Autobiography of Red Cloud: War Leader of the Oglalas
R. Eli Pail, Editor
A friend of mine, knowing my interest in Native American
life, loaned me this book. She is an
ancestor of Charles Wesley Allen, one of two white men responsible for garnering
from Red Cloud his involvement in intertribal warfare on the Great Plains and
present-day Montana and Wyoming
Although the introduction is informative, it is enough first
to know where and when Red Cloud was born (1821, along Blue Creek, a tributary
of the North Platte River in present day Garden County, Nebraska) and where and
when he died (1909, Pine Ridge Reservation, South Dakota).
Living on the Pine Ridge Reservation during his later years,
Red Cloud walked each day to the Pine Ridge post office to receive his mail and
spend considerable time talking with old friends and associates, two of whom
were Sam Deon, a white trader who had done business with Red Cloud on the
plains for many years, and Charles Allen, former newspaperman and at that time
Pine Ridge postmaster. It was Allen who
devised the plan to write an autobiography of the famous chief’s life. Allen explained his plan in 1917.
The two [Red Cloud and
Deon] used to put in two or three hours a day visiting on the bench by the post
office, so I made arrangements with Mr. Deon to begin at the beginning and with
questions and queries induced Red Cloud to go over his life from the beginning.
… Immediately at the close of the conversation Mr. Deon would report [translate]
to me, and I would take down all the facts as notes. … This continued through the whole summer [of
1893] and up to late in the fall,
practically six months in duration or until the finish.
Editor R. Eli Paul wrote: “No evidence exists that Red Cloud
knew of Deon and Allen’s arrangement, nor is it know whether he would have
cared. After six months, Deon’s
methodical probing may have aroused Red Cloud’s suspicions, hence the suspension
of the old chief’s storytelling when it reached a more sensitive time in his
life” – his dealings with the U.S. Army and the federal government.
Red Cloud told Deon that he had participated in 80 battles.
The autobiography relates 21 experiences.
They are all interesting.
Particularly interesting to me were these three stories.
***
During the 1840s, Red
Cloud, who had so rapidly risen in the estimation of his people, as a brave
young man, had become one of the head warriors of his tribe; he had introduced
the system of small war parties composed of from eight to twelve men whom he
was always accorded the command by unanimous consent. If fact, his bravery and sagacity had become
so generally acknowledged that his name was synonymous with success. Strongly supported by a large body of admiring
adherents, yet secretly opposed by the envy and jealousy of rivals, his fame
continued to increase …
In the spring of 1849, Red Cloud, in the flush and vigor of youth, being twenty-eight years of age, decided
to take a party of twelve warriors on a foray against the Shoshone
Indians. After the party had traveled
about one hundred miles, a discussion arose about whether they should continue their
mission or return to their village. The
cause of the disaffection, Red Cloud discovered, was Black Eagle, a man who had long been one of his trustiest
warriors, but who, having grown jealous of his leader’s popularity, sought to
embarrass this undertaking by creating mutiny.
This he endeavored to do by telling his comrades that they were all lost
among the mountains, that Red Cloud did not know where they were going, and
that they were foolish to be dragged along day after day to a place where their
enemies could so easily ambush them.
Having discovered Black Eagle’s intentions, Red Cloud had
his party climb to the top of a mountain where visibility extended for many
miles. Addressing Black Eagle and three
warriors that had taken Black Eagle’s side, pointing to the east, Red cloud
said, “Do you see that high blue ridge away yonder? At the foot of that mountain is our village;
there is where the women are. Go! You cannot get lost. You can go back over the same trail you
came. There is lots of game; get some of
your party to kill it for you, and, when there is another party to go out, you
had better stay at home and sent your women.”
Proceeding farther west, Red Cloud and his remaining
followers eventually discovered a Shoshone village, killed and scalped two
horse herders, and made off with a large section of horses. As they returned home, they came upon Red
Cloud’s brother, who told them that Black Eagle had spread news that Red
Cloud’s party was scattered and lost in
the Big Horn Mountains
***
In love with two women, Red Cloud had to choose whom to
marry first. Pretty Owl and Pine Leaf were their names, and the only matter for him [the
autobiography is written in third person] to decide was, which of the two
should be number one, for, while he could properly marry each of them, he could
not marry both of them at once. …
… there was one grim
and silent witness who stood aloof with jealous, scornful looks. It was Pine Leaf. Red Cloud had caught sight of her several
times during the day’s festive marriage ceremony. Realizing
that she was not aware of either his feelings or his intentions [to marry her
at a later time], he mentally resolved to seek her out at the first opportunity
and acquaint her with his purpose, but the opportunity never came. The next morning he discovered that Pine Leaf
had hung herself.
***
A raid conducted by Red Cloud went awry after Gros Ventres
tribesmen had warned an Arikara (Ree) village of the Sioux party’s near
presence. Dangerously exposed, Red Cloud
escaped by boat.
… the Arikaras needed
conveyances to cross the Missouri and resorted to the “bull hide boat” … It consisted of buffalo hides stretched
tightly over a round framework of willow, not the most seaworthy of watercraft
… in the editor’s words an unwieldy
tub of fur.
The Sioux from their
hiding place watched the Ree village …Red Cloud and his party began getting
nearer and nearer to the village. The
Rees had rounded up their horses in the early past of the evening, and they
were standing quietly at the edge of the village, having become accustomed to
being corralled nights.
The Sioux had decided
to make a rush and stampede the herd and, if an opportunity presented itself,
shoot a struggling Ree or two and escape with their booty. Told by the Gros Ventres of the near proximity
of the Sioux, the Ree villagers had set up an ambush. Having charged, surrounded in front, at each
side, and behind, the Sioux party received a volley of bullets and arrows. As soon
as they could … Red Cloud and a companion, who had led the charge, dismounted and sought refuge among the loose
horses. Soon the herd began to
separate in small bunches.
… Dodging along among the horses he [Red
Cloud] drew his blanket over his head and
face. Wrapping it closely about him with
his gun concealed beneath he stepped boldly out into the Ree village and began
walking toward the river. It was quite
dark, but the lights shone from the tops of the lower buildings. … He was passed once or twice but not
accosted. …
Red Cloud’s only
object had been to reach the river. Once
there he felt he could plunge in and swim to safety, but, when he descended the
bank, he saw several canoes. Cutting one
of them loose he got into it. He knew
very little about managing the thing, but after a few awkward strokes he
succeeded in getting out into the channel when it began to ride away from the
Ree village. … he drifted along down the
swift current all that night. …
… He traveled nights
without any interruption, but during the day he would stop to hunt and sleep
and get views of the country to see if the coast was clear … Eventually he
came upon a Missouri River Sioux village.
There was great rejoicing when he
entered his own village, for it was
supposed that he had been killed.
***
I enjoyed as much the details of native life that Deon and
Allen were able to include. For this
reason alone, reading Red Cloud’s “autobiography” is worth any curious reader’s
attention. This book helps feel the need
of readers like myself to know something about the lives of human beings over
hundreds of years about which there is no or very little written record. Paperback
and kindle versions are available for purchase on amazon.com.
No comments:
Post a Comment