Never Forget
NEVER FORGET
WOUNDED KNEE DECEMBER 29, 1890
A campaign began well over five hundred years ago with a very specific intention, to eradicate all of the Native people from Turtle Island. The concepts and tactics grew as the sun rose and set, the objectives becoming bolder and the methods more Machiavellian as time went on.
Since Killumbus’s excursion and unfortunate discovery of the new worlds, there has been an onslaught of violence, manipulation, deception, and carnage, all based upon the diversified greed and the deviant appetites of the so-called christian invaders.
In the years to follow, the atrocities continued, with the ever present disclaimers that it was in the best interest to civilize what savages they could and kill the rest; leaving the missionaries to salivate and encouraging the pious concepts of young cavalrymen, who saw themselves as the conquering heroes, and their leaders as champions among lesser men.
The wave of ethnic cleansing swept across Turtle Island battering Nation after Nation, as the invaders sought to claim and then dissect the balance of all living things, of all that we hold Sacred. Grandmother lay under siege. The tide seemed to turn in June of 1876 with the resounding defeat of the Seventh Cavalry in the Greasy Grass fight, but as one tide turns, another flows in. The invaders of Turtle Island saw the defeat of the callous, egotistical Custer and the Seventh Cavalry as a massacre, perhaps the reality of the situation was lost to them, with the bright glint of gold lust and greed infecting their very souls.
The attacks on Lakota and Cheyenne camps persisted and the People continued to fight, but with the death of Crazy Horse on September 5, 1877, everything changed.
The Sacred lands diminished; the boundaries set in the Fort Laramie Treaty of 1868 erased as easily as chalk marks on a slate. The systematic genocide escalated with Native children as the primary targets.
Boarding schools, with blatant assimilation tactics designed to separate the Indian from the child and create compliant little mannequins dressed like their captors, encouraged the invaders to intensify their efforts to eliminate Native identities, culture, heritage and history.
Sacred lands ravaged with the greed of gold miners, more boundaries and restrictions imposed on Native people on the reservations, and acres and acres of fertile land once teeming with wildlife, were stripped away and claimed by more of the ever-encroaching invaders.
In 1888, a new hope came to the People and the message spread across Turtle Island to the other Nations. The vision given to Wovoka held promise and hope, a way to bring about change without war, a renewal and healing for Grandmother, the return of the Old Ones and those from the other world. Wovoka’s vision of The Ghost Dance infused its followers with a renewed sense of faith, an optimism that began to displace the extreme desperation felt by the People.
As the new religion inspired and excited the People, the Army was motivated with an irrational fear that ultimately escalated the wave of ethnic cleansing into a tsunami of devastating events. The arrest and subsequent killing of Sitting Bull in 1890 triggered powerful memories of the arrest and murder of Crazy Horse. As some of Sitting Bull’s camp sought refuge with Big Foot, the government set out to increase the arrests and obliterate the Ghost Dance and its followers for the last time. Big Foot’s band had eluded capture, but the majority of the camp now were women and children with little food or arms to protect themselves. The only option was to make their way 150 miles across the Badlands to Red Cloud, to his promise of protection, safety and sustenance. Five days into the arduous march, the group was surrounded by Major Samuel Whitside and none other than the Seventh Cavalry. There was no recourse for Big Foot but unconditional surrender.
Encamped fifteen miles away from Pine Ridge, near Wounded Knee Creek, Big Foot’s followers found themselves under the sights of four Hotchkiss guns. Big Foot himself was ravaged by pneumonia and was too ill and weak to even walk. It had been two weeks since Sitting Bull had been killed and the implications of his death lay heavy on the minds of the People. Interrogations throughout the night added to the apprehension and as the men were instructed to surrender all weapons the following morning at the north end of the camp, the soldiers began to barge into each and every lodge where the women and children were. The women and children were pushed to the ground, intimidated, their belongings thrown aside with no regard to their pleas. The men could hear the cries of anguish across the way. Anger was replacing the apprehension and Ghost Dance songs were being sung.
