In the 1980s, Ian Frazier took a 6,000-mile journey across the Great Plains, unearthing the intimate notes of a region that is often overlooked, even by its own residents. NewYorkerArchive
He smiled and nodded in my face.
At the Battle of the Rosebud River, in June of 1876, Crazy Horse led a thousand or so warriors against a force of eleven hundred soldiers commanded by General George C. Crook, and inflicted on that distinguished Civil War veteran the most galling defeat of his career. Eight days later, at the Battle of the Little Bighorn, Crazy Horse was at the head of the attack that pinned and later wiped out Custer on the ridge of the famous Last Stand.
The first thing Crazy Horse did after arriving at Red Cloud was to request that a doctor from Fort Robinson treat his wife, Black Shawl. Assistant Surgeon Dr. Valentine T. McGillycuddy went to the Crazy Horse camp on horseback and discovered that Black Shawl had tuberculosis. Dr. McGillycuddy returned often to bring her medicines and note her progress. Eventually, he got to know Crazy Horse perhaps better than any other white man did.
Soon after, as General Crook and Lieutenant Clark were on their way to the council, a Sioux named Woman Dress came up to their interpreters and said that Crazy Horse planned to kill Crook at the council. Woman Dress told the interpreters that a man named Lone Bear had said that a man named Little Wolf had said that Crazy Horse was going to grab Crook when he shook his hand, and that sixty of his followers would then kill Crook and all the people with him.
Agent Lee had warned Clark not to let Crazy Horse get away from the Red Cloud Agency, and Clark, who had many spies among the Indians, had said that Crazy Horse couldn’t make a move without his knowing. The sudden arrival of Crazy Horse at Spotted Tail struck Agent Lee “like a clap of thunder.” It also caused near-panic among Crazy Horse’s many friends there.
When they reached Fort Robinson, Lee left Crazy Horse in the adjutant’s office and went to ask General Bradley that Crazy Horse be allowed to speak to him. Lee and his interpreter were afraid that when Crazy Horse was jailed the Crazy Horse Indians would kill them for bringing Crazy Horse here. On the parade ground, Lee met Dr. McGillycuddy and said, “I’m not going to be made a goat of in this affair.
Touch the Clouds, Crazy Horse’s seven-foot Miniconjou friend, asked that Crazy Horse be allowed to die in an Indian lodge. Dr. McGillycuddy carried the request to General Bradley, adding that violence might result from putting Crazy Horse in the jail. Bradley said, “Please give my compliments to the officer of the day, and he is to carry out his original orders, and put Crazy Horse in the guardhouse.” Dr. McGillycuddy relayed this to Kennington, who tried again.
Nine or ten years after Crazy Horse was killed, the interpreter William Garnett found out that Woman Dress had lied about Crazy Horse’s supposed plan to kill General Crook at the council. Baptiste Pourier found out, too, and he told Woman Dress, “You are a liar and you are the cause of a good man’s death.” To this accusation “Woman Dress said not a word,” according to Garnett. When Garnett ran into Crook in 1889, he passed this along.
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