Crow War
Encyclopedia
The Crow War, also known as the Crow Rebellion, or the Crow Uprising, was the only armed conflict between the United States
and the Crow
tribe of Montana
, and the last Indian War fought in the state. In September of 1887 the young medicine man
Wraps-Up-His-Tail, or Sword Bearer, led a small group of warrior
s in raid against a group of Blackfoot which had captured horses from the Crow reservation
. Following the raid, Sword Bearer led his group back to the Crow Agency
to inform the Indian agent
of his victory, but, an incident arose which ended with the young leader taking his followers into the mountains. In response, the United States Army
launched a successful campaign to bring the Crow back to the reservation.
decision, Sword Bearer decided to lead a counter raid in September. His group consisted mainly of teenagers who were eager to prove themselves to their elders. According to legend, Sword Bearer received his name after having a vision at a Cheyenne
reservation though other sources say that his vision occurred after the army was already hunting him. The vision told Sword Bearer that if he carried a sword in battle, he would be protected from harm. During the raid, a number of Blackfoot braves were killed and the Crow recovered their horses without loss, but when they returned to the reservation, on September 30, Sword Bearer made the mistake of showing off his victory to the Indian agent, Henry E. Williamson, who was known for being disliked by the native population. In what was called the Crow Incident, Sword Bearer and his men circled around Williamson's home and fired into the air to celebrate but this only upset the agent who came outside to make arrests. Sword Bearer then fired a few rounds into the ground next to the agent so he ran back inside to wire the army at Fort Custer and tell them his house was under attack. At the time, local newspaper
s said Williamson's house was also fired into though it remains uncertain if this was true or not, the "Billings Gazette
," dated October 3, said that the "houses and office of the agent were riddled by bullets" but nobody was hurt. A few days later, when Sword Bearer learned that United States Army was looking for him, he and about twenty men left the reservation to go to Fort Custer, thirteen miles away, in order to show the soldiers the magical sword.
When the soldiers noticed the approaching warriors, about 150 yards away, they assumed they were under attack and loaded a battery
of cannon
. However, it had been raining previously so when the soldiers tried to open fire, the cannon wouldn't work, proving to Sword Bearer and his men that his miraculous saber really did provide protection. The Crow then fled into the Big Horn Mountains
, for the Little Bighorn River
, where it was believed that Sword Bearer was to recruit more men, particularly from the nearby Cheyenne reservation. By this time the lower Crow chiefs had become quite concerned with the situation so they informed the high chief, Plenty Coups, who ordered the Crow police to begin searching for Sword Bearer and his followers so that the American settlers wouldn't panic. It was too late though as hundreds of settlers had already began to flee by train from the areas around the Crow reservation.
Meanwhile, the United States Army was also taking action, Brigadier General
Thomas H. Ruger
was placed in command of the soldiers at Fort Custer and Fort McKinney, Wyoming
and instructed to launch an expedition into the Big Horn and occupy the Cheyenne reservation, in order to prevent any of the natives there from joining the hostile Crow. The expedition from Fort Custer was under the command of General Ruger and Colonel
Nathan Dudley
, it included five troop
s of the 1st Cavalry and one company
from the 3rd Infantry. There was also one troop from the 7th Cavalry. The expedition headed for the mountains on November 4, taking two Hotchkiss gun
s with them. On the following day they encountered Sword Bearer and his followers, encamped near the river approximately three miles north of where General George A. Custer was defeated in the major Battle of Little Bighorn in 1876. Some of Sword Bearer's followers were veterans of Custer's battle, as well as some of the Crow police. According to one American veteran, Private
George Morris
of Derby
, England
, there were about 3,000 natives at the camp up against only a few hundred soldiers. At 10:30 am, General Ruger gave the Crow an hour and a half to surrender, which they could do by making there way to a designated area to be disarmed. Morris said the following; "Indians who wanted who wanted to be our friends were to move their camp to the neighborhood of a certain tall birch. The rest would be considered hostile, and destroyed. .... It was a tense morning as we watched the slow drift of the Indians toward that birch tree. Those who went there were disarmed, and a guard posted." When the time limit expired, there was still 600 natives in the camp. General Ruger gave the order for his men to form up, the battalion
of 1st Cavalry was positioned with Colonel Dudley on the left flank of the camp while the troop of 7th Cavalry was positioned on the right.
