tribe, his father was a Oglala medicine man and his mother was Brule.
Crazy Horse was born in 1842 near Rapid Creek near present day Rapid City, South Dakota. He belonged to the Sioux tribe, his father was a Oglala medicine man and his mother was Brule.
Crazy Horse childhood name was Curly and he killed his first buffalo before the age of 12. He was awared with his own horse.
When Curly was young, he underwent a vision quest in which he had a vivid dream of a rider in a storm on horseback with long unbraided hair, a small stone in his ear, zigzag lightning bolt on his cheek and hail dotting his body. Although a warrior he bore no scalps. People were trying to clutch the warrior but he was untouchable. The storm faded and a red-backed hawk flew over the warriors head. Curly's father interpreted the dream as a sign of his son's future greatness in battle.
At the age of 16, now bearing his father's name, Crazy Horse rode for the first time as an adult warrior in a raid on the Crows.
Like the rider in his dream, he wore his hair free, a stone earring and a headdress with a red hawk feather in it. His face was painted with a lightning bolt and body with hail-like dots.
The raid was successful, but Crazy Horse received a wound in the leg, because, his father interpreted, unlike the rider in the vision, he had taken 2 scalps.
It is said that Crazy Horse never again took a scalp.
Crazy Horse became War Chief of the Oglalas with some Brule followers as well.
His most famous battle was on June 25 at the Battle of Little Bighorn. Crazy Horse lead the victorious assault on George Armstrong Custer's.
January 8, 1877, at Wolf Mountain on the Tongue River in southern Montana, Crazy Horse led 800 braves in a surprise attack.
Miles had disguised his howitzers as wagons and opened fire with them. The Indians withdrew to bluffs and, when the soldiers counterattacked, retreated under the cover of a snowstorm.
More and more of the fugitive bands were surrendering. Crazy Horse received a promise from Crook through Red Cloud that if he surrendered, his people would have a reservation of their own in the Powder River country.
His people weary and starving, Crazy Horse led some 800 followers to Fort Robinson on the Red Cloud Agency in northwestern Nebraska on May 5, 1877.
But the promise of a reservation fell through. Crazy Horse remained at the Red Cloud Agency, and his presence caused unrest among the Indians and suspicion among the whites.
Older chiefs resented the adulation he received from young braves.
He remained aloof from whites and refused Crook's request to send him to Washington, D.C., for a meeting with President Rutherford Hayes.
On hearing unfounded rumors that Crazy Horse was planning a rebellion, Crook ordered his arrest.
Taking his family with him, Crazy Horse headed for the Spotted Tail Agency to the northwest.
In a parley with troops sent to capture him, Crazy Horse agreed to return, and the next day, September 5, 1877, he was led back to Fort Robinson.
What exactly happened at the Red Cloud Agency is unknown. It is thought Crazy Horse had not expected to be imprisoned.
On realizing he was being taken to the stockade, he resisted and, while the Indian police attempted to regain control, he was bayoneted in the abdomen by a soldier.
Crazy Horse died that night.
His father and stepmother were given his body and, following their son's request, buried him in his homeland—somewhere near Wounded Knee, according to legend.
