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119-659: As part of a campaign to suppress Mountain Chief 's band of Piegan Blackfeet, the U.S. Army attacked a different band led by Chief Heavy Runner, to whom the United States government had previously promised their protection. This resulted in public outrage and a long-term shift towards a " Peace Policy " by the Federal Government, as advocated by President Ulysses S. Grant . Grant kept the Bureau of Indian Affairs as

238-600: A 2,500-man expedition and began the march to Utah, and in response, Brigham Young , the Mormon leader, mobilized the Nauvoo Legion to combat this force. Peace talks succeeded before much blood was shed, but the 2nd Dragoons still had to complete a long and arduous winter march across the frontier. The Utah War ended in July 1858. On 14 June 1858, William S. Harney was promoted to Brigadier General, and LTC St. George Cooke

357-704: A band of roughly 500 Comanches, and killed 70 after five hours of fighting. The captured child was rescued in the end, and the engagement became known as the Battle of the Wichita Village . At the onset of the Civil War in 1861, the regiment was recalled to the Eastern theater and redesignated on 3 August 1861 as the Second Cavalry Regiment. Thomas J. Wood was named the fourth Colonel of

476-705: A delegation to Washington, D.C., in 1903 to provide information related to the Blackfeet Nation and to speak with the United States Commissioner of Indian Affairs. Mountain Chief collaborated with researchers Walter McClintock, Joseph Kossuth Dixon, and Frances Densmore . During the summer of 1898, Yale graduate Walter McClintock visited the Blackfeet Reservation and used a wax cylinder phonograph to record tribal elders, including Mountain Chief. McClintock returned to

595-1028: A division of the Department of the Interior although the War Department was trying to regain control. He then appointed men recommended by various religious clergy—including Quakers and Methodists —as Indian agents , in hopes that they would be free of the corruption he had previously found in the department. Relations between the Niitsitapi Confederacy (composed of Blackfeet , Blood , and Piegan tribes, although frequently referred to simply as Blackfeet) and white settlers in Montana Territory had been largely hostile for years, as European Americans encroached on Native American territory and resources. In turn, some Blackfeet stole horses and raided white settlements. Rather than

714-561: A few miles downstream. Baker ordered a forced march that night and moved his mixed infantry and cavalry forces through rough country, locating a camp of 32 lodges in the low ground along the Marias River just South of present-day Dunkirk, Montana. Baker positioned his men on the high ground above the camp in a "natural firing range" and prepared to attack. More than three hundred Piegan people were sleeping in Heavy Runner's camp in

833-431: A force of roughly 1,000 Indians, where they were all massacred in a desperate battle . On 29 June 1867, a small party of 10 troopers and 1 Indian scout under LT Lyman Kidder were ordered to take dispatches from General William Sherman to LTC George A. Custer . Custer grew impatient and moved out ahead of schedule, and when LT Kidder's party arrived, they found the camp to be deserted. Making their way to Fort Wallace ,

952-478: A gold eight pointed star of rays surmounted by a green palmetto leaf charged with a silver color fleur-de-lis, on a green ribbon scroll forming the base of the device, the regimental motto "Toujours Prêt" in gold metal letters. Symbolism The eight-pointed star insignia worn by dragoons, the 2d Cavalry having been originally formed as the Second Regiment of Dragoons in 1836. The palmetto leaf represents

1071-488: A lodge and shoot into it in unison. They then took blankets, robes, and anything else they wanted. Finally, they tore down all the tipis and set everything on fire. She saw them burn wounded people in the conflagration. Long Time Calf escaped through the freezing waters of the Marias River, carrying her infant niece. She was eight years old. Bear Head had gone out of the camp to catch his horses when he encountered soldiers. They took him prisoner. He saw Heavy Runner run toward

1190-694: A novel written by James Welch (Blackfoot/A'aninin), included the story of the Marias Massacre. Blackfoot Confederacy leaders signed three peace treaties in 1855, 1865, and 1868, all of which decreased the size of the territory of the Blackfoot Confederacy. Mountain Chief's father and Chief Lame Bull signed a treaty in 1855 between the United States and the Blackfoot Tribe with President Franklin Pierce . Mountain Chief signed

1309-625: A recording played by an Edison phonograph inside and outside of the Smithsonian Castle . The meeting was photographed by Harris & Ewing, Inc., a photography studio in Washington, D.C., which operated from 1905 to 1945. Mountain Chief was identified in this image because of the Plains Indian head covering he is wearing and by the "U" on his moccasins which identify him as Blackfeet. In this staged photograph, Densmore

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1428-557: A result of his role in the campaign, he would be haunted by visions of Indians while traveling in Canada. Much of his life was spent repressing memories of the slaughter and attempting to forget the details of that day. Horace—who was half-Indian—was ultimately pardoned for his role in the massacre by the Native community, who viewed his participation as justified by a desire to avenge his father and because of his social and economic standing in

1547-520: A story, Kipp refused because the military would hang him if he told what he knew about the massacre. The conflict between settlers and the Blackfeet declined after the massacre. The Blackfoot Nation, weakened by smallpox, did not have the numbers to retaliate and feared the Americans as a brutal people. Baker's attack facilitated the dispossession of the Blackfeet Nation. At the time of the massacre,

1666-598: A widespread, organized conflict, such as Red Cloud's War , a series of unrelated clashes marked the relations between the groups. By 1870, the Blackfeet had largely retreated north of the Marias River in the territory. Malcolm Clarke was a rancher and fur trader who worked in association with the American Fur Company (AFC). Before his life in the West , Malcolm Clarke had attended West Point until he

1785-501: Is playing a song on the phonograph, an Edison cylinder recorder, and Mountain Chief is interpreting the recording in Plains Indian Sign Language to Frances Densmore. By 1916, the cylinder recorder was largely abandoned for disks except for Edison which still manufactured cylinders, especially for ethnographers. Edison did however produce a disc phonograph as early as 1913, so the technology used in this photograph