At the same time Sword Bearer appeared, leading 120 to 150 warriors in a mounted charge against the soldiers. The attack was repulsed and the Crow retreated to the wooded area along the river where they had beforehand established a series of rifle pits. The American cavalry then counter attacked, Morris said; "The cavalry charged and took a volley from the Indian camp. At 200 yards we leaped from our horses and flattened out behing clumps of sagebrush. We traded shots for a while, until two Hotchkiss field guns on the hill began dumping two-inch into the Indian camp. That broke them." During the fighting, Sword Bearer attempted to encourage his men by riding out in front of the soldiers but he was struck by rifle fire and fell to the ground wounded. Eventually some of the Crow began to surrender but Sword Bearer and the others remained in the mountains, only to surrender later on to the Crow police. It was during the march out of the Big Horn that one of the policemen shot Sword Bearer in the head, killing him instantly and ending the war. One soldier was killed and two others were wounded during what is now called the Battle of Crow Agency. Seven Crow warriors were killed and nine were wounded. An additional nine men were also taken prisoner and all of those who hadn't taken part in the battle were taken to Fort Snelling, Montana. The expedition returned to Fort Custer on November 13.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
and the Crow
Crow Nation
The Crow, also called the Absaroka or Apsáalooke, are a Siouan people of Native Americans who historically lived in the Yellowstone River valley, which extends from present-day Wyoming, through Montana and into North Dakota. They now live on a reservation south of Billings, Montana and in several...
tribe of Montana
Montana
Montana is a state in the Western United States. The western third of Montana contains numerous mountain ranges. Smaller, "island ranges" are found in the central third of the state, for a total of 77 named ranges of the Rocky Mountains. This geographical fact is reflected in the state's name,...
, and the last Indian War fought in the state. In September of 1887 the young medicine man
Medicine man
"Medicine man" or "Medicine woman" are English terms used to describe traditional healers and spiritual leaders among Native American and other indigenous or aboriginal peoples...
Wraps-Up-His-Tail, or Sword Bearer, led a small group of warrior
Warrior
A warrior is a person skilled in combat or warfare, especially within the context of a tribal or clan-based society that recognizes a separate warrior class.-Warrior classes in tribal culture:...
s in raid against a group of Blackfoot which had captured horses from the Crow reservation
Indian reservation
An American Indian reservation is an area of land managed by a Native American tribe under the United States Department of the Interior's Bureau of Indian Affairs...
. Following the raid, Sword Bearer led his group back to the Crow Agency
Crow Agency, Montana
Crow Agency is a census-designated place in Big Horn County, Montana, United States and is near the actual location for the Little Bighorn National Monument and re-enactment known as Custer's Last Stand...
to inform the Indian agent
Indian agent
In United States history, an Indian agent was an individual authorized to interact with Native American tribes on behalf of the U.S. government.-Indian agents:*Leander Clark was agent for the Sac and Fox in Iowa beginning in 1866....
of his victory, but, an incident arose which ended with the young leader taking his followers into the mountains. In response, the United States Army
United States Army
The United States Army is the main branch of the United States Armed Forces responsible for land-based military operations. It is the largest and oldest established branch of the U.S. military, and is one of seven U.S. uniformed services...
launched a successful campaign to bring the Crow back to the reservation.
Crow Incident
In 1887 the Blackfoot and the Crow were in the middle of a minor conflict in which both sides raided for each others horses. In late spring, a war party of Blackfoot raided the Crow reservation and made off with several horses. Against the chiefs'Tribal chief
A tribal chief is the leader of a tribal society or chiefdom. Tribal societies with social stratification under a single leader emerged in the Neolithic period out of earlier tribal structures with little stratification, and they remained prevalent throughout the Iron Age.In the case of ...
decision, Sword Bearer decided to lead a counter raid in September. His group consisted mainly of teenagers who were eager to prove themselves to their elders. According to legend, Sword Bearer received his name after having a vision at a Cheyenne
Cheyenne
Cheyenne are a Native American people of the Great Plains, who are of the Algonquian language family. The Cheyenne Nation is composed of two united tribes, the Só'taeo'o and the Tsétsêhéstâhese .The Cheyenne are thought to have branched off other tribes of Algonquian stock inhabiting lands...
