b'Crazy Horse continued from page 55Carrington did want to secure the Bozeman butGrummond and the Cavalry, which complained to authorities that he lacked the men andhad gone ahead of the infantry supplies, particularly ammunition, to do so. He hadwheeled around and tried to get begged General Sherman for more men, more supplies,away but to no avail, as there were but to no avail. just too many Indian warriors to get past. Again, a fusillade Enter Fetterman. The ambitious captain and Civilof arrows and a few shots fired, War combat veteran who had earlier pressed onand Grummond and his men Carrington a plan to lure the Sioux into an ambushwere no more. As the Indians, that in his opinion would stop the Indian raids andhaving mutilated the corpses of attacks on army wood trains and force them toFetterman\'s command moved abandon the Bozeman, a plan that Carrington initiallyback north over the ridge line approved but prevented implementation of at theand back towards their camps, time. Fetterman again approached his commandingthey encountered the dog that officer bringing with him a pair of fellow hot-headedaccompanied Fetterman\'s doomed younger officers, Captain Fred Brown and Lieutenantcommand. Several of the warriors George Grummond, again urging Carrington onceurged others to let the poor dog, more to allow him to strike Red Cloud\'s camps alongwandering in the snow, live, and the Lodge Trail Ridge above the fort. When Carringtonto let him go back as the one demurred, the contemptuous Fetterman, chomping atsurviving messenger of death but their pleading to let theand soon attach his star to another rising Sioux star the bit, all but called his commanding officer a cowardcanine companion of one of the soldiers go were in vain.and a staunch foe of any appeasing ways with the hated and then made the fateful boast that would go down in"Do not even let a dog get away," shouts one Cheyennewhites. That Sioux star was the respected, both for his the annals of Plains Indian War history. Give me 80warrior. There is no attempt at sentiment. A flurry ofmystic ways and warrior prowess, Hunkpapa Medicine men and I can ride through the whole Sioux Nation." arrows cripples and kills the fort dog in an instant" (BillMan Sitting Bull. This would prove to be a fatefulO\'Reilly and Martin Dugard, Killing Crazy Horse, Henrydecision. The splitting of ties with Red Cloud, who would The exasperated Carrington, realizing his policy ofHolt and Company, New York, 2020, pp. 158-159). Beingnever forget nor forgive the young chief\'s actions and the caution would win him no favors amongst the majorityable to discern the stealth movements of the Sioux andattachment with Red Cloud\'s rival Sitting Bull, for betterof his junior officers, and learning of yet another attackCheyenne as they moved in on Fetterman\'s commandand eventually for worse.on another army wood train escorted by the morefor the kill, the much wiser and more capable Captain capable Captain Powell, finally and very reluctantlyPowell was able to extricate his wood train and get itFor the next couple of relatively tranquil years Crazy agreed to let Fetterman cut loose, however admonishinglargely unscathed to the safety of Fort Kearny. But withHorse\'s main troubles and warfare were of a domestic him (later corroborated by Lieutenant Grummond\'sthe slaughter of Fetterman\'s command, the alreadynature, involving a beautiful but unattainable squaw by widow, who would later marry Colonel Carrington)unmanned fort was now surrounded and under siege the name of Black Buffalo Woman. But on the historical that "under no circumstances. . .(to)pursue over theby Red Cloud\'s warriors. horizon were further troubles with the whites, including ridge, that is Lodge Trail Ridge." Carrington once againa then-Colonel named Crook and a brash, as daring as repeated his orders, as Fetterman, so disdainful ofThis was, according to one account, the best day of CrazyCrazy Horse was, one-time "Boy General" of the Army Carrington that he refused to obey these final orders,Horse\'s life (Ibid., p. 159). After a harrowing winter,by the name of Custer. Just another story to come. rode out, with a force of 81, augmented by two civilianswhich witnessed a daring race against time and attack and a dog of Fort Phil Kearny for the last time on theby the intrepid scoutPick up our February issue for Part 3.morning of December 21, 1866. They had but two hoursJohn "Portugee" Phillips left to live - and would never witness another Christmas. riding Carrington\'s owntrusted steed to seek THE MAKING OF AN OGLALA WAR CHIEF help from Fort Laramie, CRAZY HORSE over 200 miles away. Watching the soldiers move out of the fort and proceed(Leaving Fort Kearny on up towards the snow-covered ridge line, the youngthe evening of December but already veteran of both tribal warfare and fighting22, riding through snow against the whites, Crazy Horse, chosen by his fellowflurries and a blizzard, Oglala Red Cloud to lead the Indian counterattack,the exhausted Phillips initially planned a decoy to lure the soldiers further upreached Fort Laramie the ridge. Choosing ten warriors and himself, CrazyChristmas evening, Horse appeared at the top of the ridge taunting thestaggering right into a panting and exhausted mixed force of cavalry andChristmas Ball, while his infantry and then "mooned" them barring their buttockspoor horse collapsed at in the freezing snow as a sign of contempt. Behind him,his post, sank into the just a little ways beyond the ridge, stood a thousandsnow and died.) The army Sioux, Cheyenne and Arapaho warriors - just waiting towould relieve Carrington, plunge down upon the small force of soldiers. and then later abandon Fort Kearny which was If Fetterman was a wise man, a man seasoned in thepromptly burned to the ways of Indian warfare and stealth, he might have takenground by the vengeful pause, recognized that the taunts and barring of butt wasand then-victorious to lure his command into a trap that they couldn\'t escapeSioux. Red Cloud wasCome enjoy a great time and from, would have turned east and gone down to succorextremely impressed with Captain Powell\'s wood train. Instead, hell bent on glorythe exploits, leadershipdelicious menu at the depot!and in clear violation of his orders, Fetterman, Brown,skills and daring-do of hisOPEN DAILY 2pm11pm (or later if the Grummond, their men and that one poor dog chargedfellow Oglala, and Crazyparty is still going!)CLOSED on Wednesdaysnorth and straight into Crazy Horse\'s well-made ambushHorse would become HAPPY HOUR 4pm-6pm on Beers, from which there would be no escape. Shouting "Hokaa trusted lieutenant He(y), Hoka He(y) - it is a good day to die, Crazy Horseof Red Cloud\'s. SoonDrafts, Drinks, and Appetizers sent his warriors forward. Scores of arrows, the wingedhowever, disillusioned and KARAOKE Every Thu. and Sat. from 7pm-11pmmessengers of death rained down upon the trappedangered by Red Cloud\'s POOL TOURNAMENT on Sundays at and terrified infantry caught staggering in the freezingresignation and seemingly snow, the infantry who died first, Fetterman and Brownaccommodation of white2pmCall to sign up!TO-GO Ordersamongst them, said to have shot each other in the end todemands, Crazy Horse27200 S State Hwy 89 Congress, AZ 85332avoid capture, although more recent accounts insist thatwould part ways with Red it was a Sioux warrior, American Horse, who jumpedCloud, the uncle of his928-427-6355Fetterman as he tried to flee, slitting his throat. lifelong friend He Dog, ArizonaRealCountry.com January 2023 57'