New Bradley Letter

Colonel Luther Bradley described the killing of Crazy Horse in a letter to his mother of September 8, 1877. Previously unknown, the letter was sold at the Heritage Auction Galleries on Apr 15, 2007. The bulk of Bradley’s personal papers are held at the U.S. Army War College, Carlisle Barracks, Pennsylvania. The text of the letter follows.

My dear sweet Mother,

I have had it in mind ever so long to write to you, but have been pretty busy all along with the care and troubles of my Indians. The last week has been a little bit like old times with the collecting of troops and preparation for fighting: but fortunately we were spared the fighting and only two have come to grief, two poor Indians, the famous warrior and Chief Crazy Horse and one of his men. Today is the first one in this month that hasn’t been loaded with care and apprehensions and I feel now a good deal as I used to after one of our big battles, very much fatigued and very much relieved too.

When Crazy Horse came in last spring he surrendered. Said he had got through fighting and even kneeled at Gen. Crook’s feet in token of submission. He had not been here long though before he manifested ill humour and discontent and as the summer progressed he has shown hostile feelings though he had been treated fairly and justly and with uniform kindness. After the rumor was published that Sitting Bull had returned to our territory Crazy Horse became more uneasy than ever and told us he did not intend to stay with us, that he had never agreed to stay at any Agency and that he intended to take his band away. This led to the movements of troops and friendly Indians that caused the breaking up of his village and it led to his own death.

After he was captured at Spotted Tail and brought here I told him and his friends that no harm would be done to him, but that he was a prisoner and would be confined and it was in resisting confinement that he got his wound. As soon as it was reported to me that he was badly hurt, I ordered him placed in the Adjutant’s Office and the surgeons took care of him till he died. So ended the life of a noted Indian. He was not a great man in any sense, he was a distinguished warrior, but he was a blood-thirsty wily savage. His Father said to the Doctor after his death that he had killed thirty seven men and women besides what he had killed in battle and this is Indian glory. Crazy Horse’s death will be regretted by many of his people of course, but the Chiefs are glad of it for they say he was a fire-brand.

Personally I am sorry that he should have come to his death in this way, for it would have been more fitting for a warrior and a man of war to meet his death in battle. He was sure to die a violent death, though, at sometime, for I don’t believe he could have lived without the excitement of war. Singularly enough, he always told his people that he should never die while the sun shown, meaning that he should not be killed in battle and he was right for he died at mid-night. Everything is quiet here now, indeed, more quiet that it was last week. Don’t let Jane be anxious. I don’t think we shall have any more trouble. Kiss my dear Wife for me and give love to Charlie.

Your loving Son, General.