1904-493: Is the name of the mountain in the northeastern part of what is now Glacier National Park . The name "Chief Mountain" is often written as "Mountain Chief" in English. Mountain Chief's father, the original bearer of that name – many would follow – died in 1872. During the late 1860s, Mountain Chief, like many other South Piegan chiefs, tried to stop trading between South Piegans and white whiskey traders. Although Mountain Chief

2023-585: Is using sign language to interpret recordings of American Indian songs played on a phonograph. Mountain Chief was the last hereditary chieftain of the Blackfeet Nation. He died at his home in Browning, Montana , on February 2, 1942, at a reported age of 94, and was buried in a Browning cemetery two days later. Mountain Chief's life was mentioned in oral histories included in James Willard Schultz 's Blackfeet and Buffalo: Memories of Life among

2142-460: The Battle of Bear Paw Mountain began. The three Troops of 2nd Cavalry were dispatched to drive away the Indians' ponies by attacking their rear. G Troop, under LT Edward John McClernand , caught up with Chief White Bird as he and his band tried to escape to Canada. The ensuing engagement was brief, but violent, and resulted in the capture of the Indians and their mounts. Lt McClernand was awarded

2261-529: The Battle of Chancellorsville . This raid is regarded as the "resurgence of the Union Cavalry." During the Battle of Kelly's Ford , the 2nd Cavalry became the first Union cavalry regiment to engage Confederate General J.E.B. Stuart 's cavalry in a head-to-head charge. This action hurt Stuart's reputation in the eyes of Southern leadership, just three weeks before the Battle of Gettysburg. Leading up to

2380-572: The Blackfeet Reservation stretched across most northern Montana. In 1872 and 1873, President Grant issued executive orders reducing the size of the reservation. In 1887, Congress passed the Dawes Act , which stripped an additional 17 million acres from the Blackfeet. Many blamed Major Baker for the massacre, the failure to capture Mountain Chief's band, and the failure to report the massacre's scale accurately. The news that many in

2499-625: The Blackfoot language ; c.  1848 – February 2, 1942) was a South Piegan warrior of the Blackfoot Tribe . Mountain Chief was also called Big Brave (Omach-katsi) and adopted the name Frank Mountain Chief. Mountain Chief was involved in the 1870 Marias Massacre , signed the Treaty of Fort Laramie in 1868, and worked with anthropologist Frances Densmore to interpret folksong recordings. Mountain Chief (Blackfoot/South Piegan)

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2618-699: The Marias Massacre in the Montana Territory , where 200 Piegan Blackfeet Indians were killed. After this massacre, Federal Indian policy changed under President Grant , and more peaceful solutions were sought. On 15 May 1870, SGT Patrick James Leonard was leading a party of 4 other troopers from C Company along the Little Blue River in Nebraska attempting to locate stray horses. A band of 50 Indians surrounded this detachment and

2737-958: The Marias River . The massacre resulted from an incident which inflamed already tense relations between the Blackfoot Confederacy and the white settlers in Montana. In 1869, Mountain Chief's half-brother Owl Child (Blackfoot/South Piegan) stole several horses from Malcolm Clarke, a white ranch owner in Montana. Bear Head (Kai Okotan), a Pikuni (Blackfoot/Piikani) informant to James Willard Schultz , also claimed that Clarke had made sexual advances towards Owl Child's wife. After Owl Child stole his horses, Clarke tracked down Owl Child and beat and humiliated him in front of his camp. On August 17, 1869, Owl Child (Netuscheo) led an Amskapi Pikuni party that killed Malcolm Clarke and shot his son Horace at Clarke's home near Helena, Montana . All five attackers in Owl Child's party belonged to Mountain Chief's band. At

2856-540: The Rio Grande , and on 25 April 1846, they received word that Mexican troops were crossing the river. Two companies of the 2nd Dragoons were ambushed by 500–1,600 Mexican troops (accounts vary), and all were either killed or captured. This battle, known as the Thornton Affair , gave US President Polk the casus belli he needed to invade Mexico. When General Taylor counterattacked, the 2nd Dragoons forced

2975-743: The Second Battle of the Loxahatchee on 24 January 1838. The 2nd Dragoons would suffer a major defeat at the Battle of the Caloosahatchee on 23 July 1839. Under an act of Congress dated 23 August 1842 the regiment was re-designated as the Regiment of Riflemen effective 4 March 1843. This act was repealed on 4 April 1844 and the regiment reverted to its previous designation. In October 1842, A, D, E, F, and G Companies moved to Fort Jessup , Louisiana and Fort Towson . The remainder of

3094-701: The Siege of Fort Meigs . These two regiments were consolidated on 30 March 1814 into the Regiment of Light Dragoons but this new unit was dissolved on 15 June 1815. The precursor organization was originally established by President Andrew Jackson on 23 May 1836, as the Second Regiment of Dragoons of the US Army. A and I Companies were recruited in the Fort Myer , Virginia area, B Company recruited from Virginia and Louisiana , C Company drew recruits from Tennessee , E, F, G, and H recruited from New York , and K Company

3213-704: The Treaty of Fort Laramie on April 29, 1868. Mountain Chief gained prominence through warfare with the Crows and Kutenai and facilitated treaty negotiations in the 1880s and 1890s, visiting Washington, D.C., often. Mountain Chief was a member of the Indian Congress held from August to October 1898 in conjunction with the Trans-Mississippi International Exposition in Omaha, Nebraska . Mountain Chief also travelled with

3332-592: The "Regular Brigade" of the Cavalry Corps of the Army of the Potomac and served in numerous campaigns and battles. They fought in numerous battles, including the Siege of Yorktown , the Second Battle of Bull Run , the Battle of Antietam , the Battle of Fredericksburg , the Battle of Chancellorsville , the Battle of Gettysburg , the Battle of Spotsylvania Court House , and the Battle of Cold Harbor . During

3451-473: The 1st Cavalry were dispatched to retrieve the pack train. After a hard ride, the Indians were overtaken and a fierce battle ensued. CPL Harry Garland, wounded and unable to stand, continued to direct his men in the battle until the Indians withdrew. For his actions, he would receive the Medal of Honor along with three other men from L Troop; 1SG Henry Wilkens , PVT Clark, and Farrier William H. Jones . Today,

