Crazy  Horse  was a very handsome man and physically perfect. he was a true type of Indian.  He was modest, courteous and a born warrior, but he was gentle. big-heartedness, generosity and denial are the needs of a public servant and this is what most Indians followed.
       When Crazy  Horse was a boy his name was not Crazy Horse it was Curly because his hair was so curly. curly was born in 1842. Curly loved horses and his father gave him a pony of his own. He was a fine horseman. His father was the Oglala medican man. His wife was sister was mother sister of spotted tail. When he was twelve he saved his younger brother from a bear. His mother died when he was vary young and his father took her sister as a new wife and she helped raise curly. When curly was young he received a vision quest witch had a vision of a rider in a storm on horse back. Had long unbraided hair, a stone in his ear, lighting on his cheek and hail stones dotting his body. He had no scalps. people held on to the rider but they could not hold him. The storm faded and a red-backed hawk flew over the rider's head. Latter he told his father and his father saw it as a sign of his future greatness in battle. he changed Curly's name to Crazy Horse. he rode for the first time with adult warriors in a raid on crows.  He dressed like the man in his vision but he carried two scalps.  He got a wound in the leg. From then on he never took another scalp with him     
        There are many things Crazy Horse did and lots of battles he fought in. One reason Crazy Horse wasn't fun-loving was because he had seen way to much violence as a child. At  the time of the argument over the cow he was visiting his mothers people, the Brule. He had been in the camp when Lieutenant Grattan had come with soldiers and cannons  to arrest the man who had killed the cow. Curly had seen what happened to Brave Bear, Grattan, and his soldiers.  Later the boy had come upon the Brule village when General Harney and soldiers had killed eighty-six people. Even when he lost, Crazy Horse remained  an independent spirit. Crazy Horse saved a peerless warrior named Hump and they became very good friends. They were known as "the grizzly and his cub". Crazy Horse usually did not kill his enemy. Usually he just struck them with a switch. He fought the opening engagement war for the Black Hills in 1876-1877 in the battle of Powder River. Crazy Horse waged war in the early 1870's. He did raids on the northern pacific rail way. Crazy Horse became a war chief for the Oglalas with some Brule followers. He  made friends and followers among the Cheyenne's because of his first marriage to a Cheyenne woman.      
        Crazy Horse was 21 years old when all the Teton Sioux chiefs met in council to decide on their future policy towards the white invaders. Their former agreement had been by individual band each for themselves.  Every one was friendly.  They believed that this country was wide and that the white trader should be made welcome.  Up to this time they had anticipated no conflict.  They had permitted the Oregon trail, but then to forts were built and armed in their territory. The Black hills gold rush brought whites to the region and increased tension. the nomadic hunting tribes ignored the order to report to reservations by January31-1876. The military organized campaigns against them in the early 1870's. It was told that the most chiefs wanted a strong resistance. A Few wanted still to live in peace. White decide in 1866to defend there  rights and territory by force. Crazy Horse took no part in the discussion in the fort Laramie treaty of  1868.The army agreed to abandon their posts along the Boze man trail Red cloud and spotted Tail settled on reservation lands. 
     Indians came together in June 1876 and formed a series of camps stretching out from there to four miles. They kept separate camps. On June 17 many troops advanced to them under the command of general cook the council sent Crazy Horse with seven hundred men to meet and attack him. they set out at night and unexpectedly came upon some of his crow scouts. Soldiers had their warning. Crazy Horse charged with his bravest men in attempt to bring the troops in drawing their fire. He withdrew and came back to the camp disappointed. after the Lakota victory at little bighorn, Sitting Bull and Gall retreated to Canada.  Crazy Horse remained to fight general nelson all through the winter of 1876-1877. 
     Crazy Horse was killed at fort Robinson, Nebraska in 1877.  He was thirty-three years old he was never involved in any of the many massacres on the trail.  He was a leader in practically every open fight.  When he reached Camp Bigman, the military camp, he walked arm in arm with his cousin and friend, Touch-the-Cloud.  Touch-the-Cloud was just ahead.  He was unarmed except for a knife which men and women usually carried.  He walked to the guard house, when Touch-the-Cloud turned back shouting "Cousin they'll put you in prison!"  Crazy Horse replied "Another white man's trick!"  "Let me die fighting!" he cried!  He tried to free himself and tried to pull out his knife.  Both arms were held tight by Little Bigman.  A soldier stabbed him with his bayonet from behind.  He died in the course of the night while his father sang the death song over him.  His body was given to his father and stepmother and was buried somewhere in the Badlands. 
     Crazy Horse had a very interesting life.  His life makes you look at Indians differently.

Nikki Garretson

8th American History 

Rossville jr. High 

Crazy Horse

2004

Bibliography