American Horse

In the midst of the excitement and preparations for the attack, young American Horse caught sight of a close by, fat, black-tail deer.

One of the men was allegedly knocked down by the last kick of the dying buck, but the warriors swallowed a few mouthfuls of liver before rushing upon and routing their enemies.

Colonel Ranald S. Mackenzie, who had just arrived at Camp Robinson, received word that Sioux Jim was in the Wagluhe or Loafer village, led by Chief Blue Horse.

Early that morning, Major Gordan led four companies of cavalry to the village, said to number about 50 lodges near the agency, to arrest Sioux Jim.

Chief Blue Horse was arrested for a short time for not following Mackenzie's order to report northern "hostile" Indians slipping into his Waghule village.

[10] Chief American Horse the Elder (Wašíčuŋ Tȟašúŋke; 1830 – September 9, 1876) is renowned as a great warrior for his leadership, Spartan courage and honor.

On September 9, 1876, American Horse the Elder was mortally wounded in the Battle of Slim Buttes fighting to protect his family and defending against the white invasion of the "Paha Sapa" Black Hills.

[19] Worried that further resistance would compromise peace negotiations to be held in Washington, D.C., Oglala leaders discussed how to "quiet" Crazy Horse and "bring him into a better state of feeling."

Rumors of Crazy Horse's desire to slip away and return to the old ways of life started to spread at the Red Cloud and Spotted Tail agencies.

However, he was stopped by Woman's Dress who bore a message from the agency chiefs warning Crook that Crazy Horse had stated his intention to kill him in the coming council if the general did not meet his demands.

Crook was convinced that Crazy Horse meant what he said, and returned to Camp Robinson sending out a message for the chiefs to come there for the council.

On the morning of September 4, 1877, eight companies of the Third Cavalry and four hundred friendly Indians moved against Crazy Horse's village, only to find that it had scattered during the night.

On the morning of September 5, 1877, Crazy Horse and Lieutenant Jesse M. Lee, the Indian agent at Spotted Tail, departed for Fort Robinson.

The seven Bands of the Oglala Lakota are the Wagluhe (Loafers), Ite Sica (Bad Face), Oyukpe (Broken Off), Wazaza (Shred Into Strips), Tapisleca (Split Liver), Payabaya (Shove Aside) and Kiyaksa (Little Wound).

In 1849, Old Chief Smoke moved his Wagluhe camp to Ft. Laramie, Wyoming when the U.S. Army first garrisoned the old trading post to protect and supply wagon trains of white migrants along the Oregon Trail.

The U.S. Army concluded that, even if there were doubts about their reliability, the Wagluhe's role as scouts, civil administrators and mediators was absolutely essential.

Blue Horse, American Horse, Three Bears and Red Shirt all served as U.S. Army Indian Scouts with U.S. 4th Cavalry Regiment; were first Oglala Lakota to send their children to the Carlisle Indian Industrial School in Carlisle, Pennsylvania, for a formal education; all led Lakota delegations to Washington, D.C.; and went Wild Westing with Buffalo Bill's Wild West.

During the tumultuous times from 1865 to 1877, American Horse advocated yielding to the government at any cost, being no doubt convinced of the uselessness of resistance.

A journalist asked American Horse what he thought of the East and he replied, "I see so much that is wonderful and strange that I feel a wish to go out in the forest and cover my head with a blanket, so that I can see no more and have a chance to think over what I have seen.

Wild Westers received good wages, transportation, housing, abundant food and gifts of clothing and cash from Buffalo Bill at the end of each season.

While recruiting at Pine Ridge, Captain Richard Henry Pratt met heavy opposition from Red Cloud who was distrustful of white education, and who had no school age children.

Your school daughter, MAGGIE STANDS LOOKING" Pratt advised her to do as he had done on the frontier ... [after] filling a wash basin with water and "rubbing myself well, have had a bath that made me feel as good as jumping into a river."

"[51] On March 4, 1905, Wild Westers and Carlisle portrayed contrasting images of Native Americans at the First Inaugural Parade of Theodore Roosevelt.

