Arikara Scouts
   HOME

TheInfoList



OR:

Arikara The Arikara ( ), also known as Sahnish,
''Mandan, Hidatsa, and Arikara Nation.'' (Retrieved Sep 29, 2011) ...
scouts were enlisted men from the
Arikara The Arikara ( ), also known as Sahnish,
''Mandan, Hidatsa, and Arikara Nation.'' (Retrieved Sep 29, 2011) ...
Nation serving in the
U.S. Army The United States Army (USA) is the primary land service branch of the United States Department of Defense. It is designated as the Army of the United States in the United States Constitution.Article II, section 2, clause 1 of the United Stat ...
at different frontier posts in present-day
North Dakota North Dakota ( ) is a U.S. state in the Upper Midwest, named after the indigenous Dakota people, Dakota and Sioux peoples. It is bordered by the Canadian provinces of Saskatchewan and Manitoba to the north and by the U.S. states of Minneso ...
from 1868 to 1881. The enlistment period was six months with re-enlistment possible. Each scout received a uniform, firearm and drew rations. Scout duties ranged from carrying mail between commands to tracking down traditional enemies perceived as hostile by the Army in far ranging military campaigns. Detailed to secure the horses in located enemy camps, the scouts were often the first to engage in battle. The Arikara took part when the Army protected survey crews in the
Yellowstone Yellowstone National Park is a List of national parks of the United States, national park of the United States located in the northwest corner of Wyoming, with small portions extending into Montana and Idaho. It was established by the 42nd U ...
area in the early 1870s. They participated in the
Great Sioux War of 1876 The Great Sioux War of 1876, also known as the Black Hills War, was a series of battles and negotiations that occurred in 1876 and 1877 in an alliance of Lakota people, Lakota Sioux and Northern Cheyenne against the United States. The cause of t ...
and developed into Colonel
George Armstrong Custer George Armstrong Custer (December 5, 1839 – June 25, 1876) was a United States Army officer and cavalry commander in the American Civil War and the American Indian Wars. Custer graduated from the United States Military Academy at West Point ...
's "… most loyal and permanent scouts …". Nearly 150 Arikara enlisted at different times from 1868 until the end of the
Indian Wars The American Indian Wars, also known as the American Frontier Wars, and the Indian Wars, was a conflict initially fought by European colonial empires, the United States, and briefly the Confederate States of America and Republic of Texas agains ...
in the area. They served "bravely and honorably".van de Logt, Mark.: Whoever Makes War upon the Rees Will Be Considered Making War upon the 'Great Father': Sanish Military Service on the Northern Great Plains, 1865-1881. ''Wíčazo Ša Review'', Vol. 32, No. 1 (Spring 2017). Pp. 9-28. The experience of the scouts motivates some present-day Arikara people to carry on the tradition and enter military service.


History of service

There are abundant historical examples of Native Americans joining with whites to fight against other tribes.Dunlay, Thomas W. (1982): ''Wolves for the Blue Soldiers. Indian Scouts and Auxiliaries with the United States Army, 1860-90''. Lincoln and London. On the northern plains, 700 Yankton, Yanktonai and
Lakota people The Lakota (; or ) are a Native Americans in the United States, Native American people. Also known as the Teton Sioux (from ), they are one of the three prominent subcultures of the Sioux people, with the Eastern Dakota (Santee) and Western D ...
were the first to aid the U.S. Army in an attack on two adjoining Arikara villages in South Dakota in 1823.Meyer, Roy W. (1977): ''The Village Indians of the Upper Missouri. The Mandans, Hidatsas, and Arikaras''. Lincoln and London. Yellow Bird, Loren: Now I Will Speak (Nawah Ti Waako'). A Sahnish Perspective on What the Lewis and Clark Expedition and Others Missed. ''Wíčazo Ša Review''. Vol. 19, No. 1 (Spring 2004), pp. 73-84. In 1868, Osage scouts found
Cheyenne The Cheyenne ( ) are an Indigenous people of the Great Plains. The Cheyenne comprise two Native American tribes, the Só'taeo'o or Só'taétaneo'o (more commonly spelled as Suhtai or Sutaio) and the (also spelled Tsitsistas, The term for th ...
chief
Black Kettle Black Kettle (Cheyenne: Mo'ohtavetoo'o) (November 27, 1868) was a leader of the Southern Cheyenne during the American Indian Wars. Born to the ''Northern Só'taeo'o / Só'taétaneo'o'' band of the Northern Cheyenne in the Black Hills of presen ...
's camp, leading to the
Battle of Washita River The Battle of the Washita River (also called Battle of the Washita or the Washita Massacre) occurred on November 27, 1868, when Lt. Col. George Armstrong Custer's 7th U.S. Cavalry attacked Black Kettle's Southern Cheyenne camp on the Washita ...
. To commanders of the frontier Army, the need for native scouts with special skills not easily found among ordinary soldiers was pressing. On August 1, 1866, the "Act to increase and fix the Military Peace Establishment of the United States" came into force, and the Army could now legally enlist a certain number of native scouts, but no more than 1,000 nationwide at any time, as long as needed.