3570-617: The 2nd Cavalry Regiment compete for the Sergeant Patrick James Leonard award. On 17 March 1876, troopers from Companies E, I, and K (156 men) joined the 3rd US Cavalry Regiment under COL Joseph J. Reynolds to combat the Cheyenne and Lakota in the ill-fated Big Horn Expedition . During the Battle of Powder River , the cavalrymen attacked, but were repulsed, and the 2nd Cavalry lost 1 man killed and 5 wounded. 66 men also suffered from frostbite . The 2nd Cavalry

3689-474: The 2nd U.S. Cavalry, and 55 mounted men of the 13th U.S. Infantry, moved North from Fort Shaw on January 19, looking for Mountain Chief's band, which was purportedly located in the Marias River country. Baker's command came across a small Piegan camp on January 22 and captured the occupants. These prisoners informed Baker that the Big Horn and Red Horn camps—two Piegan leaders considered hostile—could be found

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3808-655: The 32 other Plains Native Americans were photographed, and Mountain Chief gave a speech commending this goal but also criticizing the Administration of Indian affairs in the Blackfeet Indian Reservation. Dixon noted how "the nobility of his presence, the Roman cast of his face, the keen penetration of his eye, the breadth of his shoulders, the dignity with which he wears the sixty-seven years of his life, all conspire to make this hereditary chief of

3927-629: The Battle of Fredericksburg in December 1862, SGT Martin Hagan of the 2nd Cavalry and a small group of troopers held a Confederate cavalry brigade at bay, covering the Union retreat across the river. This action was completed without the loss of a man or a horse, and SGT Hagan was awarded the regiment's first Medal of Honor . The 2nd Cavalry was also present during the Stoneman Raid just prior to

4046-701: The Battle of Gettysburg, the 2nd Cavalry fought a continuous recon and counter-recon with Stuart's cavalry until the two armies met at Gettysburg, Pennsylvania . Here, the regiment dismounted and skirmished the Confederates in a delaying action until the main Union force could reach the battlefield. During the Battle of Trevilian Station in June 1864, the 2nd Cavalry Regiment charged the Confederate Cavalry and smashed their lines. CPT T.F. Rodenbough led

4165-706: The Battles of the Rosebud and Little Bighorn, surrendered in April 1878. Chief Lame Deer was one of the last Lakota war-chiefs left resisting the US Government. The "Montana Battalion" of the 2nd Cavalry Regiment eventually caught up with his band near the Little Muddy Creek , Montana on 6 May 1878. After a midnight march, the troopers surprised Lame Deer's warriors at dawn on 7 May. H Company charged

4284-471: The Blackfeet Reservation in 1903 and 1905 to take photographs of the Blackfeet community, including one photograph of Mountain Chief that appeared in his book The Old North Trail (1910). Mountain Chief also appeared in Joseph Kossuth Dixon's book The Vanishing Race wearing an upright feather headdress with ermine fur and holding a horse efficacy. An account of Mountain Chief's childhood

4403-580: The Companies E and K of the regiment defeated a sizable Sioux force in the Battle of Ash Hollow in Nebraska , forcing the Sioux to sign a peace treaty. In late 1857, in response to growing hostilities between federal authorities and Mormon settlers in Utah , a battalion of the 2nd Dragoons was sent to quell any Mormon resistance to federal power. These Dragoons, under LTC Philip St. George Cooke , joined

4522-736: The Desert: Women Anthropologists and the Native American Southwest (1988), Barbara Babcock and Nancy Parezo recorded his name as "Big Brave." When the photograph appeared on the cover of the Folkways recording Healing Songs (1965), Mountain Chief was just referred to as an "Indian Singer." Hofmann (1968) and Babcock and Parezo (1988) also misidentified him as Sioux . In 2002, Victoria Levine's book Writing American Indian Music showcases Mountain Chief and Frances Densmore, stating that "Mountain Chief

4641-706: The Fast Buffalo Horse band of the Blackfeet preeminent among the Indians." Mountain Chief appeared in many photographs beyond those included in McClintock and Dixon's books. One of the most widely used photographs of Mountain Chief depicts him interpreting a recording for Frances Densmore at the Smithsonian . In February 1916, Mountain Chief met with ethnomusicologist Frances Densmore at the Smithsonian Institution. Mountain Chief

4760-426: The House of Representatives, and news of the massacre spread nationwide. In retaliation, de Trobriand accused Pease of slander and claimed that he had filed a false report. Pease responded by demanding a full investigation to explain the discrepancy between the military and the Piegans' versions of events. When General Sherman received Baker's initial report, he ordered him to give a complete account, including "exactly

4879-405: The Indians (1981). 2nd Cavalry Regiment (United States) The 2nd Cavalry Regiment , also known as the Second Dragoons , is an active Stryker infantry and cavalry regiment of the United States Army . The Second Cavalry Regiment is a unit of the United States Army Europe and Africa , with its garrison at the Rose Barracks in Vilseck , Germany. It can trace its lineage back to

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4998-462: The Indians in Florida. The 2nd Dragoons saw their first combat during the Second Seminole War . The 2nd Dragoons brought the fight to the hostile Seminoles, rather than wait to be ambushed inside a fort like other units did. Company D drew first blood on 10 June 1836 in an engagement at Welika Pond, close to Fort Defiance, Florida . In December 1836, A, B, C, E, and I Companies arrived in South Carolina , and immediately moved south. In January 1837,

5117-431: The Indians. Sheridan reported to Congress that he could save the government $ 3.5 million in annual transportation costs alone. Although the Army Appropriation bill in 1870 allowed Sheridan to take over Indian affairs, his involvement in the massacre prevented him from advancing. Following the massacre, President Ulysses S. Grant adopted a "Peace Policy." and ended discussions about returning control of Indian affairs to

5236-553: The Inspector General of the Military Division of the Missouri , James Allen Hardie , asked de Trobriand how they could be certain of the number, age, sex, and condition of the people killed, de Trobriand responded that "Baker never know the state, age, sex or condition of the Indians he killed. How could he?" De Trobriand deflected further questions by raising his estimates of casualties to 220 killed, of which 70 were warriors. This claim contradicted Baker's earlier reports and implied 150 non-combatant deaths. Still, de Trobriand stated that

