wooden leg warrior warrior book life fought historic battles united_states forces plains indians including faced troops book great value historians eye witness accounts battles detailed description way life 19th century plains indians book dictated common language gathered stories book physician agency montana reluctant open eventually gained trust lived turbulent times history book begins childhood descriptions customs include tribal organisation warrior societies sport religion mythology friendship cooperation arrow recognition introduced warfare young age conflict crow joined warrior society age book describes participation important battles war plains tribes fought united_states included preceding battle succeeding dull knife fight following surrender tribe deported oklahoma eventually allowed return fort worked scout army later appointed judge tongue river indian reservation describes detail befriended old chief end life little wolf great war leader having killed drunk description caused controversy book published particularly claim soldiers committed suicide claim discussed scholars investigated firm conclusions reached publishing history published title warrior book later reprinted current title book written person style autobiography translated edited stories placing chronological order edition bills interpreter describes author book original preface went write books participants events era research wrote book age begun researching year doctor came contact appointed agency physician reservation montana initial aim collect hand accounts white survivors obtaining indian accounts important obtaining complete historical record took years fully gain trust indians complete task meantime project grew added details life events little eventually historical account battle biography principal informant issue trust difficult overcome relates attitudes peace feast organised commemorate 30th anniversary presence united_states soldiers questioned battle answered extreme caution facts particularly deaths soldiers avoided despite long passage time battle feared trapped chose reveal believed soldiers died suicide hands comrades knew issue soldiers angry past left talking indian gave colourful entirely inaccurate account elected allowed remain silent slowly broke barriers eventually persuaded survivors contact open sixteen battle intervening period years battle interviews lived montana sites overlooking view reliable witnesses continual retelling stories anchored visible reality locations spoke little english spoke communicated mainly plains indian sign language occasionally interpreter provided maps sketches narrative book material wooden leg support contributors including seventeen participants alive time interviews gives specific credits feathers white moon younger different person known chief little wolf led oklahoma synopsis early years born father previously known bullet wounds took admired uncle walker ability shared meaning legs wood feel pain matter warfare common narrative soon describing conflict crow took fighting young age involved conflicts indian tribes especially neighbouring fought soldiers elder brother killed fight fort attempt clear forts hardships hunting snow minimal clothing boy described unique indian methods transport camp moves early life travelled region tongue powder rivers ways life according tribal organisation old men tribal chiefs big chiefs northern plains indian tribes number warrior societies led warrior chief helped little warrior chiefs wooden leg time warrior societies crazy dog fox tribal chiefs delegated executive authority warrior societies action requirements war hunting expeditions camp moves decided tribal chiefs currently designated warrior society acted police age joined society big event young boy life rules society currently duty warrior society sole task hand members societies allowed scouts camp approach buffalo hunt course teenage boys push boundaries exception episodes related friends narrowly avoid punishment sport events betting usual warrior societies great contests kinds took place happened travelling warrior societies took chief great distance runner youth jokingly challenged fifties little wolf accepted challenge won despite race pacing mythological magical stories found book tale recounts version story great bear supposed marks tower feature later seen film close encounters kind life documented book includes guide arrow recognition information marriage customs wear subjects puts perspective comparison plains tribes reader learns tribes especially deity called sacred camp holds tribal medicine object case buffalo head buffalo heads appear myths ceremonies medicine important event age supervision experienced old medicine man making medicine form worship involves prayer pain sun dance making medicine takes place specially constructed medicine lodge war indians driven family chose live reservation instead took advantage provision fort treaty indian hunting grounds decided live permanently hunting grounds staying contact white man far possible chose spent winter reservations reservation indians arrived camp rare goods tobacco sugar cause celebration february received news intended war indians return reservations report initially believed fighting white man acting provisions treaty similar information brought respected chiefs started posting good leg friends skirmish party soldiers subsequent ongoing fighting great war took nearly major engagement end winter camp attacked destroyed indians escaped possessions winter moved join allies led moved north east