Living History

Have We Been Told the Truth About Custer’s Last Stand? Grab a chair and come on in. Let’s chat!

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Howdy!

I hope each and every one of you is doing well on this 9th day in September.  We have beautiful skies here, but it is a little colder than usual for this time of year.  Well today I thought I’d share a little bit of history with you, almost straight-from-the-horse’s-mouth.

Ah, Custer’s Last Stand.

I know we have probably all seen some movie or another about Custer’s Last Stand.  Or if not a movie, one might have read a book on the subject.

Well, here I sit with a book entitled, Pretty-Shield, Medicine Woman of the Crow by Frank B. Linderman. To the left is a picture of Pretty Shield and her husband, Goes-ahead.  Both of them were older in this picture, but Pretty Shield’s husband, Goes-ahead, in his younger days, was a scout for Custer and was present on the day of the Little Bighorn Battle, sometimes called Custer’s Last Stand.

After the fight, Goes Ahead returned home — after some fighting along the way — and told this story to his wife, Pretty Shield of what he saw of the battle and how Custer died.

 

Below and to the right is a picture of Goes-ahead as a young man.  Pretty Shield begins her story telling Mr. Linderman that she was a young woman when Sun-of-morning-star (Custer) fought the Lakota.  Many Crow warriors went with General Terry and about a hundred and fifty more went with Geneal Crook (who got whipped by Crazy Horse and his warriors).

Many of the blue soldiers (military men) came on a Fire-boat (steamship) on the Elk (Yellowstone) River and asked the chief if some of their wolves (scouts) would scout for them.  A council was held and the chief and several scouts agreed to help the blue soldiers.  One of them was Pretty Shield’s husband, Goes-ahead.

Pretty Shield tells the story of two Crow women who fought with General Crook at the Rosebud.  She gives much detail about these two women who fought and won.  She makes a point of saying the men will not tell this story, but there were two women who fought that day.

So now we come to the part of the story about Son-of-the-morning-star.  Their were six Crow warriors with Custer that day, Goes-ahead (her husband), White-swan, Half-yellow-face, Hairy-moccasin, White-man-runs-him and Curly.  Her man, Goes-ahead and White-man-runs-him and Hairy-moccasin were ahead of Custer

Of course, soon the three scouts in advance could see that there were more Lakota and Cheyenne warriors in their large camp than the soldiers had bullets taken all together.  This they told to Custer, but he didn’t listen to them.  Instead, he asked if they knew of a good place to camp.  They did.  It was at a place called Thompson Creek.

To the left is another picture of Goes-ahead as a young man.

When morning came, the Crow scouts were out before the soldiers were awake and came to see the Lakota/Cheyenne camp.  Goes-ahead told his wife, Pretty Shield, that he had never seen such a camp that big.  They, of course, went and told this to Custer, but he would not listen.

Pretty Shield also makes a point that her man, Goes-ahead said that Son-of-morning-star was drinking too often from a bottle that had a straw.  Another scout, Two-bodies told Custer he could yet get away, but again, Custer wouldn’t listen.

Goes-ahead then stripped himself for battle (in battle, the Indians usually stripped down to breechcloth and moccasins because they wanted nothing in their way when in the midst of battle.  Curly, who said he was sick ran away.  Pretty Shield says she knows these things are true because her man, Goes-ahead was with Custer and this is the story he told: I am now quoting from the book, page 236:

“My man, Goes-ahead, was with Son-of-the-morning-star when he rode down to the water of the Little Bighorn.  He heard a Lacota call out to Two-bodies [Mitch Boyer, an interpreter], who rode beside Son-of-the-morning-star, and say ‘Go back, or you will die.’

“But Son-of-the-morning-star did not go back.  He went ahead, rode into the water of the Little Bighorn, with Two-bodies on one side of him, and his flag on the other — and he died there, died in the water of the Little Bighorn, with Two-bodies, and the blue soldier carrying his flag.

The story goes on with how Goes-ahead left when Custer fell, but also tells of how he and the other scouts eventually retreated, fighting another battle along the way.