5355-425: The Marias Massacre, Mountain Chief and his band of South Piegan warriors, the intended target, had been warned and fled to safety in Canada before Major Eugene Baker reached them traveling downstream. The cavalry was readied to ambush the South Piegans until Heavy Runner (Blackfoot/South Piegan) came out with a safe-conduct paper, which was signed 23 days before the massacre by General Sully proving that Heavy Runner

5474-406: The Marias River, they approached the small camp of Gray Wolf, which was infected with smallpox (the Blackfeet Nation suffered from an epidemic of smallpox in January 1870 ), and the troops learned that a large band of the South Piegans was encamped down the river, which they believed was Mountain Chief's large band. This was not Mountain Chief's band, but was rather that of Chief Heavy Runner. Before

5593-480: The Medal of Honor for his gallantry. After a four-day siege, Chief Joseph surrendered his band to General Howard on 4 October 1877. In the fall of 1878, the 2nd Cavalry was posted in two forts in Montana; Fort Custer and Fort Keogh with the mission of preventing Chief Sitting Bull from returning to US territory after escaping to Canada. In early winter, Chiefs Dull Knife and Little Wolf left their reservations in Oklahoma and began moving northwards. Dull Knife

5712-501: The Medal of Honor for his swift and courageous action. On 9 October 1864, the 2nd Cavalry, as part of the reserve brigade of the 1st Cavalry Division, the regiment attacked the flanks of the Confederate line, forcing them to retreat. During this action, PVT Edward Hanson of H Company earned the Medal of Honor for braving enemy fire to capture the flag of the 32nd Virginia Cavalry. The 2nd Cavalry Regiment earned 14 battle streamers and 5 Medals of Honor during their Civil War service. Like

5831-444: The Mexican artillery at Resaca de la Palma which is commemorated by the principal charge on the shield. Background The coat of arms was originally approved for the 2d Cavalry Regiment on 6 August 1920. It was amended to change the 6 pointed stars to 8 pointed stars to conform to the old dragoon star on 28 April 1924. The coat of arms was redesignated for the 2d Cavalry Reconnaissance Squadron on 31 July 1944. On 26 November 1946, it

5950-415: The Mexican–American War, the 2nd Dragoons headed west to protect the settlers on the new frontier that had just been gained by the United States in the Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo . In June 1849, F Company, under MAJ Ripley Arnold, established Fort Worth along the Trinity River . These years were spent patrolling the frontier in order to protect American settlers heading west from hostile Indians. In 1854,

6069-445: The Piegan bands. These scouts were critical to distinguishing between the unfriendly and friendly Piegan bands, as Baker was to refrain from attacking the friendly bands. Baker needed to wait until Sheridan's division inspector general Colonel James A. Hardie reviewed the situation and reported back to him. Based on Hardie's January 13 report, Sheridan issued an order to "strike them hard". Baker's command, consisting of four companies of

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6188-404: The Prickly Pear Valley and received permission from Colonel Philippe Regis de Trobraind to join the expedition. The two sought revenge for their father and made their expedition known to the press. A command led by Major Eugene M. Baker left Fort Ellis on January 6, 1870, and stopped at Fort Shaw to pick up two more companies, including scouts Joe Kipp and Joseph Cobell who were familiar with

6307-420: The Regiment's first action against the Seminole Indians in Florida, where the palmetto leaf grows in abundance. The fleur-de-lis is for combat service in France in both World War I and World War II. The motto "Toujours Prêt" (Always Ready) expresses the spirit and élan of the Regiment. Background The distinctive unit insignia was originally approved for the 2d Cavalry Regiment on 16 January 1923. The insignia

6426-480: The Rocky Mountains and undertook ranching with his second wife, a mixed-race Blackfoot woman named Good Singing. They established the Clarke Horse and Cattle Ranch in 1864. The inciting incident of the Marias Massacre was the murder of Malcolm Clarke on August 17, 1869. He was killed by Owl Child—a young Piegan warrior—and his comrades at the Clarke Ranch. Two years prior, in 1867, Owl Child had stolen horses from Clarke as payback for losing his horses, which he blamed on

6545-403: The Swan family's hosting of Louis Riel at their home during his time in Montana and the family's subsequent participation in the North-West Resistance . The daughter in question was likely Adelaide Swan, as she married Alexandre Azure (a Métis man) on November 26, 1872. Sheridan had been attempting to replace Indian agents with military personnel, as he believed that they could better control

6664-446: The U.S. Army. In an attempt to raise the quality of appointees, Grant appointed as Indian agents numerous Quakers and other persons affiliated with religious groups. United States Army , Major Eugene M. Baker, commanding. 2nd United States Cavalry Regiment 13th United States Infantry Regiment Native Americans , Heavy Runner. Piegan Blackfeet Mountain Chief Mountain Chief ( Nínaiistáko / Ninna-stako in

6783-432: The annual award for the most outstanding trooper in the 2nd Cavalry is called the Farrier Jones Award. On 18 September, a force of 600 men under General Oliver Otis Howard and Colonel Nelson A. Miles , including Troops F, G, and H of the 2nd Cavalry, marched to stop Chief Joseph's band from reaching Canada. L Troop was sent back to Fort Ellis to gather supplies but would join the expedition later. On 30 September 1877,

6902-436: The army. Baker died at age 47 on December 19, 1884, at Fort Walla Walla, Washington ; a January 1885 obituary listed his cause of death as "general debility ." As an interracial family, the Clarkes struggled to find their place in both white and Native communities. In the latter years of his life, Horace Clarke would say the two central events of his life were the murder of his father and the military campaign that followed. As

7021-426: The attack was a "complete success." When Hardie ordered de Trobriand to interview guides Horace Clarke and Joe Kipp and mail their testimonies to him, de Trobriand ignored the order. For his part, guide Joe Kipp claimed that he had counted 217 casualties, mostly older men, women, and children. He also claimed that Baker was drunk on the morning of the attack. When writer Frank Bird Linderman requested an interview for