join led point joined group indians continually camp find game grazing large numbers people horses arrows gone joined groups tribes waist skirt indians joined chief lame white man small group believed chiefs gathered tribes place defence prepare war whites young men keen hand attempt hide says trail followed blind person quarter half mile wide scouting mission group spotted soldiers coming south camp took ensuing battle soldiers driven little indians placed camp circles openings facing east valley river camps occupied considerable area total size difficult assess river north east camp high ridge hills indians expecting trouble soldiers attended organised social dance night battle day battle find camp panic caused soldiers major attacking south east orders lieutenant colonel torn desire quickly join battle need best clothes paint face indian custom look best possibility ending stopped hair father urged hurry indians drove pinned soldiers spotted additional troops making way hills east force led meant time indians broke fight engage soldiers wooden leg went camp river valley directly soldiers father tried dissuade fighting grounds hear persuaded rejoin fight total command fight helped save life group angry arrived fight accused aiding soldiers threatened kill accompanied knew fluent presented case speak realised indians time actions little wolf small band provoked premature attack believed presence known main body indians command wiped soldiers present returned fight night morning handful comrades initially firing success high ground descended lie wait soldiers coming water succeeded killing man private describes recovery objects dead soldiers indians understand compass threw away paper money found realising value gave away coins knew value wish trade white men new column soldiers observed approaching main force infantry brigadier general decided continue fight point indians entire camp packed relocated parting tribes tribes travelled weeks camping locations tongue rivers arriving starting point tribes decided split difficult hunt food provide danger winter approached joined small war party raid crow territory return journey visited site battle looking rifle remarks large number soldier boot bottoms indians use complete boots cut tops use leather items came valley group surprised sight entire tribe attacked camp soldiers indians camp destroyed lost possessions searched eventually found beaver creek welcomed sufficiently supplies decided separate early process attacked soldiers sister captured engagement rode attempt rescue driven gunfire soldiers indians escaped soldiers follow hunted peacefully months surrender spring approached received envoys colonel future commanding general united_states_army inviting surrender received encouraging reports released prisoners said treated chiefs decide tribe closer mouth committing surrender stopped sent delegation chiefs fort negotiate negotiations proceeding heard suicide sister prisoner fort discussion tribal chiefs decided agency agency friends surrender instead tribe followed chiefs allowed decision family decided surrender agency brother joined groups chose surrender place group led fox warrior society chief bull small band unable hunt sufficient food slowly weaker eventually travelled agency surrendered satisfied situation came word moved south oklahoma shocked angered news expected able continue live homeland given guns horses entering agency oklahoma journey oklahoma began took days indians fled agency news announced brother oklahoma received news killed white men hunting hunted reservation large game indians allowed leave fed promised sickness little wolf campaigned action eventually dull knife led tribe reservation fight way north father stayed reservation hoping food eventually provided frequent contact period learnt familiar learned tried come north fight summer met opposition soldiers finally took wife years south northern given permission leave join little wolf pine ridge agency agency father died south rest family departed later relocated tongue river country tribe living changed times changes taken place north acting scouts army previously hated little wolf revoked killed man drunk age joined army scouts fort spent time learning drink following year scouts involved campaign rebellious present wounded knee massacre scouts prepared fight called befriended exiled little wolf end great chief life said bad hearts little wolf murder dead man brother said little wolf kill brother white man little wolf interred standing upright pile stones overlooking valley attended peace feast little commemorate 30th anniversary battle veterans fearful retribution soldiers present late 50th anniversary attend 50th anniversary fear site crow land felt animosity resolved place called shake hands crow different attitude enemies travelled friendly visit delegation washington visited new_york philadelphia trip baptised christian privately prayed feeling comfortable praying way allowed hold annual dance customs forbidden practising indian medicine end jail appointed government judge agency capacity obliged enforce ruling forbidding multiple wives found difficult wives felt obliged set example send away wife years clearly struggling conscience resigned post later persuaded new indian agent hoped daughters comfortable life younger died unexpectedly illness later daughter died adopted brought story ends old man increasingly unable farm land compared pension scouting days pay judge comfortable life thinks old days man brave academic importance important original source information