Enlistment and the life at the garrisons

In May 1868, the first Arikara enlisted at
Fort Stevenson Fort Stevenson was a frontier military fort in the 19th century in what was then Dakota Territory and what is now North Dakota. The fort was named for Thomas G. Stevenson, a Civil War general who was killed in the Battle of Spotsylvania. Chief Big ...
, to duplicate the success of the
Pawnee scouts Pawnee Scouts were employed by the United States Army in the latter half of the 19th century. Like other groups of Indian scouts, Pawnee men were recruited in large numbers to aid in the ongoing conflicts between settlers and the Native Americans ...
already enlisted in
Nebraska Nebraska ( ) is a landlocked U.S. state, state in the Midwestern United States, Midwestern region of the United States. It borders South Dakota to the north; Iowa to the east and Missouri to the southeast, both across the Missouri River; Ka ...
. Chief Big John was in charge at
Fort Stevenson Fort Stevenson was a frontier military fort in the 19th century in what was then Dakota Territory and what is now North Dakota. The fort was named for Thomas G. Stevenson, a Civil War general who was killed in the Battle of Spotsylvania. Chief Big ...
. All recruits came from the tribal police force of chief White Shield. Initially armed with infantry rifles, they soon received Spencer repeating carbines in addition to other equipment. They were paid 40 cents a day for the use of their own horse. Additional members later enlisted at Fort McKeen down river. Strikes Two, Pretty Crow, Elk Tongue and other Arikara made the tour in three days in bull boats. The Army provided clothing including under-clothes, a flannel shirt, footwear and a plumed hat.Libby, Orin G. (1920): The Arikara Narrative of the Campaign against the Hostile Dakotas, June 1876. Bismarck. Some scouts lived with their immediate family at the scout quarters of the garrison. Arikara like Forked Horn and Black Fox served as cooks for the scout unit. They received pay in the amount of 16 dollars per month disbursed every second month and scouts received an addition 12 dollars per month if they rode their own horse.


Service history


At Fort McKeen

Scouts at Fort McKeen, near the confluence of Heart and Missouri Rivers, fought the Lakota in 1872. Although the latter had agreed "not to attack any persons" after the signing of the Fort Laramie treaty of 1868.Kappler, Charles J. (1904): ''Indian Affairs. Laws and Treaties''. Vol. 2. Washington. On August 26, more than 100 Sioux attacked seven soldiers and two scouts outside the fort and the Arikara there were killed. The scouts were again involved in fights with the Lakota near the garrison on October 2, October 14 (with eight scouts taking part)''Record of Engagements with Hostile Indians within the Military Division of the Missouri, from 1868 to 1882, Lieutenant-General P. H. Sheridan, Commanding.'' Chicago. and November 3,Webb, George W. (1939): ''Chronological List of Engagements Between The Regular Army Of The United States And Various Tribes Of Hostile Indians Which Occurred During The Years 1790 to 1898, Inclusive''. St. Joseph. with the apparent primary target being the Arikara scouts themselves. Due to the heavy losses, some scouts left the service. However, Arikara second chief Son of the Star still encouraged the men to enlist.


