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Tashunka Witko - Crazy Horse (ca. 1842 – 1877)
 Chief Crazy Horse is known as the greatest warrior ever of the Oglala Sioux (Teton Lakota) Was born in 1849, Crazy Horse first came to the notice of writers about 1875, but the name was an old one, and was handed down from generation to generation. His family was highly regarded by the Indians, and had been-entrusted with the Sioux history, which was portrayed on buckskin, for some eight hundred years. The buckskin was destroyed by fire many years ago. Crazy Horse was an imposing figure, about six feet tall. He married a Cheyenne woman, and this resulted in close ties between his band of the Sioux and the Cheyennes. He was also a son-in-law of the famous Red Cloud. Crazy Horse played an important part in the affairs of -the Sioux, and was fearless in battle. He had a super. stitious belief that he could not be killed by a bullet, and was disdainful of gunfire. He had lost two close friends and apparently had little desire to live. He is supposed to have told friends he was looking for death. Indian police suspected that Crazy Horse might be plaguing an outbreak, and on September 5,1877, a group of fortythree policemen were sent to arrest him. In the scuffle following the attempt to arrest Crazy Horse, a bayonet was run through his stomach. With police clinging to his arms and his friends trying to help him, Crazy Horse said: "Let me go, my friends, you have hurt me enough." At ten o'clock that night he called Indian Agent Jesse. M. Lee to his side, and spoke to him, shortly after which he died. His superstition that he would not be killed by gunfire was good to the last - It was a bayonet thrust which ended his life. He was secretly buried by his parents somewhere in teh hills in the vicinity of where he was camped when he was arrested. link: |