Crazy Horse(1849 — 1877)
Crazy Horse
6 min read
Oglala Lakota war chief and a leading figure of Native American resistance against the expansion of the United States. Victor over Custer at Little Bighorn in 1876, he was killed the following year while being held at Fort Robinson.
Frequently asked questions
Key Facts
- Born around 1840 among the Oglala Lakota, he became a respected warrior in his youth
- In 1876, he took part in the victory at the Rosebud (June 17) against General Crook's troops
- On June 25, 1876, he played a decisive role at the Battle of Little Bighorn, where Lieutenant Colonel Custer's 7th Cavalry was wiped out
- He surrendered to the American authorities in May 1877 in the face of military pressure and famine
- He died on September 5, 1877, at Fort Robinson, mortally wounded by a bayonet thrust during his arrest, at about 37 years of age
Works & Achievements
As a young warrior, he lured a detachment of 80 soldiers into a deadly ambush during Red Cloud's War.
He led the attack that forced General Crook to abandon his plan to join the other American columns, undermining their overall strategy.
His charge helped annihilate Custer's 7th Cavalry, the most resounding American defeat of the Indian Wars.
He sustained armed resistance through a harsh winter, despite hunger and the relentless pursuit of the army.
Having become a universal symbol of Native American resistance, he is honored by the Crazy Horse Memorial and countless books and tributes.
Anecdotes
As a child, Crazy Horse had light skin and curly, light brown hair, so much so that his people nicknamed him “Curly.” He only received his adult name, that of his father, after proving his bravery in battle.
Before each battle, Crazy Horse painted his body with white hailstones and drew a lightning bolt on his cheek, in keeping with a vision he had received during a spiritual quest. He wore a small sacred stone behind his ear and a single hawk feather, refusing the large feather headdresses worn by other chiefs.
It is said that he always refused to be photographed, asking why anyone would want to “steal his shadow” and shorten his life. To this day, no authenticated photograph of him has ever been found.
On June 25, 1876, at Little Bighorn, he led the charge against the soldiers of the 7th Cavalry. Within a few hours, the detachment of Lieutenant Colonel George Custer was wiped out: it was one of the worst defeats suffered by the U.S. Army at the hands of Native Americans.
On September 5, 1877, having just surrendered, Crazy Horse was mortally wounded by a soldier's bayonet thrust the moment he realized they meant to lock him up at Fort Robinson. He died that very night, at only about thirty years of age.
Primary Sources
Crazy Horse dreamed and went into the world where there is nothing but the spirits of all things. It was from there that his strange power came; he was present in this world, but partly somewhere else.
He Dog reports that Crazy Horse was a silent man, who never danced and did not sing in public, yet whom all the warriors wanted to follow into battle.
Wounded by a bayonet thrust, the dying chief was laid out on the floor of the agency; his old father watched over him until his death, shortly after midnight.
Crook acknowledged that the Lakota and Cheyenne warriors, led by their chiefs, attacked with unexpected boldness and coordination, forcing him to halt his advance northward.
Key Places
Sacred hills of the Lakota people, at the heart of their territory and their spirituality. Crazy Horse grew up here and fought to defend them against the gold prospectors.
Site of the battle of June 17, 1876, where Crazy Horse halted the advance of General Crook, eight days before Little Bighorn.
Site of the famous battle of June 25, 1876, where Lakota and Cheyenne warriors crushed Custer's 7th Cavalry.
Military post where Crazy Horse surrendered in May 1877 and where he was killed by a bayonet thrust on September 5 of the same year.
A colossal sculpture carved into the mountain in honor of the chief, begun in 1948 and still unfinished today.