In the heat and chaos of the moment, it is believed the first shot came from the rifle of Black Coyote, a deaf man who did not understand why the soldiers were trying to take his gun, and without any intent, the rifle accidently fired. The inexperienced hotheaded soldiers opened fire at point blank range. With the bullets raining on them from the Hotchkiss guns and the soldier’s rifles, the men fought hand to hand. Some fought back with knives and war clubs that they had concealed from the soldiers, and what guns they were able to grab from the pile of confiscated weapons, but in a matter of minutes, over half of Big Foot’s group lay dead. Women and children were shot as they tried to run into the shelter of the ravine. The soldiers chased after them, running them down, killing the babies as their mothers struggled to protect them. It is impossible not to believe that the soldiers were not acting out of abject fear, rage, revenge and retaliation for the defeat at the Little Big Horn, considering that at least eight of the soldiers were veterans of that fight.
In the silence that followed the deafening artillery, the soldiers called out to the few survivors who had managed to hide. Young boys, emerging from their hiding places, were cut down in a barrage of gunfire. The injured and the dead lay scattered from the encampment to the ravine and several miles away, slaughtered like animals. Some of the wounded were removed from the site, loaded into wagons and taken to Pine Ridge, but it is debatable how many wounded may have been left in the carnage to die. A blizzard hit the area just hours after the last shots were fired, blanketing the dead. Perhaps Grandmother laid the blanket of snow over her children to dissuade the soldiers from inflicting any additional cruelties on them.
When the burial detachment of civilians was sent out four days later on the first of January, 1891, photographs of the dead were taken, the Ghost Dance shirts and dresses were stripped from the bodies, the trench dug, and the bodies were pushed and rolled into a common grave, devoid of any dignity.
For their actions in slaughtering defenseless men, women and children, twenty of the soldiers were awarded the Congressional Medal of Honor. I have listed their names here, not to honor them in any way, but to list those accountable.
I was amazed and disgusted to read the citations of the soldiers. Considering the Lakota men were at the north end of the encampment, out-numbered and unarmed when the initial rain of bullets hit them at point blank range, even those who were able to seize a rifle, had little advantage. Reading the true accounts of the massacre, the overall majority of the People who made it into the ravine were the women and the children.
So here are men being cited for extraordinary bravery for directing fire at defenseless women and children, and a few men who stood their ground trying to protect them.
The recipients of the medals were not the respectable moral soldiers that the news media of the time portrayed them to be.
John Clancy was court-martialed eight times, twice between his actions at Wounded Knee and receiving the medal.
George Loyd, one of the veterans of the Battle of the Little Bighorn, shot himself in the head two years after Wounded Knee. After his suicide, the War Department requested that his medal be returned to them. Interestingly his company commander reported the medal “lost” and it has never been recovered.
Mathew H. Hamilton’s bravery amounted to riding away from the massacre to chase down a mule.
Frederick Toy’s brave deed was to aim and hit two Indians running into a ravine, yet his citation lacks the approximate ages and sex of the two that he murdered. The lack of this information is a strong indicator that his victims were women or children.
Jacob Trautman murdered one Indian, and the full citation listed that since his enlistment ended shortly before the massacre, because he stayed, he was cited for a medal.
George Hobday, in the draft copies of his recommendations for a medal, his act of bravery was voluntarily leaving his work as a cook.
Paul Weinert manned one of the Hotchkiss guns above the ravine, less than 300 yards away from the Indians he slaughtered. He claimed that the Indians in the ravine were firing on him with their Winchesters. The location of his gun was near the encampment, from where many of the women and children had fled into the ravine, when the Hotchkiss guns fired into the tents. He later went on tour with the Buffalo Bill Wild West Show, proudly showing off his medal.
Many of the other “recipients” were cited for bravery in regards to wounds received in the “battle”, yet there are no documents or even drafts to show any proof of injury.
Awarded the Congressional Medal of Honor for their Actions of “Bravery”
Against Unarmed, Defenseless Men, Women and Children at Wounded Knee
AUSTIN, WILLIAM G.
Rank and organization: Sergeant, Company E, 7th U.S. Cavalry. Place and date: At Wounded Knee Creek, S. Dak., 29 December 1890. Entered service at: New York, N.Y. Birth: Galveston, Tex. Date of issue: 27 June 1891. Citation: While the Indians were concealed in a ravine, assisted men on the skirmish line, directing their fire, etc., and using every effort to dislodge the enemy.
CLANCY, JOHN E.