Protecting surveying crews

Arikara scouts formed part of the forces assigned to protect crews surveying a route from
Bismarck, North Dakota Bismarck (; from 1872 to 1873: Edwinton) is the List of capitals in the United States, capital city of the U.S. state of North Dakota and the county seat, seat of Burleigh County, North Dakota, Burleigh County. It is the state's List of cities i ...
to
Bozeman, Montana Bozeman ( ) is a city in and the county seat of Gallatin County, Montana, United States. The 2020 United States census put Bozeman's population at 53,293, making it Montana's fourth-largest city. It is the principal city of the Bozeman, Montan ...
for the
Northern Pacific Railway The Northern Pacific Railway was an important American transcontinental railroad that operated across the northern tier of the Western United States, from Minnesota to the Pacific Northwest between 1864 and 1970. It was approved and chartered b ...
in 1873. The
Dakota Dakota may refer to: * Dakota people, a sub-tribe of the Sioux ** Dakota language, their language Dakota may also refer to: Places United States * Dakota, Georgia, an unincorporated community * Dakota, Illinois, a town * Dakota, Minnesota ...
had attacked crew members and soldiers the year prior,Robertson, Francis B.: We Are Going to Have a Big Sioux War. Colonel David S. Stanley's Yellowstone Expedition, 1872. ''Montana, the Magazine of Western History''. Vol. 34, No. 4 (Autumn 1984). Pp. 2-15. despite treaty provisions stipulating that they would allow rail construction "not passing over their reservation".
Bloody Knife Bloody Knife (Sioux: ''Tȟamila Wewe''; Arikara: ''NeesiRAhpát''; ca. 1840 – June 25, 1876) was an American Indian who served as a scout and guide for the U.S. 7th Cavalry Regiment. He was the favorite scout of Lieutenant Colonel George Arm ...
served as "scout and guide" to the leader of the
7th Cavalry Regiment The 7th Cavalry Regiment is a United States Army cavalry regiment formed in 1866. Its official nickname is "Garryowen", after the Irish air " Garryowen" that was adopted as its march tune. The regiment participated in some of the largest ba ...
, George A. Custer. Bloody Knife took part in the defense, when the Cavalry came under attack in U.S. territory north of the Yellowstone near the mouth of the Tongue on August 4.Custer, Elizabeth B. (1968): ''"Boots and Saddles" or, Life in Dakota with General Custer''. Norman. Again on August 11, the Army and the scouts were attacked by hundreds of Lakota, with the tribesmen shouting at one another through breaks in rifle fire.Howe, George Frederick: Expedition to the Yellowstone River in 1873: Letters of a Young Cavalry Officer. ''The Mississippi Valley Historical Review''. Vol. 39, No. 3, (Dec. 1952). Pp. 519-534.