7140-476: The border into Canada. Piegan oral history recounts that the U.S. Army threw every dead Native American man into a fire. A rough count by Baker's men showed 173 dead. Only one cavalryman, Private McKay, was killed, and another soldier was injured after falling off his horse and breaking his leg. The count of casualties was disputed by scout Joe Kipp, who later said the total Blackfeet dead numbered 217. Colonel Regis de Trobriand reported to his superior officers on

7259-457: The camp belonged to Heavy Runner, Baker responded, "That makes no difference, one band or another of them; they are all Piegans [Blackfeet] and we will attack them." Baker then ordered a sergeant to shoot Kipp if he tried to warn the sleeping camp of Blackfeet and gave the command to attack. Kipp shouted to try to prevent the attack, and Baker placed him under arrest. The noise alerted the Piegan camp and Chief Heavy Runner. Heavy Runner ran toward

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7378-424: The camp had been suffering from smallpox added to the outrage about the army's attack on non-combatants. Despite the subsequent controversy, General Sheridan expressed his confidence in Baker's leadership while struggling to protect the U.S. Army politically. He succeeded in preventing an official investigation into the incident. Following the Marias Massacre, Baker was widely viewed as a strong military commander and

7497-441: The camp with his followers. Baker filed his official report on February 18. In it, he claimed that he and his men had killed 173 Indians and had captured more than 100 women and children who were later allowed to go free. He also reported capturing more than 300 horses and burning the Piegans' lodges and supplies. Blackfeet agent William B. Pease reported the massacre to his superior, Alfred Sully , on January 30 after interviewing

7616-420: The cavalrymen attacked the South Piegans on reservation territory that had been established in 1868. Two news articles written in February and March 1870 mentioned that Mountain Chief's son, Red Horn, was killed in the massacre. In a letter to Philip Sheridan on March 24, 1870, Sherman stated that, "I prefer to believe that the majority of the killed at Mountain Chief's camp were warriors." Fools Crow (1986),

7735-406: The charge and was wounded, and earned the Medal of Honor for his heroism in this brief but savage charge. Returning to duty in September 1864, he led the regiment in another charge during the Third Battle of Winchester . He was wounded again and lost his mount and right arm. First Sergeant Conrad Schmidt of K Company bravely rode back under fire to rescue his regimental commander. Schmidt was given

7854-534: The community. Nathan Clarke was "stabbed to the heart" on September 19, 1872 in Deep Creek, Montana by James Swan, a Métis man. Clarke's death was reported in the Helena Weekly Herald with the cause: "Clark wanted Swan's daughter, to which both Swan and the girl objected." Andrew Graybill's The Red and the White portrays Clarke's stabbing as an expression of the "self-loathing" of "some people of mixed ancestry," asserting that James Swan preferred his daughter marry "a white man." This accusation lacks credibility, given

7973-401: The dragoons of 1836 Proper. Motto Toujours Prêt (Always Ready). Symbolism The color of the facings of the old dragoon regiment was orange, which is used for the field of the shield; the insignia was an eight-pointed star of gold, two of them (conforming with the numerical designation) are placed on the shield. The traditional episode in the regiment is the charge of Captain May's squadron on

8092-403: The early part of the 19th century. Previous designations of the regiment: Description/Blazon Shield; Tenné, a dragoon in the uniform of the Mexican War mounted on a white horse brandishing a saber and charging a Mexican field gun defended by a gunner armed with a rammer all proper, in chief two eight-pointed mullets Or. Crest; On a wreath of the colors (Or and Tenné) the head dress of

8211-409: The enemy battery and captured a Mexican general. On 29 June 1846, COL David Twiggs was given command of the regiment from COL William S. Harney , and he was lauded for his bravery at the Battle of Monterrey . COL Twiggs commanded the 2nd Dragoons for the rest of the war, and by the end, the regiment was one of two regiments in the Army that had elements participate in every major battle. Heroism

8330-400: The enemy to turn their flank during the Battle of Palo Alto . The next day, during the Battle of Resaca de la Palma on 9 May 1846, Companies D and E under Captain Charles A. May were ordered to eliminate a battery of Mexican guns. Prior to the charge, May issued a simple order; "Remember your Regiment and follow your officers." This became the 2nd Dragoon Regiment's motto. The attack destroyed

8449-470: The expedition's officers. Sully ordered Pease to interview survivors of the massacre. Based on his interviews with officers and survivors, Pease reported a death toll of eighteen older men, ninety women, and fifty children. According to Pease, only fifteen young men aged twelve to thirty-seven were killed. Pease further reported fifty-one Blackfeet survivors: eighteen women, nineteen children, nine young men who had escaped, and five men who had been out hunting at

8568-443: The hostile Piegan and Blood Indians shows incontestably that the march itself was a heroic one." The editorial further explained that it "was not known how strong the Indians might be, and huddled as they were indiscriminately in the camp, the first fury of the attack fell alike on all ages and sexes." The editorial surmised that the warriors "it seems, fled; at all events, the great majority of those left were women and children." When

8687-615: The house, where they shot Clarke in the chest before Owl Child ultimately killed him with an ax. Clarke's other children and his wife took shelter in the house unharmed. Clarke's murder created a climate of unrest in the region, as outraged white settlers demanded that the government protect them and suppress the outlaw Blackfeet. In response, the U.S. Army demanded that the Blackfoot Confederacy execute Owl Child and deliver his body to them in two weeks. Owl Child fled North and joined Mountain Chief's Piegan band, which, although known for their hostility toward white settlers, did not conduct raids on

8806-525: The men raced for cover and made a fortified position with their two dead horses. One trooper, PVT Thomas Hubbard, was wounded, but they managed to hold the Indians at bay and inflicted several casualties. When the hostile band retreated after an hour of fighting, the troopers left, took a settler family under their charge and returned safely. All 5 men were awarded the Medal of Honor (SGT Patrick J. Leonard, and PVTs Heth Canfield, Michael Himmelsback, Thomas Hubbard, and George W. Thompson ). Today, junior NCOs in

