The William F. Cody Archive: Documenting the life and times of Buffalo Bill

 

Battle of Pine Ridge Made Realistic in Pictures.

During his stopover in Chicago, on his way to Pine Ridge, S. D., with his staff, where he will fight over again the battle of that name for the Buffalo Bill series of pictures, General Miles said about his trip:

"They want me there to make sure that everything they do is historically correct. I shall take active part in it, too, perhaps. The idea is to give the whole thing from the start — the Indian dissatisfaction, their starving condition, the coming of the false 'Messiah,' who stirred them to revolt; the massing of troops, the death of Sitting Bull and, finally, the surrender. All of these incidents will be gone over, just as they happened. Some of the Indians will be there who fought against us. They will fight again, but there will be no bullets. All that is over.

"I was asked to take charge of this campaign for the government. We expect this will be one of the finest records in the government archives. I understand nothing of the kind has ever been attempted before. Having these officers of my own staff there will make it a splendid thing. It will be a regular reunion on the ground where we fought and bled together."

The campaign in which the battle of Pine Ridge was fought was undertaken nearly twenty-five years ago.

Banner image: Buffalo Bill Center of the West, Cody, Wyoming, U.S.A.; Original Buffalo Bill Museum Collection, P.69.118