Black Hills Expedition, 1874

In the summer of 1874, Arikara scouts guided an exploring and gold seekingHedren, Paul L. (1988): ''Fort Laramie in 1876''. Lincoln and London expedition from Fort Abraham Lincoln (formerly Fort McKeen, moved further to the south) to the
Black Hills The Black Hills is an isolated mountain range rising from the Great Plains of North America in western South Dakota and extending into Wyoming, United States. Black Elk Peak, which rises to , is the range's highest summit. The name of the range ...
in the
Great Sioux Reservation The Great Sioux Reservation was an Indian reservation created by the United States through treaty with the Sioux, principally the Lakota, who dominated the territory before its establishment. In the Fort Laramie Treaty of 1868, the reservation ...
. Because the Black Hills are considered sacred to the Lakota, and were barred from white encroachment by treaty, many foresaw a Lakota attempt to halt the expedition. Accordingly, it was protected by both
Infantry Infantry, or infantryman are a type of soldier who specialize in ground combat, typically fighting dismounted. Historically the term was used to describe foot soldiers, i.e. those who march and fight on foot. In modern usage, the term broadl ...
and Cavalry. George A. Custer was in command.:Reiger, John F. (Ed.) (1985): ''The Passing of the Great West. Selected Papers of George Bird Grinnell''. Norman. The expedition was delayed from the outset. News reached Fort Abraham Lincoln of a large Lakota war party on its way to attack Like-a-Fishhook Village almost 100 miles outside the Great Sioux Reservation, and General
Philip Sheridan Philip Henry Sheridan (March 6, 1831 – August 5, 1888) was a career United States Army officer and a Union general in the American Civil War. His career was noted for his rapid rise to major general and his close association with General-i ...
made stopping this a priority. Although he ordered Custer to protect the Arikara "same as white settlers",McGinnis, Anthony (1990): ''Counting Coup and Cutting Horses. Intertribal Warfare on the Northern Plains, 1738-1889''. Evergreen. the Lakota attacked on June 13 and killed five men along with the Mandan Foolish Head.Howard, James H.: Butterfly's Mandan Wintercount: 1833-1876. ''Ethnohistory''. Vol. 7. (Winter 1960): pp. 28-43. The later U.S. scout Running Wolf gives the names of the killed Arikara as Bear-Turning, Little Crow, Standing Bear, Black Shirt and the former U.S. scout Bear-Going-in-Woods. The expedition set off with a number of young
Santee Sioux The Dakota (pronounced , or ) are a Native American tribe and First Nations band government in North America. They compose two of the three main subcultures of the Sioux people, and are typically divided into the Eastern Dakota and the Wester ...
serving as scouts beside the Arikara, and Bloody Knife along with Lean Bear taking lead roles. Some of the 22 members in the scout group, as recalled by Strikes Two and Bear's Belly, were Enemy Heart, Young Hawk, Goose and Red Horse. The scouts rode ahead of the columns and guarded their flanks, so that they were "covering much country". One morning the Arikara discovered a small hunting camp of
Oglala Lakota The Oglala (pronounced , meaning 'to scatter one's own' in Lakota language, Lakota) are one of the seven subtribes of the Lakota people who, along with the Dakota people, Dakota, make up the Sioux, Očhéthi Šakówiŋ (Seven Council Fires). A ...
in the Black Hills. All the Arikara scouts rode up and struck a single man in the village with their horse whip. Cautiously, a few returning hunters visited the camp of the whites. Upon their return, a mounted Lakota tried to take a Santee scout's firearm, but failed and fled, with he or his horse hit by a shot. Neither the hunter nor the fleeing camp was overtaken by the pursuing Arikara. An old Lakota was held captive for a few days and then released. Accounts of these events differ to some degree. The later Indian enthusiast
George Bird Grinnell George Bird Grinnell (September 20, 1849 – April 11, 1938) was an American anthropologist, historian, naturalist, and writer. Originally specializing in zoology, he became a prominent early conservationist and student of Native American life. ...
was invited to join the Black Hills expedition as a collector of birds and fossils. Grinnell rode together with
Luther H. North Luther most commonly refers to: * Martin Luther (1483–1546), German priest credited with initiating the Protestant Reformation Luther may refer to: People * Luther (given name) * Luther (surname) Places * Luther (crater), a lunar crater ...
, brother to the leader of the Pawnee scouts. "Lute talked Pawnee fluently, and this was a password to the good graces of all the Rees rikara" Once, a scout went a long way round to offer Grinnell and North water, and when in camp, some scouts came to watch Grinnell
skinning Skinning is the act of skin removal. The process is done by humans to animals, mainly as a means to prepare the meat beneath for cooking and consumption, or to harvest the skin for making fur clothing or tanning it to make leather. The sk ...
the bird specimens he had collected, and discuss the day's events.


