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The Death of Kicking Bird Page 1 of 2
Kicking Bird was a chief of the Kiowas during the difficult time of the surrender
of the Kiowa People to the Army at Ft. Sill Oklahoma in 1874 and 1875. He had
been trying to balance his tenuous relationship with the white authorities, and
his fellow Kiowas, believing that “following the white road,” would determine
the survival of his people. In doing so, he was persuaded to help the Army stop
the raiding and to convince the warring bands to surrender to the garrison at Ft.
Sill.
Kicking Bird sent scouts out and tried to persuade Lone Wolf and other hostile
members of the Kiowas to turn themselves in. Various bands of Kiowa,
Comanche, and Cheyenne started to come to Ft. Sill to surrender.
The Indians as they surrendered were stripped of their possessions, their bows,
lances and war shields confiscated, and the rest of their property burned.
Kicking Bird was a chief of the Kiowas during the difficult time of the surrender
of the Kiowa People to the Army at Ft. Sill Oklahoma in 1874 and 1875. He had
been trying to balance his tenuous relationship with the white authorities, and
his fellow Kiowas, believing that “following the white road,” would determine
the survival of his people. In doing so, he was persuaded to help the Army stop
the raiding and to convince the warring bands to surrender to the garrison at Ft.
Sill.
Kicking Bird sent scouts out and tried to persuade Lone Wolf and other hostile
members of the Kiowas to turn themselves in. Various bands of Kiowa,
Comanche, and Cheyenne started to come to Ft. Sill to surrender.
The Indians as they surrendered were stripped of their possessions, their bows,
lances and war shields confiscated, and the rest of their property burned.
| By Rob Brian E-Mail Rob-click on his photo |
This new historical feature has been brought to you by the Frontier Country Museum,
located in Crescent, Oklahoma.
located in Crescent, Oklahoma.
They were mistreated, and their property was never recovered. Their horses were shot. Such a
stench arose after several hundred horses lay rotting in the grass that the post commander decided to
auction off the horses instead of killing them. “Together, counting the animals stolen by horse
thieves from Texas, who boldly approached the Indian camps along Cache Creek along the direction
of the Red River, the Indians lost seventy five hundred head of horses and mules, worth over a
quarter of a million dollars at the least.” (1)
The women and children were camped in detention camps along Cache Creek, and the warriors were
imprisoned in the basement of the guardhouse, and in an unfinished ice house, behind tall stone
walls, and closely guarded. “Once a day an army wagon drove up to the closely guarded door, and a
couple of soldiers took from it chunks of raw meat which they threw over the high walls to the
Indians. Gotebo says, “They fed us like we were lions.” (1)
Kicking Bird explained his views to those of his own tribe who felt that he had betrayed them, “I long
ago took the white man by the hand; I have never let it go; I have held it with a strong and firm
grasp. I have worked hard to bring my people on the white man’s road. Sometimes I have been
compelled to work with my back towards the white people so that they have not seen my face, and
they may have thought I was working against them: but I have worked with one heart and one
object. I have looked ahead to the future, and have worked for the children of my people, to bring
them into a position that, when they became men and women, they will take up with the white road.
I have but two children of my own, but have worked for the children of my people as though they had
all been mine.” (1)
Kicking Bird was a tragic figure caught between the warring bands of his tribe and the Army at Ft. Sill
Oklahoma. “Kicking Bird is described as a remarkable man, slight in form compared with the burly
warriors of his tribe, but tall, sinewy agile and very graceful. His extremely affable bearing gave him
command among his own people, and this, with his other qualities, would have made him a leader
anywhere.
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stench arose after several hundred horses lay rotting in the grass that the post commander decided to
auction off the horses instead of killing them. “Together, counting the animals stolen by horse
thieves from Texas, who boldly approached the Indian camps along Cache Creek along the direction
of the Red River, the Indians lost seventy five hundred head of horses and mules, worth over a
quarter of a million dollars at the least.” (1)
The women and children were camped in detention camps along Cache Creek, and the warriors were
imprisoned in the basement of the guardhouse, and in an unfinished ice house, behind tall stone
walls, and closely guarded. “Once a day an army wagon drove up to the closely guarded door, and a
couple of soldiers took from it chunks of raw meat which they threw over the high walls to the
Indians. Gotebo says, “They fed us like we were lions.” (1)
Kicking Bird explained his views to those of his own tribe who felt that he had betrayed them, “I long
ago took the white man by the hand; I have never let it go; I have held it with a strong and firm
grasp. I have worked hard to bring my people on the white man’s road. Sometimes I have been
compelled to work with my back towards the white people so that they have not seen my face, and
they may have thought I was working against them: but I have worked with one heart and one
object. I have looked ahead to the future, and have worked for the children of my people, to bring
them into a position that, when they became men and women, they will take up with the white road.
I have but two children of my own, but have worked for the children of my people as though they had
all been mine.” (1)
Kicking Bird was a tragic figure caught between the warring bands of his tribe and the Army at Ft. Sill
Oklahoma. “Kicking Bird is described as a remarkable man, slight in form compared with the burly
warriors of his tribe, but tall, sinewy agile and very graceful. His extremely affable bearing gave him
command among his own people, and this, with his other qualities, would have made him a leader
anywhere.
_________________________________________________________________________________________