolf's death was such an event, being the only Council of 44 Chief killed in battle in at least an entire generation, that runners were sent south to invite any warrior to come north in the spring to join the Northern Cheyenne and their Lakota friends in a revenge attack on the Crow.
On April 12th, 1864 Lt. Clark Dunn, 1st Colorado Cavalry, and 40 men pursued 14 Dog Soldiers into the bluffs north of Fremont's Orchard, Colorado Territory to recover some mules and fought a short battle, three Indians and two soldiers wounded and one sergeant killed. Bull Telling Tales shot a mounted sergeant charging him in the heart and he cut off his head and took his uniform and weapons. This was the first serious fight with the Indians. A Cheyenne chief said that this was an unwarranted attack that started the war with the Plains Indians.
"The first attack was made on a party of young Cheyennes who were going north to fight the Crows. In the summer of 1863 the Crows had killed Brave Wolf, a noted Northern Cheyenne, and during the winter the Northern Cheyennes had sent runners down to visit our camps and invite the Southern Cheyennes to join them in an attack on the Crows, to be made in the following spring. A number of young Dog Soldiers made up their minds to join this expedition, and early in April, 1864, they set out for the north."
In the party were Mad Wolf, Wolf-Coming-Out, Bull-Telling-Tales, Bear Man, Little Chief, and ten other young men. The Dog Soldiers were in camp on Beaver Creek and the 14 Dog Soldiers returned there to tell what happened.
I am hoping to find out more about Brave Wolf, the Northern Cheyenne Council Chief who was killed fighting the Crow.
Reading Kingsley Bray's book on Crazy Horse, I'd tantalizingly found out more details about Brave Wolf's actions that day, these details came from 'Bad Heart Bull's Pictographic History of the Oglala Sioux', which I do not have, but will get as soon as practical.
Bray's chapter "Fighting the Crow People' is where his retelling of the account is. I know Kingsley is thorough, but hope there are a few more details in the Pictographic History.
There is nothing else I have found about this Brave Wolf, whether he was Suhtai or Omisis or what his warrior society had been I don't know, one would guess Crazy Dogs if he were a young man, but since he chose a suicide charge later in life that might not be relevant.
In the summer of 1863, a large warparty of Northern Cheyenne, Oglalas, Miniconjous, and Arapahos approached a major Crow village in south central Montana. It was a bloody engagement for both sides and Crazy Horse had several horses shot from beneath him. It was a major early engagement in his career and a battle worth reading about.
Brave Wolf was a Northern Cheyenne that died in this battle in what was a suicide charge into the Crow lines. I have always wanted to know more about the Brave Wolf that was killed in 1863.
I will first list two Northern Cheyenne known as Brave Wolf at one point in their lives that were not the man who died in the Battle Defending the Tents:
Box Elder: He was also known as Strong Wolf, Dog Stands on a Ridge and Brave Wolf -when he was young, and Old Brave Wolf after his son was born. He was an Elkhorn Scraper/Crooked Lance during his fighting years. Made his name in battle leading a charge against Shoshone and Crows in 1830 using a sacred whistle his father Horn gave him. Fought into his 60's. Eventually became old and blind. Father of the contrary Brave Wolf. Head chief of the Northern Suhtai. Medicine Lodge (Sundance) instructor. Had power of prophecy, learned it from wolves and the Maiyun. He was also a Massaum Wolf Lodge priest. He was a Council of 44 chief, he was likely seated in 1854 but definitely by 1864. His father had been named Horn, and like his father, he was a holy man and a prophet who warned of Custer’s coming.
The Cheyenne Council of 44 Chiefs were voted in for terms of 10 years, all at once
Brave Wolf: aka Young Brave Wolf, the son of Box Elder and a contrary warrior for many years. He fought as a contrary in the Fetterman Fight, survived LBH, became scout for Miles. (aka Young Brave Wolf). Was very brave in many engagements, especially Powder River and the Rosebud.
Fought Reno until the soldiers’ panicked out of the timber. “…nsisted that Custer’s men came down close to the stream but did not succeed in crossing” He carried a thunder-bow for 10 years, exceedingly brave warrior for the Northern Cheyenne.
Not enough room to list his and his father's feats of arms.
What I do know about the Brave Wolf that died in the Battle Defending the Tents, was that he was seated as a Council of 44 Chief in 1854 and he died in 1863 in battle with the Crow. That's it.
His death opened a seat for the Northern Cheyenne and they did not fill it until the Medicine Lodge of '64 in the Dog Soldier country. Each main band received 2 seats, as far as the north went, the Northern Suhtai got 2, the Omisis 2, the Oivimana 2 and the Southern Suhtai also got 2 seats, they living with the Dog Soldiers were considered a separate band.
This Brave Wolf's death was such an event, being the only Council of 44 Chief killed in battle in at least an entire generation, that runners were sent south to invite any warrior to come north in the spring to join the Northern Cheyenne and their Lakota friends in a revenge attack on the Crow.
On April 12th, 1864 Lt. Clark Dunn, 1st Colorado Cavalry, and 40 men pursued 14 Dog Soldiers into the bluffs north of Fremont's Orchard, Colorado Territory to recover some mules and fought a short battle, three Indians and two soldiers wounded and one sergeant killed. Bull Telling Tales shot a mounted sergeant charging him in the heart and he cut off his head and took his uniform and weapons. This was the first serious fight with the Indians. A Cheyenne chief said that this was an unwarranted attack that started the war with the Plains Indians.
"The first attack was made on a party of young Cheyennes who were going north to fight the Crows. In the summer of 1863 the Crows had killed Brave Wolf, a noted Northern Cheyenne, and during the winter the Northern Cheyennes had sent runners down to visit our camps and invite the Southern Cheyennes to join them in an attack on the Crows, to be made in the following spring. A number of young Dog Soldiers made up their minds to join this expedition, and early in April, 1864, they set out for the north."
In the party were Mad Wolf, Wolf-Coming-Out, Bull-Telling-Tales, Bear Man, Little Chief, and ten other young men. The Dog Soldiers were in camp on Beaver Creek and the 14 Dog Soldiers returned there to tell what happened.
I am hoping to find out more about Brave Wolf, the Northern Cheyenne Council Chief who was killed fighting the Crow.
Reading Kingsley Bray's book on Crazy Horse, I'd tantalizingly found out more details about Brave Wolf's actions that day, these details came from 'Bad Heart Bull's Pictographic History of the Oglala Sioux', which I do not have, but will get as soon as practical.
Bray's chapter "Fighting the Crow People' is where his retelling of the account is. I know Kingsley is thorough, but hope there are a few more details in the Pictographic History.
There is nothing else I have found about this Brave Wolf, whether he was Suhtai or Omisis or what his warrior society had been I don't know, one would guess Crazy Dogs if he were a young man, but since he chose a suicide charge later in life that might not be relevant.