The Arikara Narrative of the Campaign Against the Hostile Dakotas June 1876

By Orin Grant Libby

Considered one of the most important source documents for the study of the Battle of the Little Bighorn, Custer's Last Stand, the Arikara Narrative is a fascinating account of this seminal event. No scholar of the Little Bighorn conflict omits this book from their bibliography. George Armstrong Custer rode to the Little Bighorn with forty Arikara scouts (among others). Of this group, nine survivors were interviewed in 1912. Their accounts of the battle were carefully translated and then published in 1920. From inside the book: "The purpose in publishing this material on the Indian campaign of 1876 is twofold. Merely as a matter of justice to the Arikara Indian scouts their version of the campaign in which they played an important part should have long ago been given to the public. Nearly every other conceivable angle of this memorable campaign has received attention and study. But during the past generation the Arikara scouts, true to their oath of fealty to the government as they understood it, have remained silent as to their own part in those eventful days. "The present narrative is designed to make public the real story of the Arikara Indian scouts who served with Terry and under the immediate command of Custer. In August, 1912, the nine survivors of some forty of these scouts met at the home of Bear's Belly on the Fort Berthold Reservation, at Armstrong, and there they related to Judge A. McG. Beede and to the secretary of the State Historical Society the various portions of the narrative that follow. Each of the scouts gave that special portion of the whole with which he was most familiar. The narrators were very scrupulous to confine themselves to just that portion of the common experience to which they were eye witnesses." CONTENTS Historical Introduction Narrative Of The Arikara Sitting Bear's Story Story of the First Enlistment The Narrative as continued by Soldier The Enlistment as told by Young Hawk The Second Enlistment Red Bear's Story Boy Chief's Story of His Enlistment Account of an Interview with Custer Red Star's Story of the March Story of how the Mail was brought Continuation of Red Star's Story Young Hawk's Story Red Star's Story continued Red Star's Story of Special Scout Work Narrative of Young Hawk Supplementary Story by Soldier Continuation by Red Star Boy Chief, and Strikes Two Red Star's Additional Interview Supplementary Story by Red Bear Later Story by Running Wolf Later Story of Little Sioux Later Story of Goes-Ahead Appendix Expedition To The Black Hills Gerard's Story Of The Custer Fight Biographies Soldier Strikes Two Young Hawk Red Star Red Bear One Feather Running Wolf Goes Ahead, Crow Scout James Coleman

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 1093973021
• ISBN13: 9781093973020
• Release Date: April 2019
• Publisher: Independently Published
• Length: 155 Pages
• Weight: 0.64 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.4" x 6.0" x 9.0"