reservation though other sources say that his vision occurred after the army was already hunting him. The vision told Sword Bearer that if he carried a sword in battle, he would be protected from harm. During the raid, a number of Blackfoot braves were killed and the Crow recovered their horses without loss, but when they returned to the reservation, on September 30, Sword Bearer made the mistake of showing off his victory to the Indian agent, Henry E. Williamson, who was known for being disliked by the native population. In what was called the Crow Incident, Sword Bearer and his men circled around Williamson's home and fired into the air to celebrate but this only upset the agent who came outside to make arrests. Sword Bearer then fired a few rounds into the ground next to the agent so he ran back inside to wire the army at Fort Custer and tell them his house was under attack. At the time, local newspaper
Newspaper
A newspaper is a scheduled publication containing news of current events, informative articles, diverse features and advertising. It usually is printed on relatively inexpensive, low-grade paper such as newsprint. By 2007, there were 6580 daily newspapers in the world selling 395 million copies a...
s said Williamson's house was also fired into though it remains uncertain if this was true or not, the "Billings Gazette
Billings Gazette
The Billings Gazette is the largest newspaper in Montana and Northern Wyoming. It is geographically one of the largest distributed newspapers in the nation....
," dated October 3, said that the "houses and office of the agent were riddled by bullets" but nobody was hurt. A few days later, when Sword Bearer learned that United States Army was looking for him, he and about twenty men left the reservation to go to Fort Custer, thirteen miles away, in order to show the soldiers the magical sword.
When the soldiers noticed the approaching warriors, about 150 yards away, they assumed they were under attack and loaded a battery
Artillery battery
In military organizations, an artillery battery is a unit of guns, mortars, rockets or missiles so grouped in order to facilitate better battlefield communication and command and control, as well as to provide dispersion for its constituent gunnery crews and their systems...
of cannon
Cannon
A cannon is any piece of artillery that uses gunpowder or other usually explosive-based propellents to launch a projectile. Cannon vary in caliber, range, mobility, rate of fire, angle of fire, and firepower; different forms of cannon combine and balance these attributes in varying degrees,...
. However, it had been raining previously so when the soldiers tried to open fire, the cannon wouldn't work, proving to Sword Bearer and his men that his miraculous saber really did provide protection. The Crow then fled into the Big Horn Mountains
Big Horn Mountains
The Big Horn Mountains are a mountain range in northern Wyoming and southern Montana in the United States, forming a northwest-trending spur from the Rocky Mountains extending approximately 200 miles northward on the Great Plains...
, for the Little Bighorn River
Little Bighorn River
The Little Bighorn River is a tributary of the Bighorn River in the United States in the states of Wyoming and Montana. The Battle of the Little Bighorn was fought on its banks in 1876, as well as the Battle of Crow Agency in 1887....
, where it was believed that Sword Bearer was to recruit more men, particularly from the nearby Cheyenne reservation. By this time the lower Crow chiefs had become quite concerned with the situation so they informed the high chief, Plenty Coups, who ordered the Crow police to begin searching for Sword Bearer and his followers so that the American settlers wouldn't panic. It was too late though as hundreds of settlers had already began to flee by train from the areas around the Crow reservation.
Battle of Crow Agency
Brigadier General
Brigadier general is a senior rank in the armed forces. It is the lowest ranking general officer in some countries, usually sitting between the ranks of colonel and major general. When appointed to a field command, a brigadier general is typically in command of a brigade consisting of around 4,000...
Thomas H. Ruger
Thomas H. Ruger
Thomas Howard Ruger was an American soldier and lawyer who served as a Union general in the American Civil War. After the war, he was a superintendent of the United States Military Academy at West Point, New York....
was placed in command of the soldiers at Fort Custer and Fort McKinney, Wyoming
Wyoming
Wyoming is a state in the mountain region of the Western United States. The western two thirds of the state is covered mostly with the mountain ranges and rangelands in the foothills of the Eastern Rocky Mountains, while the eastern third of the state is high elevation prairie known as the High...
and instructed to launch an expedition into the Big Horn and occupy the Cheyenne reservation, in order to prevent any of the natives there from joining the hostile Crow. The expedition from Fort Custer was under the command of General Ruger and Colonel
Colonel
Colonel , abbreviated Col or COL, is a military rank of a senior commissioned officer. It or a corresponding rank exists in most armies and in many air forces; the naval equivalent rank is generally "Captain". It is also used in some police forces and other paramilitary rank structures...
