|
|
|
|
ROMAN
NOSE |
|
Roman Nose stood 6’2 and 230
pounds. He thrilled his men to frenzied action when he came on the battlefield. He sacrificed more youth by his personal influence in battle
than any other leaders. Roman
Nose always rode an uncommonly fine, high-spirited horse, and his
war bonnet. Indians
said YOU MUST GAZE AT HIM NOT AIM AT HIM.
Soldiers mostly never hit him as he is running before a
firing line. He
done a unbelievable thing once, him and his brother-in-law went on
a one-arrow to kill buffalo hunt, after Roman Nose already killed
his cow he rode up to help his brother-in-law. The buffalo was in
between the to horses. His
brother-in-law drew back his arrow so fiercely the string broke,
and the arrow jerked upward in the air and then Roman Nose caught
the arrow with his bare hand and then
put it in his bow and shot the buffalo. He was said to attack more
emigrants going west on the Oregon Trail between 1860 and 1868
then any other chief. He attacked a large group of
Mormons. The men set up shields out of there wagons fore
the women and children. When ever a white man fell it was
the signal for Roman Nose to charge and count the
"COUP." As custom the chief of the tribe said, "Your
Roman-Nose has counted the first coup on the largest faced man
who was ever killed." |
THE BATTLE OF BEECHER ISLAND
The battle started on
September 17, 1868. The Indians encampment had just learned that
they were being trailed by the soldiers. The warriors in the camp
began gathering their ponies and applying there war paint. At the
head of the warriors was the brave leader, Roman Nose. Meanwhile
Forsythe's men were unaware that they had been discovered by the
Indians. The soldiers set up camp for the evening. The
number of the Indians were about or around 600. Many tribes were
involved such as the Arapaho, (Roman Noses tribe the Cheyenne) and the
Sioux. At dawn the Indians streamed down on the soldiers
camp. The first charge of Indians was driven back, but a lot of
Forsythe men were lost. More warriors keep attacking. As one
of the soldiers was fling for his life, Forsythe drew his pistol and
announced, that he would kill any man that tried leave or
retreat.
|
Shield |
The soldiers now
frantically tried to dig rifle pits. The Indians plain was to ride over
the entire island and completely destroy the soldiers. But the
fierce driving them back. After the second charge it was Roman Noses
turn, as he entered the field it gave all the Indians a great boost to
the attacking forces. Forsythe then set up a massive volley.
When the all the warriors were around 50 feet away they shot.
Warriors were falling like flies. But they still charged. As
Roman Nose passed the soldiers a built caught him in the back. He
did not fall off his horse until he reached the other side of the
river. Still the Indians keep on fighting. That night
Forsythe sent to guys to Fort Wallace for help. The two men got
the newly formed Black Tenth Calvary, they just about demolished the Indians.
The Indians had disappear into the hills. Forsythe was shot three
times but he survived. The shot in the back by one of the soldiers
killed Roman Nose. That was the end of the siege of Beecher
Island.
Here
is a quote (Roman Nose) to General Winfield Scott Hancock
"Are
not women and children more timid than man? The Cheyenne warriors
are not afraid, but have you never heard of Sand Creek? Your
soldiers look just like the soldiers that butchered women and children there"
|
