The Rifle of Chief Crazy Horse

By Crusader1307

As War Chief of The Ogala Sioux, (Native Americans) - his name was Tasunke Witko, which translated means "His Horse Is Crazy". A noted brave warrior (respected and feared by other tribes and US cavalrymen), he initiated the first Sioux War against the US Army. He is best known for leading his warriors against General Custer and his men at The Battle of The Little Big Horn River (1876). He was known to have "visions" which when read by Medicine Men of his tribe, were seen as "future battle plans". As strange as this sounds, Crazy Horse never lost a battle. His personality was strange as well. In his Lodge, he would laugh and joke - but outside he rarely spoke to anyone save his Chiefs and subordinates. After the Little Big Horn disaster, the US Army flung it's full strength against The Sioux. Without supplies and his people starving, Crazy Horse surrendered to Federal Authority at Fort Robinson, Nebraska in 1877. While being transferred, he was stabbed to death by guards. Many feel that he was assassinated. Although he did not carry a sword, he did use traditional Native American weapons (War Lance and Tomahawk Axe). He is most known for his captured Model 1860 Henry Repeating Rifle. A .44 caliber, 9 pound rifle, it was 45-inches long. It had an effective range of 200 yards. Loaded by a rear breech compartment via a brass tube, it held 15 rounds. A skilled shooter could fire 28 rounds (or a reload), per minute! This weapon was vastly superior to any the US Army used (Model 1873 Spencer Rifle). It was the Henry Rifle that was at The Little Big Horn. The fate of his weapon is unknown (or undiscovered).