Pretty Shield ends her story thusly — and again I am quoting from the book:

“Yes,” she said, her voice trailing off to a murmur, “my man, Goes-ahead, was afraid that day; but he did not lie to me.  The monument that white men have set up to mark the spot where Son-of-the-morning-star fell down, is a lie.  He fell in the water,” she whispered, as though to the shade (or shadow — spirit) of her man Goes-ahead.

“Her attitude affected me (Linderman) deeply.”

And thus ends the story from the mouth of one of the Crow scouts who saw Custer fall at the Battle of Little Bighorn that day.

I’d love to hear your thoughts about this bit of history which has been rewritten in movies and several books, none of which are true–if Goes-ahead, who was there and swears this story is true– says it happened differently.

I hope you have enjoyed this little bit of history.

As I close this blog for today, i thought I should tell you that the entire Medicine Man series is on sale for today only.

SHE STEALS MY BREATH — on sale for $0.99

 

SHE CAPTURES MY HEART — on sale for $0.99

 

SHE PAINTS MY SOUL — on sale for $2.99

 

SHE BRINGS BEAUTY TO ME — on sale for $3.49

Only at Amazon.  Now might be a good time to pick up your copy of each book in the series.

Amazon link to the series page:  https://tinyurl.com/medicinemanseries

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

A Western Theme Park Adventure

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At the end of June, my husband and I took a trip to Branson, MO for a few days to celebrate our 32nd wedding anniversary. We had a great time! We stayed in a cabin in the woods and really felt like we were stepping back in time. Especially the first day, when we visited Silver Dollar City.

If you’ve never been to Silver Dollar City, I recommend it. Especially if you love the idea of exploring life in the 1800’s. I had never been, but when I heard that there was a theme park celebrating 19th century pioneer life, I knew I had to visit. We weren’t able to do everything on my list in one day, but we squeezed in as many things as possible.

We rode a few rollercoasters, including the steampunk-inspired Time Traveler. Wes and I had our picture made to commemorate the event.

But even better than the rides were the historic buildings available to explore. We started at the Wilderness Church, an authentic log structure, orignally built near a local creek, that was dismantled log by log, and lovingly rebuilt in its current location. Not only could we go inside and explore, but several times a day, they had old-fashioned hymn sing-alongs! I adore hymns, so Wes and I made a point to join one of the sing-alongs and enjoyed worshipping with other park attendees.

Next to the church was McHaffies Homestead. A real, hewn-log cabin built in 1843 by the pioneering Levi Casey family, it was home to the McHaffie family before it was reassembled and preserved at Silver Dollar City in 1960. Most historic buildings are “look but don’t touch,” but this one was open for exploration. I loved that! I decided to fix my hubby a little snack while we were there.

After some actual lunch, we headed to the local saloon for some entertainment. The bar served sodas and rootbear floats, but Wes and I headed to the balcony to watch the show from there.

After spending over 8 hours in the Missouri heat and humidity, we decided to unwind in a shaded area full of good old country rocking chairs. Most of the other guests had cleared out of this section of the park by this time, so we enjoyed the quiet along with some end of day treats. We found a shop that sold our two favroites desserts – Cakes & Cones. Wes loves funnel cake, and I’m an ice cream girl. Such a sweet way to end the day.

On the way out of the park, we spotted a giant-sized triangle peg game. My son and daughter-in-law always play this game whenever we go to Cracker Barrel. So in their honor, we grabbed a quick picture.

They have working craftsmen who demonstrate trades from eras past as well, like blacksmiths, candymakers, glassblowers, and soapmakers. I wish I’d had time to watch them work. We also weren’t able to find time for the train ride or exploring the cave the the theme park is built over. I guess we’ll just have to go back for another visit!

Have you ever visited Silver Dollar City?
If so, what is your favorite thing to do there?

Bandanas – Simple Clothing Decoration or Multi-Functional Accessory?

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As a Harlequin author, I have to suggest cover ideas for the art department. If people are included in my ideas, I asked to describe what they’re wearing. If winter, they might have on heavy coats. If summer, they could be in shorts. Since my heroes are always cowboys, my list of clothing looks something like this: a Stetson, boots, belt, jeans, and a western cut shirt.

One article of clothing I always leave off my list but that my hero almost always carries or wears is a bandana. That recently got me to thinking about all the many uses for bandana, both in yesteryears and today. Me being me, I did a little research.

