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Bruce Brown's 100 Voices... White Cow Walking's Story of the Battle
WHITE COW WALKING'S STORY
WHITE COW WALKING [is] 80 [years old]. [He was] in Sitting Bull's band all [the] time. All of Sitting Bull's band went to Canada. Part returned and came to Standing Rock. White Cow Walking stayed in Canada. [He] does not know why, but after the Custer massacre Gall came back [to Standing Rock] and Sitting Bull went on. Gall didn't want to fight [any] more. Sitting Bull took part in [the] fight with Custer and Reno. Some [Indians had] arrows and tomahawks, [and] some [had] guns. [He] doesn't know what Sitting Bull had... When Custer appeared, [there was a] call for Indians to wait. Soldiers shot first. Sitting Bull and some women fought Reno [and] then Custer. It was foretold [about the battle], but [it was] not known whether Sitting Bull's [vision was correct] or not. [We were] not prepared or camped to fight... [White Cow Walking] took part in [the] Little Big Horn [fight] and [the] Bear Coat [fight], but [he was] young. [White Cow Walking] doubts Sitting Bull's presence [at the fighting]. [He] was told [that] Sitting Bull [was] in [the] sun dance at age of So. [He] doubts [the] part Sitting Bull took [in it]; but all [men] at age 40 to 50 who took [part in the] sun dance in Montana pierced [themselves]. White Cow Walking took part [in the Custer Fight] and will tell [about] Custer's massacre [in which he] counted coup. [His] brother [was] scalped and killed by Reno [soldiers]. [He did] not [fight] beside Sitting Bull, but [he] thinks Sitting Bull counted coup [just] as all [other] warriors. White Cow Walking was [an] Oglala under Red Cloud [and] in [the] Little Big Horn battle [fought] with Sitting Bull. Red Cloud [was] not in Little Big Horn [fight]. White Cow Walking [was] away from council of Sitting Bull's peace. [When] Custer soldiers first appeared Gall told Indians to wait [with the attack] to protect [the] women and children; then [the] soldiers fired into them, and they killed [the] soldiers all along [Calhoun] ridge.... Did [you] expect Custer? Didn't know for sure, but [we] thought Custer [was] stationed there. White Cow Walking [was] in Custer fight and came back, and [then] heard of soldiers (Reno) [on hill to the] south and went that way. [He] brought able-bodied horses. Lots of Indians [had been] killed. [He] had bow and arrows [and was] on horseback. [White Cow Walking] shot and killed Crow Flies High, [a] soldier scout. [Note: more confusion on the number and identies of the Seventh Cavalry scouts killed -- the scout Crow Flies High is not listed on Varnum's muster roll. See The Twisted Saga of the Seventh Cavalry's Unsung Scouts for more info.] Many [captured] guns [were] loaded and [had] not [been] shot. [There was] too much confusion to say [the] number of whites killed by clubs. [They had] camped one day before Custer came. [He] heard of [the] sun dance [on the Rosebud], but [did] not attend. [He] heard of Sitting Bull speeches and forecasting, but [he was] with Oglalas. Indian Views of the Custer Fight: A Source Book by Richard G. Hardorff, The Arthur Clark Co. Spokane, WA 2004, p 132 - 134
White Cow Walking was the son of Horned Horse.
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[Fort Yates, North Dakota] 