8925-405: The noise of barking dogs. She watched Heavy Runner run toward the troops, holding his "name paper" above his head. Then the soldiers began shooting. She ran into a nearby lodge and hid behind a bed backrest. While she waited, soldiers moved from lodge to lodge, killing her people. One soldier cut a hole in the lodge where she hid and shot everyone who moved. Buffalo Trail Woman saw soldiers surround

9044-471: The non-combatants, and that such women and children as were killed were killed accidentally." Sherman's order to specify the age, sex, and condition of those killed was ignored. Baker's reports became the official military record. The army justified Baker's attack and portrayed him as a hero. De Trobriand claimed that many of the Piegan women had been killed by their husbands to protect them "from tortures among

9163-427: The number, sex, and kind of Indians killed." Sherman wanted "to meet the public charge that of the number killed the greatest part were squaws and children." In response, Baker claimed that his men had killed 120 "able men" and 53 women and children. He also reported capturing 140 women and children who were later released because of smallpox. Baker claimed, "I believe that every effort was made by officers and men to save

9282-413: The occupants, and burn everything, bodies, and lodges together. Powerless to save his family, Bear Head wished the soldiers had killed him, too. After the soldiers left, a few people returned to the camp from their hiding places in the brush. They buried the dead as best they could. Bear Head counted fifteen men, ninety women, and fifty children dead. Learning of the raid, Mountain Chief's band escaped over

9401-528: The other early mounted units, many members of the Second Cavalry went on to higher ranks and command positions on both sides during the war. A former lieutenant of the regiment, Colonel Orton Williams , C.S.A who had been commissioned into the regiment on the recommendation of Robert E. Lee , was hanged as a spy by the federal authorities in 1863. When the Civil War ended, the 2nd Cavalry Regiment

9520-455: The predawn hours of January 23. Smallpox had struck, and many people were suffering from the disease. Most of the healthy men had left the camp to hunt. So, on that bitterly cold morning, nearly all the camp's occupants were women, children, or elderly. Scout Joe Kipp recognized that the camp belonged to Heavy Runner, considered peaceful and not to be attacked per orders from Fort Shaw commander Colonel Philippe Régis de Trobriand . When told that

9639-656: The regiment stayed in Florida to patrol for hostile bands of Seminoles. Fort Jessup became the regimental headquarters, and was the 2nd Dragoons' home for four years. When hostilities with the Centralist Republic of Mexico began to boil over in 1845, General Zachary Taylor assembled his "Army of Observation" at Fort Jessup, and the 2nd Dragoons marched overland to occupy Corpus Christi, Texas . They soon established Fort Texas , near modern-day Brownsville, Texas . The regiment conducted aggressive patrolling along

9758-410: The regiment, but was promoted out of the job shortly after. Throughout the war, the 2nd Cavalry would be commanded by many company-grade officers such as Captains Wesley Merritt and Theophilus Francis Rodenbough . C Company was the last unit of the regiment to fight as dragoons, during the Battle of Wilson's Creek . For much of the war, the regiment was a key part of either the "Reserve Brigade" or

9877-482: The results of this severe but necessary and well-merited punishment of these Indians, he congratulates the citizens of Montana upon the prospect of future security." However, de Trobriand needed to explain why Baker had attacked the wrong camp. So, he implied that Baker had attacked a "hostile" camp and that Heavy Runner had been killed by "his own fault" because he had left the safety of the trading post in search of whiskey. According to de Trobriand, Mountain Chief had fled

9996-426: The ridges above the camp, the soldiers shot into lodges filled with sleeping people. After a while, they charged into the camp. William Birth of Company K boasted that they sliced open lodge coverings with butcher knives and shot the unarmed people inside. He said: "We killed some with axes" and "gave them an awful massacreing. [sic]" Spear Woman was six years old at the time of the massacre. She remembered waking up to

10115-498: The ruined village, the troopers found many uniforms, guidons, and weapons from the 7th Cavalry Regiment, and they left knowing that they had avenged those fallen at Little Bighorn. On 20 August 1877, elements of the 2nd Cavalry which had been pursuing Chief Joseph 's band of Nez Perce Indians through Idaho reported that their quarry had turned on them, stole their pack train, and began attempting to escape to Canada. Despite being low on supplies, L Troop and two additional Troops of

10234-500: The settlements. When the two-week deadline had passed, General Philip Sheridan sent a squadron of cavalry from the Second Cavalry Regiment , led by Major Eugene Baker, to track down and punish the offending party. Sheridan ordered: If the lives and property of the citizens of Montana can best be protected by striking Mountain Chief's band, I want them struck. Tell Baker to strike them hard. Sheridan intended that

10353-502: The soldiers, "shouting and waving a piece of paper—a safe conduct from the Indian Bureau." He was immediately shot and killed. Scout Joseph Cobell later took credit for shooting Heavy Runner. Cobell was married to the sister of Mountain Chief and wanted to divert attention from his brother-in-law's camp, which he knew was about 10 miles (16 km) downstream. After Cobell's first shot, the rest of Baker's command opened fire. From

10472-420: The soldiers, waving a paper, and then fall as the troops opened fire. He saw soldiers shoot at the tops of lodges, cutting the bindings and collapsing them onto the fire so that they smothered and burned their occupants. He watched them do this to the lodge of his mother, Fair Singing Woman, killing her and his father's three other wives and their four daughters. He saw them tear down all the remaining lodges, shoot

10591-475: The squadron conduct a dawn attack on the Piegan village; it had snowed heavily, and most of the Blackfeet would be sleeping or staying inside to keep warm. This was a strategy he had used before, as he had directed George Custer to attack Black Kettle 's band of Cheyenne in the Battle of Washita River . Following their father's death, Nathan and Horace Clarke intercepted the Second cavalry as they passed through

10710-442: The success of the expedition, informing them that the "murderers, and marauders of last summer" had been killed. Sheridan received de Trobriand's initial report on January 29, which was then forwarded to Sherman with the promise that "this will end Indian troubles in Montana." Sheridan also praised Baker's command: "The lieutenant-general cannot commend too highly the spirit and conduct of the troops and their commander and as one of