 

                             

Early Indian Block Painted Fabric                  George Washington on horseback 1780

It seems the bandana originated in late 1600s in Southern Aisa and the Middle East. They were made by pressing pre-carved blocks into pieces of woven fabric, infusing the fabric with dyes made from plants. These pieces of printed fabric began to reach Europe in the early 1700s, likely brought back by traders. Among Europeans, a repeating pattern of teardrop shapes gained popularity and came to be called “Paisley”.

From there, the bandana traveled with ship passengers to the colonies. Because of its natural versatility, no wonder it continued to gain even more popularity, head west with pioneers, and become standard issue for the American cowboy.

                     

Here are just a few uses for the versatile bandana:

Warmth in cold weather

Protection from sun exposure

Filter dust to make breathing easier during dust storms

Collect perspiration around neck

A handy wipe/rag for drying or cleaning

A napkin to wipe your face

Blowing your nose

A hairband

A scarf to warm ears

A mask for bank robbers

A gag for silencing hostages

Decorative accent when dressing up

Tourniquet to stop a wound from bleeding

A sling to support a broken arm

Wrap up a bundle of goods

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

What about you? Do you have any uses for a bandana that I haven’t included here? Let me know in the comments below. We can have fun sharing ?

 

Why Did People Call the American Indian’s Hue in their Skin Red?

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Howdy!

Welcome to 2024!  Ya-hoo!

Hope y’all had a wonderful Christmas and New Year’s and hope you’re getting “all your ducks in order,” to begin the New Year.

I know I’m not there, yet, but I’m trying to get organized.

Before I get started with today’s post, I’ll be giving away two (2) e-books of my newest 25th Year Anniversary book, War Cloud’s Passion, to two bloggers today.  So, please do leave me your thoughts.

Well, I thought I’d share some interesting things about the color of skin and why, perhaps, people have called the Native Americans of this country the Red Man.  I’ve been doing lots of research lately and ran across something concerning — of all things — the Egyptians.  The question was asked: Why did the Egyptians show in their paintings the correct skin color for many other races, but painted their own people red?  I’ll give you a  hint right here from the start.  The Egyptians were a very godly people and their meditation brought them closer and closer to the Creator, and, since the color of red denotes a well body and a good mind, as well as a closeness to God, could this be the reason for the reddish hue?

In the picture above, one can easily see the skin color as a dark/brownish red.  There are others, also.

As you can see to the left, the skin color is not white, yellow, black or even brown.  Rather, it’s a reddish brown.

As you probably know if you’ve watched television or western movies, the American Indian has been referred to as being red in skin color.

So I thought I’d show you some pictures of the American Indians and their skin color which looks closely like that of the Egyptians.

As you can see from this picture, these American Indians don’t look strictly “brown.”  It’s a reddish brown.

Even today the medicine wheel shows the different color of the different races of mankind: yellow, black, white and red.

So let me give you some more photos from the past.

 

 

 

 

Okay, so now you’ve seen the pictures, let me tell you what I have read about the reddish hue in skin color:

The reddish skin color from the Egyptians was noted to be red because of their deep breathing and meditation.  The reddish skin color — according to what I’ve read in a book about the Egyptians — is due to the health of the blood and the spiritual nature and awareness of the individual.  It denotes a fellowship with God, the Creator, and an awareness of being a part of His Creation.

History shows us there have been many conjectures told about why the red color; some have said it’s due to sunburn and other accounts have told the story of the red paint that the American Indians were fond of.  But, is this really true?

Could it be that the deeply spiritual native of the American Indian– still alive today — has caused the healthy and beautiful hue of red in their skin color?

It’s something to ponder and as I discovered this fact about the Egyptians, I began to wonder if the same were true of the American Indian.  We know very well about the American Indian being close to nature and to God.  Could it be that, like the Egyptians, the American Indian has shown his closeness to Creation and to God by the subtle and beautiful red hue of his skin?

I think so.  Perhaps it would be of great worth for us all to study well the traditions and lore of the American Indians passed down to them from their ancestors since “time out of mind.”

What do you think?

