Two Moon
Two Moon was a significant figure in the history of Native American resistance during the late 19th century. Often confused with his uncle, who was a chief during the Bozeman Trail wars, the younger Two Moon distinguished himself by actively fighting alongside prominent leaders like Sitting Bull and Crazy Horse during the Sioux Wars of the 1870s. His military engagements included key battles such as those on the Powder River in Montana and the famous Battle of the Little Bighorn in June 1876. After the conflicts, Two Moon surrendered to Colonel Nelson Miles in 1877 and subsequently served as an army scout during the Nez Perce War the same year.
In March 1879, he was one of six Cheyenne leaders who met with Little Wolf and his followers after their escape from Indian Territory. The experiences and perspectives of Two Moon were notably captured in Hamlin Garland's article, "General Custer's Last Fight as Seen by Two Moon," published in 1898. His life reflects the complexities of Native American experiences during a tumultuous period marked by conflict and resistance against U.S. military forces.
Subject Terms
Two Moon
- Born: c. 1847
- Birthplace: Unknown
- Died: c. 1917
- Place of death: Northern Cheyenne Reservation (near present-day Lame Deer, Montana)
Tribal affiliation: Cheyenne
Significance: An ally of Sitting Bull and Crazy Horse in the Sioux Wars of the 1870’s and a leader in the war for the Black Hills of 1876-1877, Two Moon also distinguished himself as an informant to the writer Hamlin Garland
Sometimes confused with his uncle Two Moons, who was chief in the Bozeman Trail wars of 1866-1868 and an ally of Red Cloud’s Sioux people, the younger Two Moon fought with Sitting Bull and Crazy Horse in the Sioux Wars of the 1870’s. Two Moon fought troops on the Powder River in Montana in March of 1876 and fought at the Battle of the Little Bighorn in June of 1876.
Two Moon surrendered to Colonel Nelson Miles in 1877 and served under Miles as an army scout in the Nez Perce War of 1877. Two Moon was also one of six Cheyennes who met Little Wolf and his followers in March, 1879, following their exodus from Indian Territory. Hamlin Garland’s article “General Custer’s Last Fight as Seen by Two Moon” (McClure’s Magazine, 1898) was based on Two Moon’s information.