CHAPTER XXII. A VISIT TO CUSTER'S LAST BATTLEFIELD. A SEASON OF QUIET- THE CROW INDIAN CAMP-AN INDIAN FIELD DAY-COLORS AND DISGUISES THE GROUND AND THE DISPOSITION AND MOVEMENTS OF CUSTER'S S the Sioux Indians had now, during the spring of 1878, been At the junction of the Big Horn and Yellowstone we found a very large camp of Crow Indians. In fact the whole Crow tribe had gathered there, some seven hundred lodges, numbering thirty-five hundred people. The Crows were very rich in horses; it was estimated that at that time they had some fifteen thousand. They had been from time immemorial bitter enemies of the Dakota Indians. These ancient antagonists had constantly raided each other's territory, had stolen horses, and had committed depredations upon each other whenever possible. The Dakotas, however, had always had the greater advantage in superior numbers and fighting qualities, and in the course of years they had driven the Crows back into the recesses of the Rocky mountains as their only safe retreat. Having heard of the successes of our troops during the winter and spring campaigns, the Crows were overjoyed that their hereditary enemy had been driven out of the country or forced to surrender to the United States authorities. They looked upon any one who could conquer the Sioux with a feeling of awe and profound reverence, and learning that we were about to pass near their camp, they desired to celebrate with barbaric splendor our victory over the Sioux and our presence with them. Having solicited our permission for the display, they informed me that it would be necessary that at least three days should be given to preparing their camp to properly receive us and pay the homage they desired to render. As we were moving leisurely up the Yellowstone, going by easy marches and enjoying the beautiful scenery, it was quite practicable to comply with their wishes. The country was covered with an abundance of rich green verdure, the trees were in full foliage and the wild flowers and birds were numerous; we, therefore, decided to camp on the banks of the Yellowstone where we could enjoy excellent fishing and bathing, and at the same time accept the hospitality of the Crows and witness a fête given according to their ideas of magnificence. During these three days they sent out into the hills and adjacent gest. In the afternoon of the third day the officers were invited to take position near the center of the camp and witness the imposing ceremony, which commenced by the assembling of all the principal warriors on a great plain between the camp and the distant bluffs. They were fully up to expectations in the most gorgeous equipments that it was possible for them to display, and being a rich tribe their blankets, feather, shell, porcupine and bead-work, were of the most extravagant order. At a signal given by firing a rifle, the whole body of warriors shouted and moved forward, following their leader in columns of twos with fair military precision toward the end of the camp, thence toward the center and passing out at the opposite end. As they passed through the camp the horses were careering and prancing, and the men were shouting, singing war songs and firing their rifles in the air. It was a wild and picturesque scene, and as they passed in review before the head chief, Black Foot and myself, we were saluted with every mark of respect. In all my experience with Indians I have never seen such a display of decorations. The men were painted, and ornamented with the most brilliant feather-work. Their eagle headdresses were waving in the air. Bear-claw necklaces hung about their necks and scalp locks adorned their spears. Their war jackets were bespangled with glittering pieces of flashing silver, elk teeth and mother-of-pearl, and one of the singular features of the display consisted in the fact that in the whole number there were no two Indians decked alike. They did not copy or duplicate, and all their work was of original design. The colors were of the strongest and most durable character. Many of the war jackets could hardly have been purchased at any price, each one being the result of almost the work of a lifetime. The eagle feathers, the porcupine work, the bear-claw necklaces and the scalp locks of their enemies, were evidences of their wealth as well as their prowess in war and the chase. Their ponies were painted with ingenious and curious characters, and bedecked with hawk's feathers and horsehair ornaments even to the very tips of their ears. There was also a display of their ingenuity in disguises, which was most remarkable. I noticed a man passing along not more than two hundred yards away, distinctly outlined against a background of blue-green sage brush. As he came nearer, to my surprise there came into view, riding by his side, a companion with scarcely a particle of clothing, his entire person, face, body, arms and hair, as well as the whole body of his horse, being painted exactly the color of the sage brush. This was done evidently to show his skill as a hunter in disguising himself and his horse, and his artistic talent in the use of their native colors and paints. Many similar disguises of horse and rider were exhibited and there was no hypnotism, but genuine, ingenious and artistic deception. As the procession moved on it evidently excited the admiration and pride of the entire Indian camp, as well as gratified the curiosity of the officers and soldiers who beheld it. I thought at the time how unfortunate it was that there was not present some photographer or artist who could have given us an exact photograph of the scene or have placed it upon enduring canvas. Going on to the end of their camp, they turned and again moved out on the prairie, where they separated into two large bodies, which took position about a thousand yards apart and facing each other. Then, at a given signal from the chief, they both dashed forward in sham battle, giving one of the most perfect portrayals of a real combat I have ever witnessed. Discharging their rifles in the air with great rapidity and skill, they went through various evolutions of an Indian battle with wonderful rapidity and spirit. Some pretended to be thrown from their horses and were picked up from the ground by their comrades and carried away; others personated the wounded and dead. The sham combat lasted for probably half an hour and was of absorbing interest to the lookers on. Later we talked with Curley, a young Crow warrior, who had been with Custer's command up to the opening of his last battle, and was the only one who escaped. All that could be learned from him was that he left very early in the fight, and he evidently knew nothing of the details of the engagement. From this camp we moved on up the Big Horn to the junction of that stream with the Little Big Horn, where the military post of Fort Custer is now located; thence up the valley of the Little Big Horn to the scene of the Custer massacre. Here we camped for several days and made a full examination of the ground. To assist in this we had arranged to be joined here by twenty-five of the most prominent of the Sioux and Cheyenne warriors who had surrendered to us in the month of February, 1877, accompanied by an officer in charge. They had become thoroughly reconciled to their new mode of life, and were evidently quite determined to remain loyal to the government and entirely peaceable. Some of them had rendered good service in the capture of Lame Deer's camp, and they were all animated by a feeling of strong confidence, so that they talked freely as to their past history, and were willing to give us all the information they could about that most important event of their lives, the battle that had occurred on this ground just two years before. The engagement and massacre had occurred in June, 1876, and we were now encamped there in June, 1878, for the purpose of going carefully over the entire field. The Indians who went over the ground with me explained the fight in this way. They stated that when the alarm was given it was understood that the troops were attacking the upper end of the village. This was the attack by Reno's command. Then the warriors rushed for their arms and ran out on the plains to secure their war horses. After mounting they assembled out on the mesa, some five hundred yards from the Little Big Horn. The Indians in the upper end of the village, and the first in engaging Reno's troops, were chiefly Uncpapas and Ogalallas, and they E |