Scouts for Custer

[Dietmar]

On the LBHA website you can find the following information about Bear Comes Out, who was a scout for Custer in the LBH battle:

Name: Bear Comes Out
Birth: 1827, Dakota Territory
Tribe: Dakota Sioux
7th Enlistment: February 3, 1876
Rank/Company: Private, Indian Scout
Role during battle: With Reno's Column, but did not cross the river
Death: Unknown
Burial: Unknown

I wonder if this could be a photograph of him:



tinyurl.com/n4uwl

Does anyone know more?

Thank you
Dietmar

[Dietmar]

I also found this interesting list:

www.natureshift.org/Whawk/resource/scouts.html

[elisabeth]

That is interesting, Dietmar. I don't remember seeing anything elsewhere about scouts with the Weir advance ...

[ephriam]

Dietmar:

Unfortunately, no, this is not the same individual as Custer's scout.

The circa. 1900 photograph that you posted from ebay is of Bear Comes Out (Mato Hinapa), an Oglala from the Porcupine District on the Pine Ridge Reservation. He was born about 1858. His wife was known as Cow, later as Mary; she was born about 1861. They had one surviving child, a daughter named Jennie who was born in 1891. They lived on their allotment about 3 miles north of the town of Porcupine, South Dakota.

ephriam

[Diane Merkel]

Dietmar,

The natureshift.org page is interesting. I could not reconcile the following names with the information I have for the scouts and would appreciate any clarification:

(Boy Chief was also known as Black Calf, correct?)

Red Star (on the web page twice) is listed on the Indian Memorial, but I have no further info.

Bull-stands-in-the-water - I have Bull in Water; the Indian Memorial has both Bull in Water and Bull in the Water -- All the same person?

Charging Bull - no info on him.

Red Wolf - no info on him.

Scabby Wolf - no info on him.

Tall (High) Bear - no info on him.

Pretty Face - no info on him, and who was Major Orlando H. Moore?

Charging up the Hill - no info on him.

The list of Arikaras on the Indian Memorial: www.lbha.org/Research/Scouts-IndMem.htm . I haven't linked this page to the LBHA website because I cannot reconcile all of the names. Help would be appreciated!

[Dietmar]

Ephriam,
thank you for clarifying.

Diane,
a similar list of Arikara scouts was published by Rhoda M. Star in "Little Bighorn Remembered" by Herman J. Viola.

You can find many names mentioned in the list in Orin G. Libby´s book "The Arikara Narrative of Custer´s Campaign..." (University of Oklahoma Press). I found there the following information regarding the Arikaras you asked for:

Boy Chief: brother of Red Bear; photo of him in the book (I didn´t find if he was named Black Calf also)

Red Star: (aka Strikes the Bear) born 1858 at Fort Clark; father: also Red Star; mother: Women-Goes-Into-Every-House; fought with Reno; from 1898 to 1901 he was on police duty; He changed his name to Red Star after the LBH battle! (his detailed narrative, his biography and a photo are in Libby´s book)

Bull-Stands-in-the-Water: also named Bull in the Water; leader of the Arikara Da-roch-pa Society

Charging Bull: captured a horse herd during the battle together with Bull, Red Wolf and White Eagle

Red Wolf: see Charging Bull

Scabby Wolf: he and Left Handed were sent back to Fort Lincoln with mail when the Custer column was in the Little Missouri region and later returned with mail from the fort.

Tall (High) Bear: was enlisted by F.F. Gerard among several others of Chief White Shield´s police force; had a dispute with Reno during the march to the LBH. Reno ordered some scouts to stay behind because their horses were worn out. Tall Bear protested and even started for Reno with his knife. Bloody Knife sprang between and saved Reno (this incident is also described by Ben Innis in "Bloody Knife - Custer´s Favorite Scout")

Pretty Face: when the mule train with supplies was left behind, Pretty Face was detailed on the duty of looking after it; after the Reno battle the scouts assembled what to do and by then Pretty Face had already joined the others from the pack train

Charging up the Hill: no information

Hope it helps

Dietmar

[Diane Merkel]

You were an enormous help, Dietmar. Thank you very much!