Six famous Native American Chiefs, Geronimo (Apache), Quanah Parker (Comanche), Buckskin Charlie (Ute), American Horse (Sioux), Hollow Horn Bear (Sioux) and Little Plume (Blackfeet), met in Carlisle, Pennsylvania, to rehearse the parade with the Carlisle Cadets and Band.

[52] Theodore Roosevelt sat in the presidential box with his wife, daughter and other distinguished guests, and watched West Point cadets and the famed 7th Cavalry, Gen. George A. Custer's former unit that fought at the Battle of Little Bighorn, march down Pennsylvania Avenue.

"[53][52][54] Chief American Horse was always welcome guest at The Wigwam, Major Israel McCreight's home in Du Bois, Pennsylvania.

On June 22, 1908, McCreight was adopted as an honorary Chief of the Oglala Lakota people and named "Cante Tanke ("Great Heart").

On that occasion, Col. William "Buffalo Bill" Cody was in Du Bois, Pennsylvania, with Wild West Congress of Rough Riders.

[57] For example, Chief Flying Hawk's Winter Count for 1866 records the Fetterman Incident during Red Cloud's War as "Wasicu opawinge wica ktepi" or "They killed one hundred white men."

[59] Chief American Horse died from natural causes in his house near Kyle, Pine Ridge, South Dakota on December 16, 1908.

Oil painting on canvas of American Horse by Elbridge Ayer Burbank, 1897.
Painting of American Horse by Elbridge Ayer Burbank , 1899.
Wagluhe leaders after the Battle of the Little Big Horn: Left to right: Blue Horse , American Horse, Three Bears and Red Shirt . Wagluhe were considered by the U.S. Army and Indian agents to be the most progressive band of Lakota and many became Indian Police, U.S. Army Indian Scouts with the U.S. 4th Cavalry Regiment and intermediaries with other bands of Lakotas.
Chief American Horse was one of the first Wild Westers with Buffalo Bill Cody. In 1886, American Horse replaced Sitting Bull as the Indian headliner for the 1886–87 seasons.
Dakota delegation to Washington, D.C., Left to right, Red Dog, Little Wound, John Bridgeman (interpreter), Red Cloud, American Horse and Red Shirt. June, 1880
Oglala Tribal Council, Pine Ridge, South Dakota, 1903. American Horse standing in middle. Red Cloud sitting right.
On March 31, 1887, Chief Blue Horse , Chief American Horse and Chief Red Shirt and their families boarded the S.S. State of Nebraska in New York City, and began a new journey for the Lakota people when they crossed the sea to England with Buffalo Bill to perform at the Golden Jubilee of Queen Victoria .
Children of Wagluhe leaders attended the first class at the Carlisle Indian Industrial School in Carlisle, PA in 1879.
American Horse at Carlisle, 1882, with his daughter Maggie Stands Looking with other Indian students and teachers. Maggie Stands Looking was one of Captain Pratt's model students.
Wife of American Horse, Dakota Sioux, by Gertrude Käsebier , c.1900
American Horse, left, Red Cloud, right, 1891. American Horse was a son-in-law of Red Cloud.
Inaugural Parade of Theodore Roosevelt, March 4, 1905. Six Native American chiefs on horseback adorned with face paint and headdresses, followed by the 46-piece Carlisle Indian School Band and a brigade of 350 Carlisle Cadets at arms attended the parade.
Six tribal leaders (l to r) Little Plume (Piegan), Buckskin Charley (Ute), Geronimo (Chiricahua Apache), Quanah Parker (Comanche), Hollow Horn Bear (Brulé Sioux), and American Horse (Oglala Sioux) on horseback in ceremonial attire.
From left to right: Oglala Lakota chiefs Lone Bear, American Horse, Iron Tail , Iron Cloud and Whirlwind. Du Bois, PA., June 22, 1908.
The Wigwam in Du Bois, Pennsylvania, was the home of Major Israel McCreight, Cante Tanke "Great Heart", and the Eastern home of Oglala Lakota "Oskate Wicasa."