Soileau: Little Wolf/Portraits Of Americ

Description

Born in Montana in the early 1820's, Little Wolf was one of the ablest militarytacticians of the Northern Cheyenne. During the siege of Fort Phil Kearny in 1866, he probably taught young Crazy Horse some of the arts of decoying soldiers. After the soldiers withdrew from Fort Phil Kearny in August 1868, Little Wolf led the warriors who torched the buildings. Ten years later he again tasted victory, this time against Custer on the Little Bighorn. During the following months, the Army pursued the Cheyenne relentlessly, and on November 25, 1876, Colonel Ranald McKenzie attacked Dull Knife's village on Powder River in Wyoming. In the fierce fighting Little Wolf was wounded seven times. Although many Cheyenne escaped, they were without means of survival and were soon forced to surrender. In the summer of 1877, Little Wolf and Dull Knife with about 1,000 Northern Cheyenne were sent to Indian Territory. In that vastly different climate, without medicines or adequate rations, they began to die. Little Wolf and Dull Knife fled northward on September 10, 1878, with about 300 followers. Their epic 1500-mile flight across the Plains, pursued by thousands of soldiers and civilians, rivals thatof the Nez Perce a year earlier. After crossing the North Platte, they split into two groups, one following Dull Knife to Fort Robinson, the other continuing with Little Wolf to their old homeland along Tongue River. There in 1884 they were at last given a reservation, Little Wolf living until well into his eighties.