Great Sioux War, 1876

In 1876, the second chief Son of the Star informed a number of Arikara in the Fort Berthold Indian Reservation about an expedition against some Sioux commanded by "Long Hair" or Custer. The father of Young Hawk, Forked Horn, enlisted immediately and said his son would go as well. They started from Fort Berthold and camped over night at Fort Stevenson. Big John, an Arikara scout, was in charge of the party. The same man (already referred to) was in charge at Fort Stevenson. Twenty-three additional Arikara enlisted under the guidance of Big John. A few days later, Red Bear joined after being scolded by Son of the Star. During the Little Bighorn campaign, the 38 Arikara engaged there worked to protect base camps, and were dispatched as riders, forming a part of the front battle line. The scouts were the first to parade at the departure from Fort Abraham Lincoln. On the way westward to the Yellowstone, scouts on high hills guarded the camp throughout the night, while those in camp were always near the tent of Custer, who would occasionally visit with them. The scouts served as mail carriers between the camp and the fort, and in addition to letters to the soldiers, Red Bear brought
moccasin A moccasin is a shoe, made of deerskin or other soft leather, consisting of a sole (made with leather that has not been "worked") and sides made of one piece of leather, stitched together at the top, and sometimes with a vamp (additional pane ...
s for the scouts from their wives at the garrison. Skilled hunters like Strikes Two and Goose each earned more than 100 dollars during the expedition by selling specific cuts of game at fixed prices to the soldiers. Slowed by the advance of the accompanying
wagon train ''Wagon Train'' is an American Western television series that aired for eight seasons, first on the NBC television network (1957–1962) and then on ABC (1962–1965). ''Wagon Train'' debuted on September 18, 1957, and reached the top of the ...
, the Cavalry separated from it at the confluence of the Yellowstone and the
Powder A powder is a dry solid composed of many very fine particles that may flow freely when shaken or tilted. Powders are a special sub-class of granular materials, although the terms ''powder'' and ''granular'' are sometimes used to distinguish se ...
rivers. The infantry, along with scouts such as Tall Bear and Black Porcupine, guarded the wagons. Realizing that a large number of Lakota were somewhere in the Yellowstone area, the field scouts received orders to retreat to this position in case of defeat. On June 21, a scouting party returned to camp with news of a large Lakota trail near the
Rosebud River The Rosebud River is a major tributary of the Red Deer River in Alberta, Canada. The Rosebud River passes through agricultural lands and ranchland for most of its course, and through badlands in its final reaches. It provides water for irri ...
. Now trailing the enemy, the scouts sang their sacred songs, seemingly encouraged by Custer. "Custer had a heart like an Indian…" declared Red Star, "…if we ever left out one thing in our ceremonies he always suggested it to us." Six Crow Indian scouts joined the Cavalry for similar reasons as the Arikara. The area ahead was traditionally
Crow A crow is a bird of the genus ''Corvus'', or more broadly, a synonym for all of ''Corvus''. The word "crow" is used as part of the common name of many species. The related term "raven" is not linked scientifically to any certain trait but is rathe ...
territory, and acknowledged as such by the Lakota in the 1851 Treaty of Fort Laramie. Since then, the Lakota had taken over the eastern Crow land, including more recently the
Bighorn River The Bighorn River is a tributary of the Yellowstone, approximately long, in the states of Wyoming and Montana in the western United States. The river was named in 1805 by fur trader François Larocque for the bighorn sheep he saw along its b ...
areaLubetkin, John M.: The Forgotten Yellowstone Expedition Surveying Expeditions of 1871. W. Milnor Roberts and the Northern Pacific Railroad in Montana. ''Montana. The Magazine of Western History''. Vol. 52, No. 4 (Winter 2002). Pp. 32-47. in the
Crow Indian Reservation The Crow Indian Reservation is the homeland of the Crow Tribe. Established 1868, the reservation is located in parts of Big Horn, Yellowstone, and Treasure counties in southern Montana in the United States. The Crow Tribe has an enrolled membe ...
, created on May 7, 1868. By now, they were "… menacing and often raiding the Crow in their reservation camps."Medicine-Crow, Joseph (1939): ''The Effects of European Culture Contacts upon the Economic, Social, and Religious Life of the Crow Indians''. A Thesis Presented to the Faculty of the Department of Anthropology, University of Southern California. Hoxie, Frederick E. (1995): ''Parading Through History. The making of the Crow Nation in America, 1805-1935''. Cambridge.
First sergeant First sergeant is typically a senior non-commissioned officer rank, used in many countries. Singapore First sergeant is a Specialist (Singapore), specialist in the Singapore Armed Forces. First sergeants are the most senior of the junior spe ...
Bobtailed-Bull advanced up the Rosebud on one side of the river with a group of scouts, while Red Bear and Soldier directed another group on the opposite bank. Close behind came the mounted troops. By the end of the day, they came to the place of a recently moved Lakota camp. Signs and drawings left by the Lakota were understood to show Lakota confidence in case of battle. Bull and Red Star, along with other Arikara followed four Crow scouts in an advanced search. Lieutenant
Charles Varnum Charles Albert Varnum (June 21, 1849 – February 26, 1936) was a career United States Army officer. He was most noted as the commander of the scouts for George Armstrong Custer in the Little Bighorn Campaign (of which he was the last of the sur ...
joined as Army leader of the scouts, along with
