History: Custer’s Crow Scouts at the Battle of Little Big Horn

The Battle of the Little Bighorn is still discussed today, as few know exactly what happened, and even those who were there perhaps in a few years had their memories grow dim.

One of the reputed only survivors of the US Army at the Custer Battle was Custer’s Crow scout, Curley. Some accounts, including his own, say he was at the battle, other accounts say he wasn’t at the battle at all. But, either way, he was one of Custer’s most famous scouts. There was also White-Man-Runs-Him, Bloody Knife, and Hairy Moccasins.

Indian scouts played a big part in the battles on the western frontier. Here are a few articles about how the scouts helped the United States Army. Without them, history may have been written differently.

This from the Cheyenne Weekly Leader, March 1, 1877 –Cawing Crows What They See and Say About the Strength and Movements of the Hostiles. The Crow Indians are closely watching the movements of the hostiles and report every few days to their Agent, who forwards the information by courier to Gen. Brisbin at Fort Ellis. The Crows say that ever since Miles’ fight on Tongue River, the Sioux, Cheyenne and Arapahoe have been moving up through the Wolf Mountains and concentrating on the Little Horn. It is believed their village is on the Little Horn near where the Custer massacre occurred and contains fully eight hundred lodges with probably 1,800 to 2,000 warriors. The village lately located on Stinking Water has moved over to the Little Horn and joined the big camp there.

The Crows were watching this camp and it was hoped they would remain at the mouth of Stinking Water until the troops came down in the Spring, when it was intended to attack the camp with a combined force of Indians and soldiers, and if possible, destroy it. It has, however, upset all the plans for its capture by going to join the hostiles. The Crows followed it closely and watched it until they were satisfied it was moving to the hostile camp on the Little Horn. Major Carpenter, the Crow Agent, writes: “I am informed, by what I consider reliable information, the Cheyenne and Arapaho camp on Stinking Water has moved down to the Little Horn and joined the hostile camp concentrating there. They moved three weeks ago, and the Crow scouts followed their trail quite closely into the country between Little and Big Horn rivers, and no doubt they have formed a junction with the hostiles. Reports from Pryor say that Indians are lurking along the river. Warn the couriers to look out.”

“I have plenty of volunteers for scouting, but snow is so deep that scouts can do little yet. As soon as the snow goes so that they can travel I will push them out and obtain more definite information. Will send messenger at once if I hear anything. Blackfoot wishes to assist you in the spring campaign, and says he will furnish plenty of men.

A message from Blackfoot says: “I am ready and want to go to war with the whites against the Sioux. All our young men are anxious to fight the Sioux. We want the Sioux driven away or killed. They are now on the Little Horn, plenty of them. When you go with your white soldiers to fight, then we will go too,'” General Brisbin has made an arrangement with Major Carpenter by which five Crow scouts are kept in the saddle all the time to watch the Sioux and report their movements and strength, These scouts are without pay, but are furnished with rations and ammunition while they are out. The accuracy of the information they bring is something wonderful. For example, long before Miles moved up the Tongue river they had reported the exact position and strength of the hostile camp. A map made at Fort Ellis, showing the camp, was actually in the hands of General Terry before Miles struck the camp. This map located the hostiles on Tongue River 100 miles from its mouth. Miles marched it and reports the distance to the camp 115 miles up Tongue River. The Crows and the hostiles were in two camps, one on the right bank and the other on the left bank of Tongue. Miles found the camp situated exactly in that position. The Crows reported the village contained eight hundred lodges and 1,600 warriors. Miles says he found 600 lodges and was fought by over 1,000 warriors. The Crows said one camp was under Crazy Horse and the other under Sitting Bull. Miles mentions Crazy Horse but says nothing about Sitting Bull. The Crows are perhaps the best scouts on the continent and the most venturesome.

A few ago weeks some young Crow warriors sent to get information about the Cheyenne and Arapahoe camp on the Stinking Water, crept into the village at night while a scalp dance was going on and went into some vacant lodges, took three carbines and a pistol out of them, and then stole a lot of fine ponies, got away with them, and returned in safety to the Crow village. The relations existing between the Crows and the Fort Ellis forces are of the most friendly nature, and Gen. Brisbin is constantly in receipt of messages from them asking permission to assist in the coming campaign. The scouts bringing in information neither receive or ask for pay, but are evidently actuated by a desire to render assistance.

Curley was one of Custer’s favorite Crow scouts. He was credited for bringing the news of Custer’s defeat to The Far West Steamship after the battle.

From the Wyoming Tribune (Cheyenne), October 3, 1903 – Talking about Curley bringing the news of the Battle of the Little Big Horn. – It has been said “Thermopylae had its messenger of defeat: the Alamo had none.” The same applies with – equal force to the famous battle on the Little Big Horn, at least, so far as the United States regulars who were immediately engaged. We did meet, I however, the sole surviving Indian scout, Curley, and interviewed him at ” some length through an interpreter. Curley’s opinion as to the exact time and duration of the battle does not conform to other recorded statements of this fact. Curley thought the engagement began at about 10 o’clock in the morning and was over at noon lie made his escape safely and carried the news of the crushing defeat, back to General Terry.

