SITTING BULL WOUNDED BY THE CROW

About the year 1873 while the Hunkpapa were camped on the banks of the Little Missouri River, they suffered considerable owing to the severity of the winter season.

Horses were afflicted with the mange and by spring there was a heavy loss of horses. So on account of this a party of warriors started on foot in quest of Crow horses.

Sitting Bull was in this party. They walked a long distance during the night and lay in ambush somewhere during the day-time. On the fourth day, the war-party reached a place where there was a little running stream with some timber on it, evidently a tributary of the Powder River.

The Crow village was nestled on the west side of the stream.They sized up everything and after a conference among themselves, decided to keep out of sight till night fall. They selected the shrewdest scout to watch the movements of the village.

The Crows had plenty of horses which they kept a very close watch on. Boys and young men were taking care of them.It was noticed that during the day time these horses were taken away some distance from the village to feed.

They had a special scout who rides up on the top of the highest hill watching any intruders that may venture toward the village. About evening, just about dusk the Lakota scout reported that all the horses had been driven to the camp except one bunch still grazing in the care of two young boys.

The warriors decided to charge upon this immedia-tely. Preliminaries were made and Sitting Bull was assigned to attack the Crow boys in charge of the horses. Now they started at the word Hoka hey. Down the hill they ran toward where the boys were holding the horses.

By the time the Lakota warriors had reached the place a party of ‘crow warriors’ rushed forward from the camp in defense. They shot promiscuously in the dusk and Sitting Bull was shot in the wrist.

The other members of the party succeeded getting the horses and one of them — Kangi nunpa, Two Crows caught a well brokehorse and took it to Sitting Bull, who mounted quickly and succeeded getting away in safety before the Crows had arrived.

The Sioux made a clean get-away with nearly fifty head of Crow horses. One of the warriors dug up herb and root medicine, dressed Sitting Bull’s wound. He was the only one wounded in that dangerous undertaking. When they reached home the old timers said, “Sitting Bull surely has the endurance of a buffalo bull experiencing all kinds of hardships on the war-path.