Two Moons (c. 1847–1917), or ''Ishaynishus'' (

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 ...

: ''Éše'he Ôhnéšesêstse''), was one of the Cheyenne chiefs who took part in the

Battle of the Little Bighorn The Battle of the Little Bighorn, known to the Lakota people, Lakota and other Plains Indians as the Battle of the Greasy Grass, and commonly referred to as Custer's Last Stand, was an armed engagement between combined forces of the Lakota Si ...

and other battles against the United States Army.

Life

Two Moons was the son of Carries the Otter, an

Arikara The Arikara ( ), also known as Sahnish,
''Mandan, Hidatsa, and Arikara Nation.'' (Retrieved Sep 29, 2011) ...

captive who married into the

tribe. Perhaps known best for his participation in battles such as the

Battle of the Rosebud The Battle of the Rosebud (also known as the Battle of Rosebud Creek) took place on June 17, 1876, in the Montana Territory between the United States Army and its Crow Nation, Crow and Shoshone, Shoshoni allies against a force consisting mostly o ...

against General Crook on June 17, 1876, in the

Montana Territory The Territory of Montana was an organized incorporated territory of the United States that existed from May 26, 1864, until November 8, 1889, when it was admitted as the 41st state in the Union as the state of Montana. Original boundaries ...

, the

Battle of Little Big Horn The Battle of the Little Bighorn, known to the Lakota and other Plains Indians as the Battle of the Greasy Grass, and commonly referred to as Custer's Last Stand, was an armed engagement between combined forces of the Lakota Sioux, Northe ...

on June 25, 1876 and what would prove to be his last battle, the

Battle of Wolf Mountain The Battle of Wolf Mountain (also known as the Battle of the Wolf Mountains, Miles's Battle on the Tongue River, the Battle of the Butte, Where Big Crow Walked Back and Forth, and called the Battle of Belly Butte by the Northern Cheyenne) was f ...

on January 8, 1877. Two Moons' defeat at Wolf Mountain by General

Nelson A. Miles Nelson Appleton Miles (August 8, 1839 – May 15, 1925) was a United States Army officer who served in the American Civil War (1861–1865), the later American Indian Wars (1840–1890), and the Spanish–American War, (1898). From 1895 to 1903 ...

led inevitably to the surrender of his Cheyenne band to Miles at

Fort Keogh Fort Keogh is a former United States Army post located at the western edge of modern Miles City, Montana, Miles City, in the U.S. state of Montana. It is situated on the south bank of the Yellowstone River, at the mouth of the Tongue River (Mont ...

in April 1877. After the surrender of his Cheyenne band, Two Moons enlisted as an Indian Scout under General Miles. As a result of Two Moons' pleasant personality, the friendliness that he showed towards the whites, as well as his ability to get along with the military, General Miles appointed him head Chief of the Cheyenne Northern Reservation. As head Chief, Two Moons played a crucial role in the surrender of Chief Little Cow's Cheyenne band at Fort Keogh.

Northern Cheyenne Reservation

thumb , left , Two Moons was one of the models for the Buffalo nickel. Two Moons traveled on multiple occasions to

Washington, D.C. Washington, D.C., formally the District of Columbia and commonly known as Washington or D.C., is the capital city and federal district of the United States. The city is on the Potomac River, across from Virginia, and shares land borders with ...

, to discuss and fight for the future of the Northern Cheyenne people and to better the conditions that existed on the reservation. In 1914, Two Moons met with President

Woodrow Wilson Thomas Woodrow Wilson (December 28, 1856February 3, 1924) was the 28th president of the United States, serving from 1913 to 1921. He was the only History of the Democratic Party (United States), Democrat to serve as president during the Prog ...

to discuss these matters. Two Moons was one of the three models, along with Iron Tail, selected for James Fraser's famous Buffalo Nickel.

Death

Two Moons died in 1917 at his home in

Montana Montana ( ) is a landlocked U.S. state, state in the Mountain states, Mountain West subregion of the Western United States. It is bordered by Idaho to the west, North Dakota to the east, South Dakota to the southeast, Wyoming to the south, an ...

at the age of 70. Two Moons' grave lies alongside U.S. Route 212, west of Busby, Montana.Hatch, Thom. The Custer Companion. Stackpole Books 2002, pp. 221–222

References

*Time Life Books. (1993). ''The Wild West''. Time Life Books. *Richard G. Hardorff, ''Cheyenne memories of the Custer fight'', University of Nebraska Press, 1998 . {{DEFAULTSORT:Two Moons Native American leaders Cheyenne people People of the Great Sioux War of 1876 1840s births 1917 deaths People from pre-statehood Montana Battle of the Little Bighorn

Life

Northern Cheyenne Reservation

Death

See also

References