Here is the new cover for the 25th Year Anniversary book of War Cloud’s Passion.  And here’s link to the book at Amazon if you’d like to purchase it.

https://tinyurl.com/warcloudspassion

The Longest Running US Mail Delivery

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Surprisingly, the American pony express operated only a very short period of time — for eighteen months from April 3, 1860, to October 26, 1861, between Missouri and California. Yet, thanks to the popularity of books, movies and TV shows, most people have heard of it and believe it was in existence for many years.

But what’s really surprising is that another equine mail route has been continuously operating for almost a hundred years, if not longer. The Smithsonian’s National Postal Museum’s earliest photo of these equines delivering mail is from 1938, but the route was already firmly established by then. Who are these equines and where is the mail route, you ask? Let me introduce you to the mules who, five days a week, carry letters and packages, including those from Amazon, down nine miles of steep trails in the Grand Canyon to Phantom Ranch and the community of Havasupai people living at the bottom.

Each mule can carry up to two hundred pounds. It takes three hours for the string of mules to walk down and five hours to walk back up — while being led by a single wrangler. On the return trip, the mules are untethered. Smart and well-trained, they walked single file, nose to tail. There are usually two mule trains each delivery day, allowing the wrangler and mules a chance to rest overnight.

Why mules, you ask? For one, motor vehicles, which would damage the environment and the Grand Canyon’s natural beauty, aren’t allowed. For two, mules are extremely surefooted, strong, and hardy, making them well-suited for this type of hard work. While they can be stubborn, they also learn quickly and rarely forget.

One of the last stops before reaching the canyon bottom is Peach Springs, AZ,  whose claim to fame is the only post office in the country with a walk-in freezer. This is to keep frozen food as cold as possible before the final leg of the journey. You see, not just mail is delivered. The ranch and Havasupai people depend on the mules to also bring needed supplies, such as medicines and tools and equipment and even small appliances.

Like any postal employees, the mule wranglers and packers get an early start.  They begin their day at 2:45 a.m. in order to beat the heat, oppressive for half the year. Inventory is weighed and sorted, the mules are fed and groomed, and then their panniers are packed. As soon as it’s light enough, they start down the trail.

Without these regular deliveries, the Havasupai people would be cut off and unable to get the supplies they need to survive. The Phantom Ranch wouldn’t be able to host tourists. So, these delivery mules aren’t just a cool piece of living history, they’re providing a vital service to a remote community.

Rock Ledge Ranch – Living History

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This week, eight of the Fillies are meeting up in Deadwood, SD for a mini retreat and book signing. I’m sure many of us will be posting about our western adventures. My husband Wes and I got an early start and left Texas this past Saturday, planning to stop in Colorado Springs and Cody, WY before meeting up with everyone in Deadwood.

We took a day to visit the Garden of the Gods and a wonderful living history ranch right next door.

My favorite thing about Rock Ledge Ranch was that not only did it have have wonderfully knowledgeable docents and tradesmen throughout the property, but they had young docents-in-training. Seeing these children in costume made it feel like we had truly stepped back in time. And they weren’t just running around in costume. They knew their stuff!

We started with a cabin representing the one the original homesteader had on the property back in 1867. Wes enjoyed meeting Martha the cow before we made it to the cabin where some lovely young girls were playing checkers.

We encountered more children as we made our way through the farm section. Feeding the horses a treat and corralling chickens into the coop.

Next, we headed to Rock Ledge House. This house represents the Victoria era and belonged to a family who ran an orchard. During the lean years, they used the extra space in their house to take in boarders, sometimes 3 or 4 to a room. One upstairs room was for male boarders, the other for female boarders. The children had rooms down the hall.

We came to the smithy next, and the blacksmith working the forge was an excellent craftsman. Not only did he make practical items, but he created the gorgeous rose pictured below.

The final stop on the ranch was a visit to Orchard House. This was representative of the Edwardian era, built in 1907. During the time the family lived in the house, there were only female servants, and we had the chance to interact with all of them, from housekeeper, to cook, to a pair of maids.

I had such a lovely afternoon stepping back in time.

Have you ever visited a living history museum or an historical home where a costumed docent showed you around and filled your mind with fabulous historical tidbits?