Rank and organization: Musician, Company E, 1st U.S. Artillery. Place and date: At Wounded Knee Creek, S. Dak., 29 December 1890. Entered service at: ------. Birth: New York, N.Y. Date of issue 23 January 1892. Citation: Twice voluntarily rescued wounded comrades under fire of the enemy.
FEASTER, MOSHEIM
Rank and organization: Private, Company E, 7th U.S. Cavalry. Place and date: At Wounded Knee Creek, S. Dak., 29 December 1890. Entered service at: Schellburg, Pa. Birth: Schellburg, Pa. Date of issue: 23 June 1891. Citation: Extraordinary gallantry.
GARLINGTON, ERNEST A.
Rank and organization: First Lieutenant, 7th U.S. Cavalry. Place and date: At Wounded Knee Creek, S. Dak., 29 December 1890. Entered service at: Athens, Ga. Born: 20 February 1853, Newberry, S.C. Date of issue: 26 September 1893. Citation: Distinguished gallantry.
GRESHAM, JOHN C.
Rank and organization: First Lieutenant, 7th U.S. Cavalry. Place and date: At Wounded Knee Creek, S. Dak., 29 December 1890. Entered service at: Lancaster Courthouse, Va. Birth: Virginia. Date of issue: 26 March 1895. Citation: Voluntarily led a party into a ravine to dislodge Sioux Indians concealed therein. He was wounded during this action.
HAMILTON, MATHEW H.
Rank and organization: Private, Company G, 7th U.S. Cavalry. Place and date: At Wounded Knee Creek, S. Dak., 29 December 1890. Entered service at: New York, N.Y. Birth: Australia. Date of issue: 25 May 1891. Citation: Bravery in action.
HARTZOG, JOSHIJA B.
Rank and organization: Private, Company E, 1st U.S. Artillery. Place and date: At Wounded Knee Creek, S. Dak., 29 December 1890. Entered service at: ------. Birth: Paulding County, Ohio, Date of issue: 24 March 1891. Citation: Went to the rescue of the commanding officer who had fallen severely wounded, picked him up, and carried him out of range of the hostile guns.
HAWTHORNE, HARRY L.
Rank and organization: Second Lieutenant, 2d U S. Artillery. Place and date: At Wounded Knee Creek, S. Dak., 29 December 1890. Entered service at: Kentucky. Born: 1860, Minnesota. Date of issue: 1 1 October 1892. Citation: Distinguished conduct in battle with hostile Indians .
HILLOCK, MARVIN C.
Rank and organization: Private, Company B, 7th U.S. Cavalry. Place and date: At Wounded Knee Creek, S. Dak., 29 December 1890. Entered service at: Lead City, S. Dak. Birth: Michigan. Date of issue: 16 April 1891. Citation: Distinguished bravery.
HOBDAY, GEORGE
Rank and organization: Private, Company A, 7th U.S. Cavalry. Place and date: At Wounded Knee Creek, S. Dak., 29 December 1890. Entered service at: ------. Birth: Pulaski County, 111. Date of issue: 23 June 1891. Citation: Conspicuous and gallant conduct in battle.
JETTER, BERNHARD
Rank and organization: Sergeant, Company K, 7th U.S. Cavalry. Place and date: At Sioux campaign, December 1890. Entered service at: ------. Birth: Germany. Date of issue: 24 April 1891. Citation: Distinguished bravery.
LOYD, GEORGE
Rank and organization: Sergeant, Company I, 7th U.S. Cavalry. Place and date: At Wounded Knee Creek, S. Dak., 29 December 1890. Entered service at: ------. Birth: Ireland. Date of issue: 16 April 1891. Citation: Bravery, especially after having been severely wounded through the lung.
McMlLLAN, ALBERT W.
Rank and organization: Sergeant, Company E, 7th U.S. Cavalry. Place and date: At Wounded Knee Creek, S. Dak., 29 December 1890. Entered service at: Baltimore, Md. Birth: Baltimore, Md. Date of issue: 23 June 1891. Citation: While engaged with Indians concealed in a ravine, he assisted the men on the skirmish line, directed their fire, encouraged them by example, and used every effort to dislodge the enemy.
NEDER, ADAM
Rank and organization: Private, Company A, 7th U.S. Cavalry. Place and date: Sioux campaign, December 1890. Entered service at:------. Birth: Bavaria. Date of issue: 25 April 1891. Citation: Distinguished bravery.