Nathan Dudley
Nathan Dudley
Nathan Augustus Monroe Dudley was a soldier who served as a Colonel of Volunteers and sometimes as an acting Brigadier General of Volunteers for the Union Army during the American Civil War.-Early military career:...
, it included five troop
Troop
A troop is a military unit, originally a small force of cavalry, subordinate to a squadron and headed by the troop leader. In many armies a troop is the equivalent unit to the infantry section or platoon...
s of the 1st Cavalry and one company
Company (military unit)
A company is a military unit, typically consisting of 80–225 soldiers and usually commanded by a Captain, Major or Commandant. Most companies are formed of three to five platoons although the exact number may vary by country, unit type, and structure...
from the 3rd Infantry. There was also one troop from the 7th Cavalry. The expedition headed for the mountains on November 4, taking two Hotchkiss gun
Hotchkiss gun
The Hotchkiss gun can refer to different products of the Hotchkiss arms company starting in the late 19th century. It usually refers to the 1.65-inch light mountain gun; there was also a 3-inch Hotchkiss gun...
s with them. On the following day they encountered Sword Bearer and his followers, encamped near the river approximately three miles north of where General George A. Custer was defeated in the major Battle of Little Bighorn in 1876. Some of Sword Bearer's followers were veterans of Custer's battle, as well as some of the Crow police. According to one American veteran, Private
Private (rank)
A Private is a soldier of the lowest military rank .In modern military parlance, 'Private' is shortened to 'Pte' in the United Kingdom and other Commonwealth countries and to 'Pvt.' in the United States.Notably both Sir Fitzroy MacLean and Enoch Powell are examples of, rare, rapid career...
George Morris
George Morris
George Morris may refer to:*George H. Morris, American hunter/jumper trainer* George Franklin Morris , U.S. federal judge*Sir George Lockwood Morris, ironfounder and Wales international rugby player...
of Derby
Derby
Derby , is a city and unitary authority in the East Midlands region of England. It lies upon the banks of the River Derwent and is located in the south of the ceremonial county of Derbyshire. In the 2001 census, the population of the city was 233,700, whilst that of the Derby Urban Area was 229,407...
, England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
, there were about 3,000 natives at the camp up against only a few hundred soldiers. At 10:30 am, General Ruger gave the Crow an hour and a half to surrender, which they could do by making there way to a designated area to be disarmed. Morris said the following; "Indians who wanted who wanted to be our friends were to move their camp to the neighborhood of a certain tall birch. The rest would be considered hostile, and destroyed. .... It was a tense morning as we watched the slow drift of the Indians toward that birch tree. Those who went there were disarmed, and a guard posted." When the time limit expired, there was still 600 natives in the camp. General Ruger gave the order for his men to form up, the battalion
Battalion
A battalion is a military unit of around 300–1,200 soldiers usually consisting of between two and seven companies and typically commanded by either a Lieutenant Colonel or a Colonel...
of 1st Cavalry was positioned with Colonel Dudley on the left flank of the camp while the troop of 7th Cavalry was positioned on the right.
At the same time Sword Bearer appeared, leading 120 to 150 warriors in a mounted charge against the soldiers. The attack was repulsed and the Crow retreated to the wooded area along the river where they had beforehand established a series of rifle pits. The American cavalry then counter attacked, Morris said; "The cavalry charged and took a volley from the Indian camp. At 200 yards we leaped from our horses and flattened out behing clumps of sagebrush. We traded shots for a while, until two Hotchkiss field guns on the hill began dumping two-inch into the Indian camp. That broke them." During the fighting, Sword Bearer attempted to encourage his men by riding out in front of the soldiers but he was struck by rifle fire and fell to the ground wounded. Eventually some of the Crow began to surrender but Sword Bearer and the others remained in the mountains, only to surrender later on to the Crow police. It was during the march out of the Big Horn that one of the policemen shot Sword Bearer in the head, killing him instantly and ending the war. One soldier was killed and two others were wounded during what is now called the Battle of Crow Agency. Seven Crow warriors were killed and nine were wounded. An additional nine men were also taken prisoner and all of those who hadn't taken part in the battle were taken to Fort Snelling, Montana. The expedition returned to Fort Custer on November 13.