White Bull's Story

[Diane Merkel]

There's an "interesting" sole survivor story in this . . . . I don't recall ever before seeing a reporter site Wikipedia.

“[White Bull] was a chief and he led the assault then on Gen. Custer, him and his warriors,” Chief David [Bald Eagle] states.

According to Wikipedia, the Internet encyclopedia, the Battle of the Little Bighorn took place June 25-26, 1876, in eastern Montana, a territory then. It “was an armed engagement between a Lakota-Northern Cheyenne combined force and the 7th Cavalry of the United States Army,” Wikipedia reports. Native people call it “The Battle of the Greasy Grass.” White people call it “Custer’s Last Stand” — because it was there he died.

The Indians didn’t want to fight, Chief David says. But the soldiers had killed their people. “They had to do something,” he says.

Custer’s men had been in the wilderness too long, looking for the famed Indian Crazy Horse. “We made it so it took weeks and weeks and weeks before they could find him.”

The soldiers were tired. Their loads were too heavy.

Crazy Horse planned to trap Custer. You come in from behind, he directed White Bull. “Ride your fastest horses! ... Don’t use anything that makes noise.”

And when the fateful moment fell ...

“They were ready for him.”

The trap sprang. The soldiers fired. But the Indians had shields. And clubs, tomahawks, bows and arrows, and spears. The cavalry’s horses were tired. The Indians’ weren’t.

The Indians would “just run right up to them and knock them off their horses,” Chief David says.

Only one soldier survived, Chief David says — a half-white, half-Indian scout. The Native Americans gave him to an Indian woman as her husband. She could do as she wanted. ... So she killed him.

The Army sent four other units to help Custer, Chief David says. So the Indians went after them too, he says, and caught their flag.

White Bull told David about it all. “You will tell this to your grandchildren or your children if you ever get married.”

Article: www.thedailyreview.com/site/news.cfm?newsid=19720081&BRD=2276&PAG=461&dept_id=465049&rfi=6

[biggordie]

Well that certainly answers all MY questions, especially about the flag being caught. And to think that I've spent 50 years on my pursuit of the truth, when all I had to do was wait for for Wikipedia and Chief David [Bald Eagle].

I think I'll drown my sorrows in a pecan pie and two liters of Doctor Pepper.

Gordie

[clw]

Hey! No picking on Uncle Dave!

That's a great article Diane. I hope every one reads it. This is of those men every one is better for knowing. He's 89 this year and still travels like a maniac, rides in full regalia leading the Deadwood Parade, makes the annual Bigfoot Ride (in December in SD no less) and he loves everybody. On Cheyenne River, you'll hear a knock on the door and there's Uncle Dave asking if the coffee pot is on. The only thing he won't talk about is the mission to capture Ste. Mere-Eglise, June 5, 1944. My 'brother' is in Iraq (home June 3!) with the 82nd and Uncle Dave writes to him every week.

I see him once a year if I'm lucky, but I'll talk to my friends on the rez and they'll say, "Uncle Dave was by and asked me how you're doing." He's one of my favorite people.

[Scout]

Well God Bless uncle Dave for his patriotism and military service but the story is complete buffalo chips. There are hundreds of these so called Indian 'truths.' A lot of dung being flung.

[clw]

May 27, 2008 7:56:22 GMT -6 Scout said:

A lot of dung being flung.

That's the truth.

[Diane Merkel]

clw, thanks for sharing your friendship with Chief David. His oral history could use some improvement, but it's nice to have a personal testimonial to his goodness. He sounds like a great guy.