Buffalo Calf Road
Woman
The remarkable story of a young Cheyenne warrior
woman in her early twenties, Buffalo Calf Road, spans a period of
3 years from 1876 until her death in 1879. During this time the
Cheyenne were caught in the westward expansion of pioneers, miners
and the army, all determined to colonize the land on the great plains
occupied by native peoples. The Cheyenne and other native tribes
endured attacks, massacres and forced removals to reservations.
It is not known how she acquired her skill with a gun, but Buffalo
Calf Road first rose to prominence among her people at the Battle
of the Rosebud. Since General Crook and his men were seen advancing
toward their village, warriors prepared to ride out to stop them.
Determined to help save her people, Buffalo Calf Road decided to
ride with the warriors despite some opposition to a woman doing
so. As the battle raged, she fought bravely. At one point she spotted
her brother, Comes In Sight, in a gully below, trapped by soldiers
closing in. Immediately, Calf rode down into the gully amidst the
flying bullets and, in an amazing rescue, pulled her brother onto
her horse and out of the gully to safety. Those warriors observing
the scene were greatly impressed, since they themselves had hesitated,
thinking the situation too impossible to save Comes In Sight. Victorious,
her people named the battle for her, The Battle Where the Girl Saved
Her Brother, and called her Brave Woman.
A week later, General George Armstrong Custer led his troops
against an encampment of Cheyenne, Lakota and other tribes camped
along the Little Bighorn River. Buffalo Calf Road again joined the
warriors and fought bravely for her people, the only woman to do
so. During the battle, she rescued a young warrior who lost his
horse. Again victorious, the tribes regrouped, each going their
own way.
Five months later, the Cheyenne village was viciously attacked
again by soldiers in the early morning hours. When it was over,
more than 40 Cheyenne lay dead, many wounded, and the village burned
to the ground. Forced to flee again, this time without blankets,
adequate clothing or food, Buffalo Calf Road and her people made
their way through a freezing, blinding snowstorm that descended
on them. That first night in the icy cold, eleven babies froze to
death.
The Indians were relentlessly pursued. Slowly, most of the Cheyenne
surrendered. But despite being pregnant, Buffalo Calf Road refused
to surrender, holding out with a small group of about 30 Cheyenne
hostiles, including some children. During this difficult
period of extreme hardship, she had a second child. Eventually,
with deteriorating conditions and the armys promise of land
of their own, the small band surrendered, only to learn they would
be sent south to what is now Oklahoma.
After a long forced march, they arrived in Indian Territory,
to an inhospitable land, an unfamiliar climate, unknown diseases,
and a circumscribed life. Conditions were so bad, a group of about
300 Cheyenne, including Buffalo Calf Road and her family, determined
to return home.
Escaping during the night, mostly on foot, the band began the
harsh journey north. Pursued the whole way by the army, they managed
to keep going despite numerous battles with the soldiers dogging
them. Again, Buffalo Calf Road fought bravely in defense of her
people. Exhausted, hungry much of the time, Calf and her people
continued on foot for about 1,500 miles.
After arriving north, the group split in two over a disagreement
about how to proceed. One group under Dull Knife headed to Red Clouds
Lakota village, believing they would be sheltered there. But the
army captured and imprisoned them at Fort Robinson, demanding they
return south. In despair, deprived of food and water, they broke
out of prison on a bitterly cold day, only to be massacred. Over
65 Cheyenne men, women and children were killed by the soldiers.
The other group, under Chief Little Wolf, included Buffalo Calf
Road. They were able to hide for a period in the Sand Hills of Nebraska.
Buffalo Calf Roads husband, meanwhile, had been slowly descending
into a kind of madness and killed Black Crane during an argument.
After he was banished, Calf, her children, and a handful of relatives
left with him. A short time later, the army captured Little Wolfs
group. Eventually, Buffalo Calf Roads party was also captured
and imprisoned at Fort Keogh, where she died of diphtheria. She
did not live to see her beloved Cheyennes settled on land of their
own in 1884 in southeastern Montana, a place known as Lame Deer
Reservation.
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Sources
Since the Cheyenne were a pre-literate people, there
are no diaries or records, only oral accounts of those present at
these events. So Buffalo Calf Road is known only through oral history
accounts of Cheyenne contemporaries, especially two women, Kate
Big Head and Iron Teeth who tell of her exploits in interviews.
We also have the work of Mari Sandoz who writes of the flight north
from Indian Territory based on her interviews of women who were
present, especially Old Cheyenne Woman. Most of the men who fought
with Buffalo Calf Road failed to mention her exploits with the notable
exception of Wooden Leg, a warrior who fought with her. He told
of her heroic acts, providing a detailed account of her in battle
and during the period when she gave birth, before the small band
of 30 surrendered. There are no photos of her, but there are two
ledger book sketches: Yellow Nose depicts her saving her brother
in battle and Amos Bad Heart Bull draws her riding into battle with
her brother.
Buffalo Calf Road Woman: The Book
Buffalo Calf Road Woman: The Story of a Warrior of
the Little Bighorn, by Rosemary Agonito and researched by Joseph
Agonito, won the prestigious 2006 Western Heritage Award for Best
Western Novel.
About Rosemary Agonito
Rosemary Agonito is the author of the award-winning book Buffalo
Calf Road Woman: The Story of a Warrior of the Little Bighorn, which
won the prestigious 2006 Western Heritage Award for Best Western
Novel.
Find Rosemary on Facebook,
and Twitter.
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