A Native People's History of the United States

Where the Girl Saved Her Brother

The 'Three Stars' Battle on the Rosebud. Sioux War 1876-1877

Jan 08, 2025

Rosebud is sluggish little stream, not 10-20 feet wide, with thickets of wild roses in blossom cover the banks in a valley of brilliant blue wildflowers and green.

Introduction

The Sioux were a Great Plains tribe that fought many famous battles against the Americans in the 1800s. Among the Sioux greatest triumphs was the defeat of General Custer at Little Bighorn.

https://crackpot.substack.com/t/sioux

Context

The Battle of Rosebud occurred 8 days before Little Bighorn. This was a nadir for the Americans - at this point in time it seemed the military may not be able to lick the native warriors in their turf - waking Americans from the dream of Manifest Destiny to a bloody mess.

These are the events and movements that took place within the five-hour battle as delineated by Mangum, Neil C. Battle of the Rosebud. Upton & Sons, 1987 & personal account of Chief Joseph White Bull of the Sioux with Stanley Vestal.

Rosebud river is a spur off the Yellowstone in south central Montana, just north of Wyoming. Rosebud was a popular campsite for Sioux, such as Chief Joseph Whitebull, a Miniconjou Lakota Sioux. There one day in June word came to camp that General Crook was on the march from Fort Fetterman with a force of 1,300 men, 1,000+ soldiers and 260 Indian scouts - Crows, Shoshoni and Rees (Arikara).

Battle of Rosebud

Participants

The following parties and named warriors fought at Rosebud.

‘Three Stars’ is a reference to General Crook.

Chief White Bull wore dark blue woolen leggings decorated with broad stripes of blue-and-white beads and beaded moccasins, a long red flannel breech-cloth to his ankles, a gun belt, four leather pouches with a buffalo tail and eagle feather and war bonnet with long tail of alternating red and white eagle feathers that trailed to the ground. Vestal pg. 186

Native Perspective

Chief Joseph White Bull was a major participant in the Rosebud battle and Little Bighorn.

A brave Shoshoni dashed in front. The warrior was riding a bald-faced sorrel with white stockings. His horse’s tail was tied up in a red flannel and a red flannel strip tied about its neck. The Shoshoni had a gun belt and a repeating rifle. He came straight for White Bull. When he came near, the Shoshoni fired twice - but missed. White Bull pumped two bullets into the right fore shoulder of the sorrel and dropped it. White Bull ran the Shoshoni down and lamed him in the right leg with his lance, then wheeled back to join his comrades in retreat. White Bull learned from the Crow later that this Shoshoni was the bravest of their warriors. - Vestal 88.

There were thrilling rescues all over the field. White Bull’s brother One Bull saved Yells-at-Daybreak. White Bull freed a warrior who was pinned under his horse. The Cheyenne Buffalo-Calf-Road-Woman saved her brother Comes-In-Sight from certain death. It was a hard fight. But when it was over, White Bull dryly remarked, ‘Three Stars’ took his troops and rode home.

A Military Historian’s Timeline of Events

Maps reproduced from Mangum - with topographical information and embellishment to better express the movements and forces.

June 17, 1876. 8:30 AM

June 17, 1876. 9:00 AM

Fighting in the canyons was a pointless game of whack-o-mole - the soldiers could chase the warriors from one hillock only for them to disappear and re-appear on another.

June 17, 1876. 10:00 AM

warriors painted many colors and designs, wearing breech clouts, feathered and horned head gear, moccasins, riding painted horses wielding lances and bows. pg. 62

June 17, 1876. 10:30 AM

“The Sioux attack bent Randalls’s line, but did not break it. The Battle of Rosebud can be characterized as a battle of ebb and flow. Charge was met with countercharge. On one such charge, Jack Red Cloud, 18-year-old son of the Oglala patriarch, Red Cloud, had his horse killed from underneath him. Young Red Cloud ran away without taking the bridle from his fallen horse. Crow riders chased him and lashed him with their riding quirts… One Crow snatched Jack’s warbonnet. Another Crow grabbed his rifle and ridiculed him that he was a boy and should not be wearing a warbonnet. Red Cloud begged for his life, tears in his eyes. A number of Sioux, including Crazy Horse, came to his rescue.” - Magnum pg. 55

June 17, 1876. 11:30 AM

A bullet from one of Crook’s men dropped a Cheyenne warrior named Comes-In-Sight’s mount. Afoot, Comes-In-Sight was easy prey for the Crow and Shoshone scouts that closed in. Out of nowhere dashed an unknown zigzagging rider. The rescuer was Comes-In-Sight’s sister Buffalo-Calf-Road-Woman.