10829-518: The time of Owl Child's attack, Mountain Chief was the head chief of the Amskapi Pikuni. In response to Owl Child's attack and to prevent raids on white settlers by Native American warrior parties, General Philip Sheridan sent a band of cavalry led by Major Eugene Baker at Fort Ellis to punish those involved in Clarke's death, namely Mountain Chief's band. When Baker's forces arrived along

10948-458: The time of the attack. Pease's report sparked public outcry. Vincent Colyer , the secretary to the Board of Indian Commissioners and a noted humanitarian, wrote a letter to board chairman Felix Brunot alerting him to Pease's claim that only 15 men of fighting age had been killed; in contrast, the rest had been women, children, and elderly. The New York Times published the letter, it was read in

11067-507: The trader. Consequently, Clarke and his son, Horace, beat and humiliated Owl Child in front of a group of Blackfeet. There were accounts from Blackfeet claiming Clarke had also raped Owl Child's wife, who was a cousin of Coth-co-co-na . Other Blackfeet oral histories state that Owl Child's wife became pregnant from the assault, and gave birth to a child who was either stillborn or killed by tribal elders. The Piegan warriors first shot and severely wounded Horace, who survived. They then proceeded to

11186-416: The tribe. Clarke frequently argued with prominent AFC member Owen McKenzie throughout his trading career. This interpersonal conflict ultimately led to Clarke murdering McKenzie. After the murder, Clarke left the fur trading business out of fear of retribution from other traders, as well as the decline of the fur trade during the 1860s due to the dwindling population of bison . Clarke then moved his family to

11305-550: The troopers were engaged by the Seminoles at Fort Mellon only two days after their arrival. On 9 September 1837, three Dragoon companies and two companies of Florida Militia surrounded and raided a hostile village, capturing King Philip , an important chief. On 11 September 1837, Lieutenant John Winfield Scott McNeil was killed by the Seminoles, becoming the first officer of the 2nd Dragoons to die in combat. The regiment under Lieutenant Colonel William S. Harney later fought at

11424-454: The troopers were set upon by a band of Lakota and Cheyenne warriors near present-day Goodland, Kansas . The 12 cavalrymen and scout were surrounded and killed to a man, and their bodies were scalped and mutilated. However, they managed to kill an enemy chief, Yellow Horse, in the fight (known as the Kidder massacre ). On 23 January 1870, elements of Companies F, G, H, and L participated in

11543-418: The village and scattered the enemy horses, while the remaining troopers charged and routed the band of Lakota. During the intense battle, PVT William Leonard of L Company became isolated, and defended his position behind a large rock for two hours before he was rescued by his comrades. He, and PVT Samuel D. Phillips of H Company both earned the Medal of Honor for their gallantry in this battle. While searching

11662-428: The white men which are inflicted upon white women when captured by those Red fiends." Major General Winfield Scott Hancock claimed that it was necessary for the troops to "fire into the lodges at the outset to drive the Indians out to an open contest." Hancock also claimed that fewer than forty women and children had been killed. The Army and Navy Journal editorialized that "Colonel Baker's report of his scout against

11781-826: Was a Piegan (South Piegan) and part of the Blackfeet Nation (Amskapi Pikuni), one of four tribal groups composing the Blackfoot Confederacy . Mountain Chief lived on the Blackfeet Indian Reservation in Montana . Mountain Chief's father became chief around the time that Lewis and Clark visited in 1806. In Mountain Chief's childhood, his father gave him a buckskin yearling, a bay horse whose color resembles that of tanned deerskin. Mountain Chief learned to hunt birds and prairie dogs using arrows without points, and his mother's father, Big Smoke, made his first bow that he used for hunting. When Mountain Chief

11900-486: Was a friend of the United States army. Despite this paper, Army scout Joe Cobell shot and killed Heavy Runner and the cavalrymen shot at the lodges and massacred the Piegans. Of the 140 people that were captured alive, all were turned loose without clothing, food, and horses and many froze to death on their return to Fort Benton. Mountain Chief had close ties to Heavy Runner's camp. Good Bear Woman, Mountain Chief's daughter,

12019-462: Was amended to change the 6 pointed star to an 8 pointed star to conform to the old dragoon star on 28 April 1924. On 23 March 1931, it was amended to prescribe the method of wear. It was redesignated for the 2d Constabulary Squadron on 21 January 1948. The insignia was redesignated for the 2d Armored Cavalry Regiment (US Constabulary) on 17 March 1949. It was redesignated for the 2d Armored Cavalry Regiment on 1 September 1955. The distinctive unit insignia

12138-518: Was amended to change the description on 20 August 1965. It was redesignated effective 16 April 2005, for the 2d Cavalry Regiment. In 1808, there was one regiment of light dragoons in the United States and during the War of 1812 another regiment was raised. Units of both regiments of dragoons served in engagements at the Mississineway River ; the Battle of Lundy's Lane ; Fort Erie and

12257-633: Was at Heavy Runner's camp at the day of the massacre and Heavy Runner's wife was Mountain Chief's sister. General William Tecumseh Sherman was confronted with outrage in Congress after the massacre, but he insisted that most of those killed in the incident were warriors in Mountain Chief's camp. The people of Montana and General Sherman had been given permission to attack the South Piegans if they were not within reservation boundaries, but

12376-455: Was born around 1848 at Oldman River in Alberta , Canada (then British North America ). Mountain Chief was the son of Mountain Chief and Charging Across Quartering. Mountain Chief's father, also known as Butte Bull and Bear Cutting, was a South Piegan chief and the son of Kicking Woman and Chief Killer. Mountain Chief was the hereditary chief of the Fast Buffalo Horse band. Mountain Chief

12495-573: Was drawn from New Orleans . D Company was organized from a detachment of the 1st Dragoons and served in Florida immediately. In April 1837, the regimental headquarters was moved to Jefferson Barracks , Missouri , where the 400 new recruits and their instructors participated in the School of the Trooper, and learned the tactics and ways of being a dragoon, while some of their compatriots were battling