This is from The Sundance Reform, May 4, 1893 – Scout Curley,a half bred Crow, who was the only man of Custer’s command to escape with his life, will be here at the exposition. He will sell mementos of Custer’s life.

This is from The Laramie Republican, October 20, 1911 – Custer Survivor. In the reception line on the station platform here, when the Taft (President Taft) train came in, was Curley, the Crow scout, who is supposed to have been the only man with General Custer to escape in the Little Big Horn fight Curley reported the news of the massacre of Custer’s troops. Mr. Taft shook hands with him as he passed.

This from the Kemmerer Camera, Lincoln County, Wyoming, Wednesday, February 11, 1914 – In Custer Battle –“Curley the Crow” Tells How He Caught Heroic Soldier. Halfbreed Sioux Scout, Only Survivor of Massacre, Relates How Famous General Fell Dead In His Arms. St Louis.— Curley (“Curley the Crow”), the halfbreed Sioux scout, now In his seventy-second year, and the only survivor of, the Custer massacre. At the Planters’ hotel here he gave some interesting details, some of them new, of the battle of the Little Big Horn on June 14, 1876, In which Custer and practically all of his command perished.

A large lithograph of “Custer’s Last Stand” represents the scene truly In all respects but one, Curley says. “The artist should not have shown scalped and mutilated American soldiers on the battle field.” Curley remarked. ‘There was no scalping and no mutilation. Four hundred and seventy-three soldiers were killed and not a mark was found on them that was not made by bullets.

“I was General Custer’s scout, he and the other whitemen knew me as Curley. By some of the Indians I was called Bloody Knife. (Another scout was also called ‘Bloody Knife.’) Though I was a scout for the army, I was in no danger from the Indians except the danger of being accidentally shot In battle. The Indians never purposely killed a scout. Spies they would kill, but not scouts.

They respected scouts who could speak the Indians’ language, too. I knew eleven Indian languages, and I could go from the white soldiers’ camp to the Indians’ and smoke the pipe with the chiefs.

“On the evening before the battle I ate with Rain-in-the-Face. He was my uncle, brother of my mother, who was a full-blooded Sioux. I knew Sitting Bull, but I did not see him just at that time. He was the high priest of the Sioux, not their leader in battle. He told me there would be a battle, and said I must keep out of it. I said I would stay with General Custer, no matter what the danger was.

“That night I was sent by Custer to summon Colonel Reno and Captain Benteen with their commands, to reinforce him. “I reached Reno first and he refused to go, saying he and his men could not get across the river. Had he started at that time he might have saved Custer. I afterward testified at the court martial which dismissed him from the service. “I went on to Captain Benteen and he started his command at once. They crossed the same stream which Reno had been afraid to try and came in the morning to where a high hill separated them from Custer’s men. I took one way over the hill and Benteen took what he thought was a shorter way. He did not reach the place, but his men, under subordinate officers. got there in time to perish with Custer’s men.”

“As I got on the other side of the hill I was in the range of the Indians’ guns. While I was still a long way off my horse was shot under me. and I got away and ran until came into the thick of the fighting.

“As I got there I saw the soldiers were lying dead right and left Those 473 had been surrounded by 6,000 Sioux Custer fighting with his saber, and I thought he was the last man alive there, but I soon saw that his brother Tom Custer was fighting beside him. He fell and the General stood alone. The Indians could have killed him there, but the purpose was to take him alive. The reason for that purpose is known to me, and I shall tell of it in a story I am going to write.

Fourteen Indians whom he slashed and gashed with his saber lay near him most of them dead or dying. “Then I saw Rain-in-the-Face. He said harshly: ‘Curley, I told you to keep out’

“‘I couldn’t get away, I replied; my horse was shot’ I called to General Custer, meaning to tell him of Reno’s refusal to come, and he said: ‘You here. Curley? We’ll fight to the end.’ “Those were his last words. A big Sioux seized his arm and Custer turned on him and dealt a terrific saber stroke that half cut his head off. As he did this the son of the Sioux fired his rifle at Custer and the bullet went through his heart “In the familiar picture there is an Indian seen pushing his way through toward Custer as he fell. That man was myself. I held his head as he sank back dead.”

Later there were many versions of the Custer Massacre story, here is one that debunks a few myths of the battle.

Rock Springs Miner, May 27, 1916, part of a longer article about the Custer Battle. – It is believed by many that Custer wore long hair at the time of the battle. In fact, his hair was cut very short. It is generally thought that Scout Curley of the Crow tribe, reputed “sole survivor” of the battle, was with Custer and escaped through the Sioux lines. He had no part in the fight and did not even see Custer’s ‘ command surrounded by the Sioux. Custer is generally depicted with two revolvers, in reality he carried only one, but included in his personal armament was a 50-caliber rifle and a bowie knife, beside the .45 caliber revolver. He carried no saber.

So, even if the stories didn’t always jive, the Indian Scouts were very important to the U.S. Army during the Sioux Wars. The era of the Indian Scouts ended in the early 1920s. Before that time, 16 Indian scouts received the Medal of Honor.

Displays at the Little Bighorn Battlefield Visitor Center and Museum, and graves in the Custer National Cemetery at Little Bighorn Battlefield.