Two Moons (1847–1917), or ''Ishaynishus'' (

Cheyenne The Cheyenne ( ) are an Indigenous people of the Great Plains. Their Cheyenne language belongs to the Algonquian language family. Today, the Cheyenne people are split into two federally recognized nations: the Southern Cheyenne, who are enroll ...

: ''Éše'he Ôhnéšesêstse''), was one of the Cheyenne chiefs who took part in the

Battle of the Little Bighorn The Battle of the Little Bighorn, known to the Lakota and other Plains Indians as the Battle of the Greasy Grass, and also commonly referred to as Custer's Last Stand, was an armed engagement between combined forces of the Lakota Sioux, Nor ...

and other battles against the United States Army.

Life

Two Moons was the son of Carries the Otter, an

Arikara Arikara (), also known as Sahnish,
''Mandan, Hidatsa, and Arikara Nation.'' (Retrieved Sep 29, 2011)

captive who married into the

tribe. Perhaps known best for his participation in battles such as the

Battle of the Rosebud The Battle of the Rosebud (also known as the Battle of Rosebud Creek) took place on June 17, 1876, in the Montana Territory between the United States Army and its Crow and Shoshoni allies against a force consisting mostly of Lakota Sioux and Nort ...

against

General Crook George R. Crook (September 8, 1828 – March 21, 1890) was a career United States Army officer, most noted for his distinguished service during the American Civil War and the Indian Wars. During the 1880s, the Apache nicknamed Crook ''Nantan ...

on June 17, 1876, in the

Montana Territory The Territory of Montana was an organized incorporated territory of the United States that existed from May 26, 1864, until November 8, 1889, when it was admitted as the 41st state in the Union as the state of Montana. Original boundaries T ...

, the

Battle of Little Big Horn The Battle of the Little Bighorn, known to the Lakota and other Plains Indians as the Battle of the Greasy Grass, and also commonly referred to as Custer's Last Stand, was an armed engagement between combined forces of the Lakota Sioux, Nor ...

on June 25, 1876 and what would prove to be his last battle, the

Battle of Wolf Mountain The Battle of Wolf Mountain (also known as the Battle of the Wolf Mountains, Miles's Battle on the Tongue River, the Battle of the Butte, Where Big Crow Walked Back and Forth, and called the Battle of Belly Butte by the Northern Cheyenne) was a ...

on January 8, 1877. Two Moons' defeat at Wolf Mountain by General

Nelson A. Miles Nelson Appleton Miles (August 8, 1839 – May 15, 1925) was an American military general who served in the American Civil War, the American Indian Wars, and the Spanish–American War. From 1895 to 1903, Miles served as the last Commanding Gen ...

led inevitably to the surrender of his Cheyenne band to Miles at

Fort Keogh Fort Keogh is a former United States Army post located at the western edge of modern Miles City, Montana, Miles City, in the U.S. state of Montana. It is situated on the south bank of the Yellowstone River, at the mouth of the Tongue River (Montan ...

in April 1877. After the surrender of his Cheyenne band, Two Moons enlisted as an Indian Scout under General Miles. As a result of Two Moons' pleasant personality, the friendliness that he showed towards the whites, as well as his ability to get along with the military, General Miles appointed him head Chief of the Cheyenne Northern Reservation. As head Chief, Two Moons played a crucial role in the surrender of Chief Little Cow's Cheyenne band at Fort Keogh.

Northern Cheyenne Reservation

thumb , left , Two Moons was one of the models for the Buffalo nickel. Two Moons traveled on multiple occasions to

Washington, D.C. ) , image_skyline = , image_caption = Clockwise from top left: the Washington Monument and Lincoln Memorial on the National Mall, United States Capitol, Logan Circle, Jefferson Memorial, White House, Adams Morgan, ...

, to discuss and fight for the future of the Northern Cheyenne people and to better the conditions that existed on the reservation. In 1914, Two Moons met with President

Woodrow Wilson Thomas Woodrow Wilson (December 28, 1856February 3, 1924) was an American politician and academic who served as the 28th president of the United States from 1913 to 1921. A member of the Democratic Party, Wilson served as the president of ...

to discuss these matters. Two Moons was one of the models selected for James Fraser's famous

Buffalo Nickel The Buffalo nickel or Indian Head nickel is a copper-nickel five-cent piece that was struck by the United States Mint from 1913 to 1938. It was designed by sculptor James Earle Fraser. As part of a drive to beautify the coinage, five denominat ...

Death

Two Moons died in 1917 at his home in

Montana Montana () is a state in the Mountain West division of the Western United States. It is bordered by Idaho to the west, North Dakota and South Dakota to the east, Wyoming to the south, and the Canadian provinces of Alberta, British Columbi ...

at the age of 70. Two Moons' grave still lies alongside

U.S. Route 212 U.S. Route 212 (US 212) is a spur of U.S. Route 12, US 12. It runs for from Yellowstone National Park to Minnesota State Highway 62 (Hennepin–Dakota counties), Minnesota Highway 62 at Edina, Minnesota. It does not intersect US 12 no ...

, west of

Busby, Montana Busby is a census-designated place (CDP) in Big Horn County, Montana, United States. It is on the Northern Cheyenne reservation. The population was 745 at the 2010 census. Description The town is approximately northeast of the site of the B ...

.Hatch, Thom. The Custer Companion. Stackpole Books 2002, pp. 221–222

References

*Time Life Books. (1993). ''The Wild West''. Time Life Books. *Richard G. Hardorff, ''Cheyenne memories of the Custer fight'', University of Nebraska Press, 1998 . {{DEFAULTSORT:Two Moons Native American leaders Cheyenne people People of the Great Sioux War of 1876 1847 births 1917 deaths People of pre-statehood Montana Burials in Montana Battle of the Little Bighorn