Roman Nose: Mountain Crow headman

[nicolas (carlo)]

Judge John F. Kinney was sent to Fort Phil Kearny in May 1867, heading the Special Indian Commission to investigate the previous December's Fetterman Fight. He was also tasked to secure the allegiance of the Mountain Crows. In June Kinney writes that he met with Crow leaders, and lists a man named Roman Nose among them. He then makes this Roman Nose an envoy to bring in the rest of the Crow camps to Ft. Kearny.

Does anyone know anything about this Mountain Crow named Roman Nose? I have not seen this name in any of the known Crow literature, but perhaps I may have overlooked something. 

(Interesting to note: We know from Lt. Templeton that the Miniconjou leader Roman Nose visited the Crows, and was still in their camp in March, but Kinney would never have mistaken him for a Crow leader...)

[grahamew]

The only mention I've seen is in here - mhs.mt.gov/Portals/11/education/docs/CirGuides/Rzeczkowski%20Transportation.pdf - which corresponds with what you've said

[nicolas (carlo)]

Thanks Grahame. Rzeczkowski has the same source, Judge Kinney's June 4 1867 letter to N.G Taylor, Comm of Indian Affairs.

It's interesting that Kinney mentions Roman Nose as one of the leaders and finds him important enough to pick him as emmissary to the other Crow camps, but that in none of the other contemporary sources his name pops up. Either Roman Nose was a nickname or alternative name of a more well-know individual, or perhaps he wasn't as important as Kinney thought. A clue for the latter assumption is in the fact that in subsequent communication Roman Nose is only mentioned as "the Crow messenger", not by name. So perhaps he was 'just' a leading Crow warrior. Btw, Roman Nose actually only went to the first Crow camp he found, and sent other messengers to the other camps.

Hopefully I can find a bit more on this man in the future.

[nicolas (carlo)]

Quite sure I'm the only one interested in this ;-), but I found another source that confirms Roman Nose was a minor Mountain Crow chief or leading warrior, living in Long Horse's village. He evidently was a friend of John Richard Jr., who had come to the aid of Roman Nose several times in the past. Capt. Burrowes, at Fort C.F. Smith, wrote that it was Roman Nose who informed Richard in July of 1867 of Lakota plans to attack the post.

[rawhide]

In Barry J Hagan's "Exactly in the Right Place" Roman Noses are mentioned several times and were two different persons, one a Crow and one Sioux. I can check these out if You don't have the book but You have to wait a few days since I 'm busy now.

[rawhide]

Forgot to say that the Richard here was John Richard jr,

[nicolas (carlo)]

Thank you Rawhide. I looked it up and the Crow Roman Nose in Hagan’s book is indeed the same as our man. He uses the same source (Burrowes), so unfortunately nothing new. The Lakota Roman Nose is the Miniconjou leader I mentioned in my original post. The editor seems to have mixed the two up in the book’s index btw.

You are right of course, about Richard being the son of the famous Reshaw!
Richard Junior (who incidentally had the same nickname as his father) was at C.F. Smith at the time, acting as Kinney’s interpreter together with Raphael Gallegos and Pierre ‘Shane’ Chene. I have edited my earlier post for future reference.

[nicolas (carlo)]

Just to close the loop on this: Roman Nose is the same individual as Mountain Crow headman Swan (or The Swan), who was one of the signatories of the 1868 Ft. Laramie treaty.

[rawhide]

Hey! Great find! Where did You find it, if I may ask?

Maybe he is in some of the '68 Gardner photos?

[nicolas (carlo)]

It was right in from of me the whole time, but it only just now clicked.

Both John F. Kinney and Lt. Col. Luther P. Bradley called him Roman Nose and identified him as a chief, commissioner Kinney even as a principle chief. In June 1867 Kinney only sent one man, Roman Nose, from Ft. Phil Kearny to tell the other Crow camps of his arrival and invite them to come in for counsel. He asked Roman Nose to only go to the first camp on the Tongue and from there sent subsequent messengers to the other camps. On June 6 Half Yellow Face brought the message to the Crows camped at Fort CF Smith, and Lt. Templeton specifically mentioned that he was sent by Swan, who "had been sent from Phil Kearny to bring the Crows down there to see the Commissioner." First confirmation: Roman Nose = the Ft. Kearny messenger = Swan

Then, on July 15, a Crow headman informs John Richard Jr. at CF Smith of an impending attack by Lakotas on the post. Lt. Templeton and Capt. Burrowes, both at CF Smith, make specific note of it; Templeton called the man Swan, and Burrowes named him Roman Nose. Second confirmation: Swan = Richard Jr's informant = Roman Nose

Unfortunately, aside from signing the 1868 Ft. Laramie Treaty, little is known of Mountain Crow headman Swan. There is a "Sharp Nose" in the 1885 Crow Census, which could be him. However, the lack of mentions in offical reports after the Ft. Laramie Treaty could also indicate that he died soon after.

[nicolas (carlo)]

These are the headmen who signed the 1868 treaty, as written: Pretty Bull, Wolf Bow, Mountain Tail, Black Foot, White Horse, Poor Elk, Shot in the Jaw, White Forehead, Pounded Meat, Bird in the Neck, The Swan. 

The Sharp Nose reference was re. the Crow Census of 1885.