Charley Reynolds "Lonesome" Charley Reynolds (March 20, 1842–June 25, 1876) was a scout in the U.S. 7th Cavalry Regiment who was killed at the Battle of the Little Bighorn in the Montana Territory. He was noted as an expert marksman, frontiersman and hunter. H ...
. The Crow guided the whole party, being in their own territory.Varnum, Charles A. (1987): ''Custer's Chief of Scouts. The Reminiscences of Charles A. Varnum. Including his Testimony at the Reno Court of Inquiry''. Lincoln. The slower main body rested at the forks of the Rosebud. Custer consulted the remaining scouts and assigned their role in a planned attack to drive away as many enemy horses as possible. The group again mounted and rode throughout the night. During a quick breakfast Bull and Red Star arrived with news of a located enemy camp. Custer followed Red Star to a nearby hill where the Crow scouts had discovered the Lakota camp in the distance. Custer preferred to wait and station his troops around the camp during the night but the Crow convinced Custer that the Lakota were well aware of the presence of the Army and Custer readied his troops for a quick attack. The 22 Arikara present assembled, and the experienced warriors encouraged the young scouts. They rode ahead, found a lone Lakota
tipi A tipi or tepee ( ) is a conical lodge tent that is distinguished from other conical tents by the smoke flaps at the top of the structure, and historically made of animal hides or pelts or, in more recent generations, of canvas stretched on ...
and counted coup on it. Here they were overtaken by the mounted troops and reproached by Custer for going against his orders to disperse the enemy horses and render them on foot prior to a Cavalry charge. The best mounted scouts followed the fast moving Cavalry on the way to Little Bighorn River. They, along with Little Sioux, Red Bear and 11 scouts crossed the river south of the Lakota camp along with the troops under Major Reno. Red Star, Boy Chief and Strikes Two escaped with 28 Lakota horses. When skirmishing began, both scouts and soldiers dismounted and formed a line. Bloody Knife joined, wearing a black handkerchief with blue stars given him by Custer, and informed Young Hawk and the other scouts that a number of horses had been taken from the enemy. Some were retaken by the Lakota later. The fight grew more intense. During a general retreat, a number of Arikara and two Crow took shelter in a thick grove on the east side of the river. Here, Goose was shot in the hand, while the Crow scout
White Swan White Swan (18501904), or Mee-nah-tsee-us in the Crow language, was one of six Crow Scouts for George Armstrong Custer's 7th Cavalry Regiment during the 1876 campaign against the Sioux and Northern Cheyenne. At the Battle of the Little Bighorn ...
was wounded in both the hand and leg. Lakota attempts to drive the scouts out into the open failed, and Custer's attack further north drew the Lakota away. The scouts left the thicket, and flying a white flag, headed for a hill where they could see the flag of the U.S. troops. They managed to reach Major
Marcus Reno Marcus Albert Reno (November 15, 1834 – March 30, 1889) was a United States career military officer. He served in the American Civil War where he was a combatant in major battles, and later under George Armstrong Custer in the Great Sioux War a ...
's forces, pursued by the returning Lakota. Here they received word that Bob-tailed Bull had been killed. Other scouts reached Reno's troops. A number stayed, while some drove around 40 captured horses towards the depot on the Powder River, as ordered in case of defeat. As night fell, four scouts carrying a copy of the same message tried to break through the ring of Lakota surrounding Reno Hill, but were turned back. About noon the next day, the Lakota broke camp. Shortly after, some went down a ridge west of their abandoned location. Assuming them to be soldiers, Young Hawk and his father rode towards them. The two scouts returned to the hilltop and reported the location of the party. An officer told them, "Now let us go and look for Custer's body." On the battlefield, a soldier directed the scouts to the dead body of an Arikara in a grove, possibly that of Bloody Knife. The body of Little Brave, who had also been killed was never found. Young Hawk led a pony with the wounded Goose on a
travois A travois (; Canadian French, from French language, French ; also travoise or travoy) is an A-frame structure used to drag loads over land, most notably by the Plains Indians of North America. Construction and use The basic construction con ...
to the steamboat
Far West Far West may refer to: Places * Western Canada, or the West ** British Columbia Coast * Western United States, or Far West ** West Coast of the United States * American frontier, or Far West, Old West, or Wild West * Far West (Taixi), a term used ...
stationed at the mouth of the Little Bighorn River. The first Arikara scouts reached the Infantry camp at the Powder. When they recounted what had happened, all the soldiers doubted them. Some scouts continued carrying mail during the following days, while other worked to locate the scattering Lakota. In September, General
George Crook George R. Crook (September 8, 1828 – March 21, 1890) was a career United States Army officer who served in the American Civil War and the Indian Wars. He is best known for commanding U.S. forces in the Geronimo Campaign, 1886 campaign that ...
and his men were in dire need of supplies when they followed the trail of a Lakota camp southward to the Black Hills. Some of the fivePorter, Joseph C. (1986): ''Paper Medicine Man. John Gregory Bourke and His American West''. Norman and London. The Arikara accompanying Crook started on their way to Fort Abraham Lincoln with a message asking for
relief Relief is a sculpture, sculptural method in which the sculpted pieces remain attached to a solid background of the same material. The term ''wikt:relief, relief'' is from the Latin verb , to raise (). To create a sculpture in relief is to give ...
, and carried the urgent telegram to its destination in only three days.


