Roman nose

Roman Nose, Fort Laramie, 1868.

Roman Nose, a.k.a. Arched Nose (real name Woo-ka-nay or Woqini) (c. 1835 – 1868), possibly the greatest and most influential warrior of any Plains Indian nation, was a Cheyenne warrior society leader, and one of the most esteemed warriors of the Plains Indian Wars of the 1860s. Called Sautie (the bat) as a youth, he was given the warrior name Woqini, Arched Nose or Hook Nose, which the whites always interpreted as Roman Nose.

Considered invincible in combat, this fierce warrior struck fear into the hearts of his enemy, and distinguished himself in battle to such a high degree that the U.S. military mistook him for the Chief of the entire Cheyenne nation. Following the Sand Creek Massacre in November 1864, Roman Nose became a principal figure, leading retaliatory strikes against white settlements in the Platte valley of Nebraska, western Kansas, and eastern Colorado territories. The Native American author and physician, Charles A. Eastman {(Ohiyesa) 1858-1939}, once wrote of Roman Nose, "Perhaps no other warrior attacked more emigrants along the Oregon Trail between 1860-1868."

Contrary to popular myth, Roman Nose was never a chief, dog soldier, or leader of any of the six Cheyenne military societies. Known to all plains Indians as a great warrior,and the acknowledged leader during combat, Roman Nose's reputation spread among the whites who credited him with initiating most hostilities between the Cheyenne and U.S military. Efforts to protect and defend ancestral hunting grounds from Euro-American encroachment precipitated many attacks on immigrants traveling westward across the Oregon and Smokey Hill trails. U.S. military escorts providing protection for immigrant travel were not immune from attack, and there are several engagements against U.S. military units where Roman Nose's participation is well established.

During the Powder River Expedition of 1865, a band of Cheyenne and Arapaho warriors under the leadership of Roman Nose, attacked and harassed Colonel's Nelson Cole's and Samuel Walker's 2nd Missouri Light Artillery, and the 12th Missouri Volunteer Cavalry; known to the Cheyenne as the Roman Nose Fight. In the same year, Roman Nose was involved in the battle at Platte Bridge Station, Wyoming, which resulted in the deaths of Caspar Collins and Roman Nose's brother, Left Hand.

On June 26, 1867, Roman Nose led an attack on Company G, 7th U.S. Cavalry, under the command of Captain Barnitz, outside Fort Wallace, Kansas. Captain Barnitz and his company of seasoned, civil war veterans, were forced to retreat to Fort Wallace, reporting seven men killed, seven men wounded, while losing half the company's horses. The July 27, 1867 edition of Harpers Weekly Magazine, reported that Roman Nose was shot at point blank range by Corporal Harris, during this engagement.

On August 21, 1867, Roman Nose, along with Kiowa chief Santana, attacked Captain George Armes, commanding a contingent of the U.S 10th Cavalry, and the 18th Kansas Volunteer Cavalry, along Prairie Dog Creek, outside Colby, Kansas. Captain Armes' command was able to successfully scatter the attacking warriors, and redeploy in the vicinity of Fort Hays, Kansas.

Physically imposing in nature, there are several historical references to Roman Nose's flamboyant, intimidating prowess. Isaac Coates, General Winfield S. Hancock's surgeon, observed a verbal confrontation between Hancock and Roman Nose outside Fort Larned in April 1867. Coates wrote in his journal; "of all the chiefs, Roman Nose attracted the most attention. He is one of the finest specimens, physically, of his race. He is quite six feet in height, finely formed with a large body and muscular limbs. His appearance, decidedly military, and on this occasion, particularly so, since he wore the uniform of a General in the Army. A seven-shooting Spencer carbine hung at the side of his saddle, four large Navy revolvers stuck in his belt, and a bow, already strung with arrows, were grasped in his left hand. Thus armed and mounted on a fine horse, he was a good representative of the God of War; and his manner showed plainly that he did not care whether we talked or fought..."