general battle little big horn particular hundreds books written great war battles characters large number books looked provide source material especially true fight shortage eyewitness accounts united_states books social issues find usable material wooden leg topic plains indians small selection hundreds books use reference listed end article regularly cited papers academic journals addressing social educational issues found historical journals selection papers given foot article source information military social history book rich source anecdotes tale describes chase fleeing soldier indian willing shoot fleeing man brave prevent soldier shooting soldier horse describes screams mother presented present story sitting lodge friend dying battle wounds wants support friend doesn know examples reviews new_york_times review new_york_times book publication finds writing reviewer notes details lifestyle deeply interesting review taken challenges factual accuracy indian account despite surviving events indian passage time battle details given indian participants controversial believed widow dedicated life memory husband hero attacked offering different point view alive special exception taken claim men committed suicide defeat inevitable claim body indians disputed reasons clear identification body time battle knew brother tom information provided merely described markings saw body biography describes fact body identified provides introduction edition book president chief dull knife college educator writes indian culture language describes career choice inspired reading earlier edition book undergraduate struck rapid transition free independent people society restricted reservations dependent federal government expresses bitterness government shows expression shame played scouts actions role locating chief joseph epic ultimately futile attempt escape government control notes describes sense shame talking life believes book helps explain historical origins modern attitudes northern tribes instance crow traditionally enemies traditionally allies says knew understand underlying reasons read book humorous claim alliance needed hold horses friendship claim repeated possibly originated migration region obtained horses descendant chief dull knife major figure history contemporary suicide controversy theory soldiers committed suicide end battle little controversial right start discussion continues today keen advocate theory developed fully later book bullet notion controversial find publisher book appear print long death critics exaggerated role played suicide entirely mistaken says theory discounted academics suggests errors use sign language claims convey language despite criticism maintains work great importance doubt relating tale mass suicide book discusses length cause effects common theory indians believed prayers medicine men cause taste time battle immediately took captured bottle later life changed mind theory experiencing effects alcohol hand note version oral tradition witnesses notably young woman witnessed battle oral tradition fox concludes simply contention nonsense undoubtedly took lives hard know factors fostered idea wholesale suicide fox turn criticised indian oral tradition suits nonsense finds suggestion warriors pressed details battle reluctant admit killing soldiers fear punishment simple way dilemma questioned non indians soldiers died hands researchers retracted claim later life extreme old age age book written cause prayer book timber tribal historian agrees said things book took later soldiers drunk killed went army men time wanted find interpreted asked true indians said soldiers laughed said indians soldiers best said drunk killed book archaeologists attempted test suicide theory particularly examination remains unable reach conclusion suicide theory ruled archaeological evidence evidence support works citing book books crazy horse life isbn bury heart wounded knee indian history american west inc isbn american indian isbn hearts fell ground plains indian views west lost books martin press isbn wolves blue soldiers united_states_army myth isbn indian views great war isbn companion comprehensive guide life george armstrong plains indian wars isbn confronting scale issues theory practice isbn isbn tell going home odyssey isbn great documents press isbn continuing role sacred arrows sacred buffalo hat northern history volume isbn good year die story great war isbn plains wars isbn archaeological perspectives battle little isbn eyewitness old west hand accounts exploration adventure isbn soldier private view war isbn john stands timber isbn lance shield isbn sitting bull life times american patriot isbn remember little indians soldiers isbn fate plains indians isbn little big horn diary chronicle indian war isbn journal articles history forgotten women case study indians autumn subscription required enhancing middle grades social studies biography october subscription required buffalo men ceremony petition spring subscription required sanctuary subscription required developmental cycle american indian quarterly subscription required political history subscription required fighting fire fire use indian scouts allies trans mississippi campaigns american indian culture research journal ucla american indian studies center subscription required american indian culture promises problems possibilities december subscription required new way study cultural landscapes blue earth hills assessment landscape urban planning november subscription required
Wooden Leg: A Warrior Who Fought Custer