12614-486: Was expelled for fighting.  During his time there, he became friends with classmate William Sherman , although they lost touch after he left school. Clarke found success trading with Blackfeet tribes and eventually married a Native woman named Coth-co-co-na and had four children—Helen, Horace, Nathan, and Isabel. This marriage served as an alliance between Malcolm and the Blackfoot tribe, prolonging his fur trade with

12733-523: Was included in Dixon's text as well. Dixon hoped to build a National American Indian Memorial at Fort Wadsworth on Staten Island overlooking New York harbor to memorialize what he termed the "first Americans." To create this memorial, Dixon gathered President William Taft , his cabinet members and military officers, the governor of New York, and 32 Plains Native Americans, including Mountain Chief, on February 22, 1913. During this meeting, Mountain Chief and

12852-530: Was intercepted and surrendered at Fort Robinson, Nebraska, but Little Wolf sought shelter in the Sand Hills of Wyoming . Elements of E and I Troop under LT William P. Clark (who had earned a special rapport with the Indians) were sent to negotiate with these stalwarts. The band was located near Box Elder Creek, Montana on 25 March 1879, and was persuaded to accompany the troopers back to Fort Keogh. During

12971-636: Was interested in the preservation of Plains Indian Sign Language and consulted with General Hugh L. Scott at the Bureau of American Ethnology on Native American sign language. Mountain Chief later served as a tribal delegate at the Indian Sign Language Council in 1930. Gen. Scott recommended that Densmore meet with Mountain Chief, and the two initially met on February 8, 1916 to record songs. This first meeting between Densmore and Mountain Chief led to three different photographs capturing both Densmore and Mountain Chief listening to

13090-717: Was involved in the Marias Massacre . Mountain Chief had two full sisters, Litte Snake and Last Kill. He also had three other half-brothers, Sitting In The Middle, Red Bull, and Last Kill, and one half-sister, Lone Cut. Mountain Chief was married to five different women, including Bird Sailing This Way, Fine Stealing Woman, Hates To Stay Alone, and Gun Woman For Nothing. And he had seven known children with these five wives, including Stealing In The Daytime, Rose Mountain Chief, Antoine Mountain Chief, Walter Mountain Chief, Tackler (Teckla), Emma Mountain Chief, Red Horn and Good Bear Woman.   Mountain Chief's name "Nínaiistáko / Ninna-stako" in Blackfoot, translates to "Chief Mountain," which

13209-746: Was largely outdated. This image depicting Mountain Chief listening to and interpreting a recording has appeared in numerous ethnomusicology and anthropology texts. Densmore and Mountain Chief were featured as the cover image on the Healing Songs of the American Indians. Two books released by William Clements (1966) related to Native American poetry and Helen Myers (1993) related to ethnomusicology utilized this image but cropped out Densmore. While Densmore has never been misidentified, Mountain Chief has been identified by other names and tribal affiliations or not identified at all. In Daughters of

13328-564: Was made the 3rd Colonel of the 2nd Dragoons. On 1 October 1858, other elements of the 2nd Dragoons that hadn't gone to Utah were engaging in operations against the Comanche in Texas. In the summer of 1858, a group of Dragoons pursued a number of Comanche who had captured a white child, but soon were ambushed by 25 braves. The firefight escalated and the Dragoons and Texas Rangers fought off

13447-457: Was not limited to the officers of the 2nd Dragoons; in November 1847, SGT Jack Miller's small patrol of 20 Dragoons was ambushed by near Monclova by 100 Mexicans. Reaching for their carbines , SGT Miller urged them to charge with only their sabers. In the ensuing battle, 6 Mexicans were killed, 13 were wounded, and 70 were captured at the cost of 1 wounded Dragoon and 3 wounded horses. After

13566-422: Was old enough to ride well, he began to hunt buffalo and was given steel-tipped arrows. Mountain Chief participated in his first war party when he was 15 years old, at which time he was given his first war name, Big Brave (Umak’atci), by Head Carrier. In his adolescence, Mountain Chief went by the name Big Brave, as his father was also named Mountain Chief. Mountain Chief was the half-brother of Owl Child, who

13685-461: Was once again repulsed by the Cheyenne and Lakota at the Battle of the Rosebud on 17 June 1876, and only a few days later, Custer's 7th Cavalry were defeated at the Battle of Little Bighorn . By April 1877, most of the US cavalry was in the west, fighting against bands of hostile Indians. The Cheyenne surrendered in December, Sitting Bull escaped to Canada, and Crazy Horse , the victorious chief in

13804-570: Was peaceful, he was accused of killing John Bozeman in the spring of 1867. As a result of Bozeman and later Malcolm Clarke's deaths, the warriors in Mountain Chief's band became the target of the Second United States Cavalry on January 23, 1870, resulting in the Marias Massacre . The Marias Massacre occurred at Willow Rounds on January 23, 1870, and led to the death of approximately 200 Piegans from Chief Heavy Runner's Amskapi Pikuni (Blackfoot/South Piegan) band camped on

13923-408: Was redesignated for the 2d Constabulary Squadron. It was redesignated for the 2d Armored Cavalry Regiment (US Constabulary) on 17 March 1949. The coat of arms was redesignated for the 2d Armored Cavalry on 1 September 1955. The insignia was redesignated effective 16 April 2005, for the 2d Cavalry Regiment. Description/Blazon A metal and enamel device one inch (2.54 cm) in height consisting of

14042-477: Was selected to command Fort Ellis by General Sheridan . At Fort Ellis, Baker was in command of surveying expeditions into Yellowstone in 1871 and 1872, culminating in a skirmish between his forces and Indian warriors led by Sitting Bull at Pryor's Creek on August 14, 1872. Baker was later arrested by General Hancock for drunkenness in October 1872. He was never charged but was relegated to purchasing horses for

14161-609: Was sent west to fight against hostile Indian tribes and protect American settlers. With US troops focused on fighting Confederate forces in the east, the Indians of the frontier grew bolder. The vastness of the American frontier meant that the regiment was seldom together, and was spread out, often with only one troop occupying a post. In December 1866, 25 troopers of the 2nd Cavalry under LT George W. Grummond accompanied CPT William J. Fetterman in his expedition against Chief Red Cloud . In northern Wyoming , these 81 men were engaged by

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