A member of the Crooked Lance warrior society, Northern Cheyenne, Roman Nose opposed treaties with the American government while other leaders urged peace. He was killed by American soldiers during the Battle of Beecher Island on September 17, 1868, while attempting to charge the island in the Arikaree River, and annihilate General Forsyth's command. Little is known of his personal life. His date of birth and family life have not been clearly established.

The famous war bonnet

One story about his life has become legendary with its re-telling. Roman Nose possessed an elaborate warbonnet that gave him special powers. The Medicine Man White Bull (Ice), made the warbonnet and assured Roman Nose he would be impervious to the white man's bullets. As a condition to owning such a powerful headpiece, Roman Nose could not use the white man's implements. Prior to heading to the battle, he ate some meat. Unbeknown to him, a female member of his tribe had poked the meat using an iron fork. As he left for battle, he was made aware of it but did not have the time to perform the necessary cleansing ceremony to restore his medicine. He did not participate as he normally would, preferring to watch the battle from afar. He was chastised by a fellow warrior named White Contrary, for his lack of participation. Shortly after acknowledging that he would die for resuming hostilities before completing the cleansing ceremony, Roman Nose lead his final assault on Beecher Island. He was shot at close range during the attack, and died late that afternoon.^[1]

The demise of Roman Nose had devastating effects on the Cheyenne's efforts to defend native lands; which virtually ended with the defeat of Tall Bull and the Dog Soldiers, at the Battle of Summit Springs, near Sterling, Colorado, in July 1869.

References

• Kenny, Maurice "Roman Nose, Cheyenne: A Brief Biography, Wicazo Sa Review, Vol 5, No. 1,Native American Literatures. (Spring 1989), pp.9-30.
• Grinnel, George. "The Fighting Cheyennes", J.G. Press, Inc., 1995.
• Eastman, Charles,http://nanations.com/chieftains/romannose.htm
• Grimes, Richard S., "Cheyenne Dog Soldiers", http://manataka.org/page164.html
• "New Perspectives on the West: Black Kettle", http://pbs.org/weta/thewest/people/a_c/blackkettle.htm
• "The Beecher Island Battle", General George Custer, http://www.theusgenweb.org/co/yuma/beecher/custer1872.htm
• Wyoming Tales and Trails, Indian Wars, Fort Laramie, http://wyomingtalesandtrails.com/custer7.html
• Outpost;http://www.santafetrailresearch.com/fort-larned/outpost-v11-n1-00.html
• Lee, Wayne C. and Raynesford, Howard C. "Trails of the Smokey Hill", Caxton Press, Caldwell, Idaho. 2008

Further reading

• "The Cheyenne Dog Soldiers", Chronicles of Oklahoma, http://digital.library.okstate.edu/Chronicles/v001/v001p090.html
• The Peace Chiefs of the Cheyenne, Stanley Hoig, University of Oklahoma Press, 1972.
• The Cheyenne Indians, George Bird Grinnell, University of Nebraska Press, 1972.

, *"The Battle of Beecher Island", The Beecher Island Battle Memorial Association, Wray, CO, 1996.

• "A White River Lakota Legend", http://firstpeople.us/FP-Html-Legends/ChiefRomanNoseLosesHisMedicine-Lakota.html
• "Butterfield Overland Dispatch" Marker, Ellis County, KS; http://www.santafetrailresearch.com/trail-photo-01/bod-02-at-site-i-04.html
• "Halfbreed: The Remarkable True Story of George Bent- Caught Between the Worlds of the Indian and the White Man", David F. Halaas and Andrew E. Masich, Da Capo Press, 2005.
• "Bold and Fearless" Painting, Nah si ha di ma, http://www.santafetrailresearch.com/fort-larned/bold-fearless.html
• Fort Wallace: Historical Marker, Wallace Co., KS http://skyways.lib.ks.us/history/wallace.html
• Kidder Massacre: M Company, 2nd Cavalry: http://www.goodlandnet.com/history/kidder.htm
• Antonucci, Michael.Military History and Espionage. "Island of Death" http://www.eiaonline.com/history/islandofdeath.htm