Undated interview [1907] with Pourier, from the Edmond S. Meany Papers (Box 13 Folder 20):
Pourier, Batiste
born St. Charles, Mo., 1844
Came out on plains in1858, to drive bull team to Platte Bridger, Wyoming (now) from Leavenworth for a trader John Richard. Kept working for him driving teams and t[r]adding with the Ogalals, Arapahoes and Cheyennes.
Hunted for John Stewsbury who was furnishing meat for Fort C. F. Smith, one year, then did some for son of John Richard who had hay and wood camp.
In 1868 started back for Laramie as wagonmaster for John Richard.
In October 1869 married sister of John Richard and in May hired to Government as guide and interpreter. Worked wall summer as scout for 5th Cavalry. In the fall moved with 5th Cav. to [Fort] Laramie and became interpreter at $100 a month. Stayed there ten years but General Crook, on starting the Rosebud expedition, asked General Smith for the services of Pourier as scout and Crook offer him $150 a month, so he went.
(insert dictated letter)
The Sioux killed "Baldy" Major Brown and his whole company, 95 in all, while Pourier was hunting for Richard.
In 1877 sent with Lieutenant Clark to persuade the Sioux to go to Tongue River near the present Miles City for a reservation but they declined and began to split and go in different directions. They are sorry now that they did not take Tongue River.
Big Road's band was the last that left us at the mouth of Little White River. Big Road's name is Chun-Ko-Tonka. His son is now at Wounded Knee.
5th March 1878 left the camp and returned to [Fort] Laramie and quit working for the Government. Went on his own place near [Fort] Laramie.
Got a place ten miles from sub agency and been there ever since. Six girls and six boys all living but one girl. His wife is 1/8 Sioux.
In the olden times the bravest became chief but now the son succeeds to the chieftainship.
Red Cloud's father was a chief but Red Cloud himself was a great man and big chief.
Old Man Afraid of his Horses was a great chief, was succeeded by his son Young Man Afraid of His Horses who was greater than his father. He is now dead and his brother has succeeded but he is no good.
Crazy Horse became chief through his own bravery. His father survived him but was not a chief. He was a quiet man and of high bravery. Pourier saw him at Rosebud gallop around a little hill 300 yards from the soldiers who fired volleys at him. "I myself fired at him four times but missed him and I was a good shot them days too." The Indians say this was because of his great medicine.
Pourier was with Crazy Horse when he died. He was to have accompanied the chief to Omaha but the chief balked at the guard house and pulled his knife. There was a scuffle and a soldier stabbed the chief through the kidneys and he never spoke afterwards.
His father buried him in a cliff overlooking White Horse Creek but later the father took the bones and buried them in secret, where no one knows.
Pourier was with a party that captured a Cheyenne village on fork of the Powder River [in margin: Camp was on Crazy Woman Creek.] where Capt. [Lieut.] McKinney was killed. Near there Fort McKinney on this side of old Fort Phil Kearney. 37 soldiers killed and wounded and 15 Indians killed. There Pourier got necklace of fingers which he gave to Lt. B[o]urke. It is now in Washington, D.C.
During the Wounded Knee trouble he sent his family into Pine Ridge and he stayed to care for his place until the General sent Frank Gruard, scout, to have him go into the agency. He did so and soldiers took all his goods. Quartermaster afterward paid him for those goods.
[Typed letter, to be inserted above:]
Manderson, So. Dak., July 17, 1907
TO WHOM IT MAY CONCERN:
I, Batiste Pourer, left Fort Laramie with General Crook's division in June, 876. When we arrived on the Tongue River (or Goose Creek, as it was called), Gen. Crook sent us out to secure Crow scouts. Three of us went, Frank Grouard, Louis Richard and myself. We went to the Big Horn River and across to the Little Box Elder, where the Indian village was situated.
We told them what we had come for. We collected a large number from 75 to 100, and returned to the command. The next day the command started for Rosebud, and when we arrived there early in the morning of the second day, the Crow scouts went out and came back, saying that the Sioux were going to charge. The cavalry were unsaddled, and the Sioux charged on them; The Crow and Snake scouts counter-charged. This gave time for the cavalry to saddle their horses and charge the Sioux. We fought there about two and a quarter hours, according to the officers. 37 soldiers were killed and wounded; six Crows were wounded, and five Snakes wounded and one killed and scalped.
We drove them back to Rosebud Hill, and when we started to follow them down the canyon, the Crows refused to go, and said they were going to turn back with their wounded. I told this to Gen. Crook, and said that the canyon was full of Sioux, as thick as the grass on the prairies. The General said: "What do you think of it?" I said: "We had better return. I noticed little piles of cartridges today where the soldiers had been shooting -- 10 or 15 in a pile. You started with 100 rounds, and I will bet some of the soldiers have none left at all." Crook said "Orderly, you go call the Captains." When they came he said "How much ammunition have you?" They replied: "Most of the men have none at all; some have 10 or 15 -- a few 50."
We went back. Frank Grouard was head guide; he had been in that country for six years with Crazy Horse's band, and knew the country. Grouard said to Gen. Crook, "You had better send for re-inforcements. You will never get back if you enter that Canyon.["]
Bull Snake was shot in the thigh, shattering the bone. They put him on a horse and tied his leg with sticks to the neck of a horse, and that night he rode 45 miles to Big Horn. He was crippled for life.
We went back to the command. Gen. Crook sent Louis Richard back to Laramie [to] get the 5th Cavalry. We moved down to the Tongue River, across to ___er River, where we met Terry.
About eight days after this [Rosebud Battle] the Custer Battle took place.