SEPT 4: Nicknames

Indian tribes were known to have created nicknames for the U.S. Army leaders who pursued them and fought against them throughout the Indian Wars of the late 1800s. They included:

George Armstrong Custer.

George Armstrong Custer: He was known as “Hard Backsides” for his ability to remain in the saddle for hours, usually in tireless pursuit of warriors on the Great Plains. He was also known as “Long Hair” to the Lakota Sioux, “Yellow Hair” (Cheyenne), and “Chief of the Morning Star” (Crow.)

Colonel Ranald S. Mackenzie: He was wounded at least seven times during his military career and lost the first two fingers on his right hand at the battle of Jerusalem Plank Road in Virginia in 1864 during the Civil War. His nickname among Indians in Texas was “Bad Hand” and “Three Fingers.”

Alfred H. Terry.

George Crook.

General Alfred H. Terry: The Military Commander of Dakota Territory, and superior officer to George A. Custer, was called “One Star” Terry.

General George Crook: A career United States Army officer and Indian fighter was known as “Gray Wolf” or “Chief Wolf” (“Nantan Lupan”) to the Apaches.

Winfield Scott Hancock.

General Winfield Scott Hancock: Best known for his role as a Union general during the Civil War, Hancock drew the nickname “Old Man of the Thunder” from the Cheyenne due to his habit of firing off cannons as a show of strength.

Nelson A. Miles. (Credit for all photos: Library of Congress)

General Nelson A. Miles: He served with distinction in the U.S. Army during the Civil War and on the frontier was known among Indians as "Bearcoat" or "Bear Coat," referring to the distinctive bearskin coat he often wore during his campaigns against tribes on the Great Plains. Miles would eventually become Commanding General of the U.S. Army in 1895 and was the last man to hold the title.

Ranald S. Mackenzie.