SULLIVAN, THOMAS
Rank and organization: Private, Company E, 7th U.S. Cavalry. Place and date: At Wounded Knee Creek, S. Dak., 29 December 1890. Entered service at: Newark, N.J. Birth: Ireland. Date of issue: 17 December 1891. Citation: Conspicuous bravery in action against Indians concealed in a ravine.
TOY, FREDERICK E.
Rank and organization: First Sergeant, Company C, 7th U.S. Cavalry. Place and date: At Wounded Knee Creek, S. Dak., 29 December 1890. Entered service at:------. Birth: Buffalo, N.Y. Date of issue: 26 May 1891. Citation: Bravery.
TRAUTMAN, JACOB
Rank and organization: First Sergeant, Company I, 7th U.S. Cavalry. Place and date: At Wounded Knee Creek, S. Dak., 29 December 1890. Entered service at: ------. Birth: Germany. Date of issue: 27 March 1891. Citation: Killed a hostile Indian at close quarters, and, although entitled to retirement from service, remained to the close of the campaign.
WARD, JAMES
Rank and organization: Sergeant, Company B, 7th U.S. Cavalry. Place and date: At Wounded Knee Creek, S. Dak., 29 December 1890. Entered service at: Boston, Mass. Birth: Quincy, Mass. Date of issue: 16 April 1891. Citation: Continued to flght after being severely wounded.
WElNERT, PAUL H.
Rank and organization: Corporal, Company E, 1st U.S. Artillery. Place and date: At Wounded Knee Creek, S. Dak., 29 December 1890. Entered service at: Baltimore, Md. Birth: Germany. Date of issue: 24 March 1891. Citation: Taking the place of his commanding officer who had fallen severely wounded, he gallantly served his piece, after each fire advancing it to a better position.
ZIEGNER, HERMANN
Rank and organization: Private, Company E, 7th U.S. Cavalry. Place and date: At Wounded Knee Creek, and White Clay Creek, S. Dak 29-30 December 1890. Entered service at: ------. Birth: Germany Date of issue: 23 June 1891. Citation: Conspicuous bravery
…
I read the names of these “soldiers” of the Seventh Cavalry at Wounded Knee, the documentation of their citations and the absurdity that they were awarded the Medal of Honor for murder and several thoughts came to mind. It is said that many of the enlisted were young, inexperienced, some were immigrants, and obviously full of visions of being Indian fighters, heroes and undoubtedly influenced by the embittered veterans of the Little Big Horn.
I cannot help but wonder if they felt any remorse once the guns were silent and they viewed their handiwork in the lifeless bodies of unarmed men, women and children. The bloodbath of the Seventh Cavalry’s wrath. Custer’s Sins.
Do their descendents feel the shame of the cowardly actions ? Do they even know the truth or care ?
Seven generations. We know our actions are accountable for our children’s children for seven generations into the future. We fight today for our rights, we fight against the continued actions of genocide, we fight to reclaim the lands stripped from us in broken treaties, we fight to keep our children safe, free from addictions, empowered against the blinding pain that compels too many to leave us through suicide, we fight for our education and health care, we fight for Sacred Sites, we fight because we are Warriors, we are The People of Turtle Island and despite the incomprehensible actions of the invaders – WE ARE STILL HERE.
We will not forget the actions of cowards, the mindless slaughter of innocents, or the decorations of a country rewarding murder.
WE WILL NEVER FORGET
In honor of the men, women and children who were massacred at Wounded Knee on December 29,1890.
My words and thoughts are dedicated to my Papaw; your belief and faith in the Ghost Dance sustained you and has guided me, from your heart to mine.
TO SIGN A PETITION TO REGARDING WOUNDED KNEE MEDALS OF DIS HONOR, GO TO THE FOLLOWING LINK. THE PETITION WAS STARTED BY WANBLI OF THE INDIGENOUS RIGHTS MOVEMENT AND IRM COLUMN AUTHOR;
http://www.ipetitions.com/petition/12-20-1890
© Orannhawk 12-29-2008
** References for the listing of medal recipients :
Wounded Knee, A Wound That Won't Heal by Richard W. Hill Sr.
Congressional Medals of Honor, Indian War Campaigns
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