Crazy Horse is the English name of the great Oglala Sioux war chief, Tasunka Witho, born in l842. The l868 Treaty of Fort Laramie established reservations for the Sioux, and they agreed to its terms, with the understanding that they would be allowed to hunt on their old ranges. Red Cloud and the Oglala agreed to a reservation located on the White River in northwest Nebraska.
However, many of the young men of the Oglala, under the leadership of Crazy Horse and Sitting Bull, refused to accept the terms of the treaty, and the army issued orders to bring these non-treaty bands under control. While on a buffalo hunt in December l875 the Sioux were ordered to return to the reservation by January 31, 1876. Although the time allowed was inadequate, the army was ordered to return by force those who did not comply with the order.
In the conflict which resulted, Crazy Horse proved to be an able warrior and military strategist. A band of Sioux under Crazy Horse prevented General George Crook's troops from uniting his forces with those of General Alfred Terry. Eight days later on June 25, l876, five companies of General George Custer's Seventh Cavalry were annihilated by Indians under the command of Crazy Horse and Sitting Bull at the Battle of the Little Big Horn in Montana.
Following Custer's defeat, small bands of Sioux scattered. Crazy Horse and his band resisted capture during the winter of l876-77. Finally because they were short of arms and supplies, Crazy Horse brought about 2,000 of his followers to the Red Cloud Agency and surrendered in May l877.
Crazy Horse was kept under surveillance at Fort Robinson. He was asked to be a scout for the army's planned expedition against the Nez Peres. A misunderstanding which followed this request led to Crazy Horse's arrest. While being led to a guard house cell, Crazy Horse attempted to escape, was mortally wounded, and died on September 7, l877.