American Horse, 1846-1876
Person
Dates
- Existence: 1846 - 1876
Parallel Names
- Iron Shield, 1846-1876
Biography
American Horse (1846-1876) was an Oglala Indian chief. American Horse may have been born in 1846, son to Old Chief Smoke. He became chief of the Lakota Sioux band known as "True Oglala." He participated in battle against General Custer in 1876 and resisted Euro-American encroachment in other settings. American Horse was a signatory to the Fort Laramie Treaty of 1868, along with his brothers Chief Red Cloud and Chief Blue Horse. He was mortally wounded on September 9, 1876, in the Battle of Slim Buttes, protecting his family and the "Paha Sapa" Black Hills.
Citation:
Valentine McGillycuddy diary, 1876-1877 (American Horse's death attended by Dr. McGillycuddy)Centennial campaign, 1988 : page 248 (American Horse, the Elder, or Iron Shield, an Oglala chief; killed in battle in September 1876)
Encyclopedia of native American biography, 1998 : page 9 (American Horse, Elder; Washicun Tashanka, Iron Shield)
American Indian portraits, 2000 : page 4 (American Horse (Elder), 1846-1876; Sioux; also known as Iron Shield; Oglala Lakota Sioux; may have been the son of Smoke; became the chief or principal spokesman for the band known as "True Oglala"; participated in battle against Custer in 1876; resisted Euro-American encroachment; died in 1876 in an attack by Colonel Mills men under General Crook's command)
Who's who among the Sioux, 1998 : page 1 (American Horse, the Elder; Old Smoke; born about 1846)
Wikipedia, January 27, 2024 (American Horse (elder); born 1830; Oglala Lakota warrior chief; son of Old Chief Smoke; signatory to the Fort Laramie Treaty of 1868, along with his brothers Chief Red Cloud and Chief Blue Horse; mortally wounded on September 9, 1876, in the Battle of Slim Buttes protecting his family and the "Paha Sapa" Black Hills)
Wyoming history journal, 1990 : volume 63-64, page 55 (American Horse; warrior, chief, scribe, traveler, philosopher, orator; leader of Oglala Sioux)
Found in 1 Collection or Record:
Valentine McGillycuddy diary
File — Multiple Containers
Identifier: MSS SC 139
Scope and Contents
Materials contain handwritten record of McGillycuddy's duties as a surgeon with General George Crook during the Big Horn and Yellowstone Expedition of 1876. They also include a description of the Battle of Slim Buttes on September 9, 1876, and the death of the Oglala chief, American Horse. The diary continues, beginning December 14, 1876, in the hand of McGillycuddy's wife, Fanny, and describes garrison life at Camp Robinson, Nebraska. Also contains a transcription of the diary. Dated from...
Dates:
1876-1877
Found in:
L. Tom Perry Special Collections