White Bull describes killing Custer

Today, June 25th marks the 143rd anniversary of the Battle of the Greasy Grass aka The Battle of the Little Big Horn aka Custer’s Last Stand, the greatest resistance the government has experienced by Natives of this land. My mother told me years ago that our relative, White Bull, was who specifically killed George Armstrong Custer. The first time she told me, I was surprised by her calm and humble approach to sharing this historical news with me. She shared this news so confidently.

Last weekend, I went to our One Bull Family Reunion. One Bull was the brother to White Bull. They both fought at the Battle of the Greasy Grass and lived long lives of historical significance. Their mother, Good Feather Woman, was the sister to Sitting Bull. Sitting Bull adopted One Bull as his son when One Bull was 4 years old. One Bull wore Sitting Bull’s green shield at the The Battle of the Greasy Grass.

At the One Bull family reunion, many stories about One Bull, White Bull and Sitting Bull were shared. Some of White Bull’s family joined us. Before introducing a particular White Bull family, my grandfather Everett, talked about White Bull being the one who killed Custer. This White Bull family introduced themselves in our Lakota language. They brought copies of the ledger drawings done by White Bull they retrieved from (I believe) the South Dakota Historical Society. Among the pieces, was a drawing where White Bull depicts he killed Long Hair (Custer). (I asked my mom to take a picture of the drawing. I posted the picture below.)

Our history is not history at all. The blood of our ancestors continues to run through our veins. Our families continue their legacies of strength, perseverance, dedication to our people and the land, resilience. We have it in our blood to do what’s best for our people, to ensure the safety and livelihood of the next generations. We continue to fight the system intended on eradicating us. We continue to adapt to living in two worlds. We continue to long for the days when we were truly free and truly living. We continue to forgive. We continue to demand our voices to be heard. We continue to fight for what is right for the next generations, for what is right for the land.

I wanted to include an excerpt of White Bull describing his experience of literally fighting George A. Custer. I included it below. My mother, Ernestine Brown-Chasing Hawk told me her father, Charles Brown told her he remembers his grandfather, One Bull being interviewed by Stanley Vestal, in the 1930s. White Bull was also interviewed. My grandfather was just a child then.

White Bull’s description of counting coup on Custer in an interview with Vestal:

“I charged in. A tall, well-built soldier with yellow hair and mustache saw me coming and tried to bluff me, aiming his rifle at me. But when I rushed him, he threw his rifle at me without shooting. I dodged it. We grabbed each other and wrestled there in the dust and smoke. It was like fighting in a fog. This soldier was very strong and brave. He tried to wrench my rifle from me. I lashed him across the face with my quirt, striking the coup. He let go, then grabbed my gun with both hands until I struck him again. But the tall soldier fought hard. He was desperate. He hit me with his fists on the jaw and shoulders, then grabbed my long braids with both hands, pulled my face close and tried to bite my nose off. I yelled for help: ‘Hey, hey, come over and help me!” I thought that soldier would kill me.
“Bear Lice and Crow Boy heard me call and came running. These friends tried to hit the soldier. But we were whirling around, back and forth, so that most of their blows hit me. They knocked me dizzy. I yelled as loud as I could to scare my enemy, but he would not let go. Finally I broke free.
He drew his pistol. I wrenched it out of his hand and struck him with it three or four times on the head, knocked him over, shot him in the head, and fired at his heart. I took his pistol and cartridge belt. Hawk-Stays-Up struck second on his body.

“Ho hechetu! That was a fight, a hard fight. But it was a glorious battle, I enjoyed it. I was picking up head-feathers right and left that day…

“On the hill top, I met my relative Bad Soup. He had been around Fort Abraham Lincoln and knew Long Hair by sight. When we came to the tall soldier lying on his back naked, Bad Soup pointed him out and said, ‘Long Hair thought he was the greatest man in the world. Now he lies there.’
” ‘Well,’ I said, ‘if that is Long Hair, I am the man who killed him.’ Nobody scalped Long Hair, because his hair was cut short.”

Of course, Bad Soup was not the only Indian who had seen Custer, and others may have recognized his body. At any rate, I (Stanley Vestal) have never met an old-time Sioux who took part in that fight who had any doubt that White Bull killed Custer. But White Bull declared to me: “They say that I killed Long Hair, but I never saw him to know him before the battle. I do not think my cousin, Bad Soup, would have lied to me…”

When the celebration of the fiftieth anniversary of Custer’s Last Stand was held on the battlefield, White Bull and many other Indian veterans of the fight were invited to take part. Some, fearing reprisals, refused to go. But White Bull said, “I am not afraid,” and attended. There General Godfrey led the 7th Cavalry over Custer’s trail to the monument which was erected where he fell. Hundreds of mounted Indians in full war dress, preceded by eighty Sioux and Cheyenne survivors of the fight, followed Chief White Bull to meet the troops. They met near the monument. White Bull raised his palm, the sign for peace, and the General sheathed his sword. They shook hands, and the Chief gave the General a fine blanket; Godfrey gave the Chief a large American flag. After the ceremony, the Indians and soldiers paired off and rode back to camp. Nobody who knows Plains Indians can doubt that the man who killed Custer, if living, would be named to lead that Indian column.
Major Alson B. Ostrander, formerly of the 18th Infantry, had heard how Bad Soup had pointed out the body of Custer to Chief White Bull on the day of the battle. The Major asked White Bull to point out the spot where he saw Custer lying naked on his back that day. White Bull immediately complied. The Major nodded and said, “That is the spot.”

The Major asked White Bull, “Are you the man who killed Custer?” White Bull answered, “Maybe.” He tried to find out where Custer was wounded, but none of the white officers seemed to know.
He asked me about this. “Where do the white men say Custer was wounded?”
I replied, “In the left temple and in the left side near the heart.” Much gratified, he nodded, “That is right,” he said.

Naturally enough, Chief White Bull was curious about Custer and why the troops came to attack the Sioux in violation of the existing treaty. He listened attentively all one afternoon while I told him all I knew of such matters, particularly all about Custer’s own fame, achievements, character, and motives. But when he learned that on the night before the battle, Custer, trying to encourage his fearful Indian government scouts, had told them that if he whipped the Sioux, he would become the Grandfather—President of the United States—and would look after their people, White Bull’s old eyes gleamed. The thought that he had killed Custer had warmed his heart for years. But now to think that the man he killed might have been President was a greater glory than any Sioux had ever dreamed of. Seeing him gloat, I had no doubt that he knew well enough who had killed Custer.

(Contact Chantelle Blue Arm at cbluearm@gmail.com)

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