Later

In 1889, the scouts paraded through the city of Bismarck on the 4th of July. They formed the United States Volunteer Indian Scouts in 1912. Despite promises to the contrary, most of them never received a pension. In memory of Custer, the old scouts composed and sang a song on
Memorial Day Memorial Day (originally known as Decoration Day) is a federal holiday in the United States for mourning the U.S. military personnel who died while serving in the United States Armed Forces. It is observed on the last Monday of May. It i ...
in 1917. Some of the descendants of the scouts still sing the "Custer Song".


See also

*
Apache Scouts The Apache Scouts were part of the United States Army Indian Scouts. Most of their service was during the Apache Wars, between 1849 and 1886, though the last scout retired in 1947. The Apache scouts were the eyes and ears of the United States mil ...
* Black Seminole Scouts *
Crow scouts Crow Scouts worked with the United States Army in several conflicts, the first in 1876 during the Great Sioux War. Because the Crow Nation was at that time at peace with the United States,Medicine Crow, Joseph (1992): ''From the Heart of the Cro ...
*
Navajo Scouts The Navajo Scouts were part of the United States Army Indian Scouts between 1873 and 1895. Generally, the scouts were signed up at Fort Wingate for six month enlistments. In the period 1873 to 1885, there were usually ten to twenty-five scouts a ...
*
Pawnee Scouts Pawnee Scouts were employed by the United States Army in the latter half of the 19th century. Like other groups of Indian scouts, Pawnee men were recruited in large numbers to aid in the ongoing conflicts between settlers and the Native Americans ...


References

{{Reflist Arikara History of North Dakota American frontier Great Sioux War of 1876 History of Montana Northern Pacific Railway United States Army Indian Scouts Crow people George Armstrong Custer