“Reno’s Retreat” 36 x 48” Oil on Canvas

Amos Bad Heart Bull recorded a dramatic image of Reno’s retreat in a ledger book in which he rendered stories of the Oglala Lakota.  His image of Reno’s retreat, and the still to this day debated details of the famous battle, inspired this painting.  Upon his death, Amos’ ledger book was given to his sister, Dolly Pretty Cloud.  She allowed a graduate student, Helen Blish, to study and photograph the ledger for her master’s thesis.  Thankfully, the photos remain, as the original ledger was buried with Dolly Pretty Cloud when she died in 1947.

Reno’s Retreat was the first of the battles that were to become known to the world as “Custer’s Last Stand”, or the “Battle of the Little Big Horn”.   Native Americans knew the battle by their name: “The Battle of the Greasy Grass” …shouldn’t the world know it by the name the victors gave it?!  Fought in what is present day Montana, it occurred on June 25 and June 26, 1876. This battle resulted in the annihilation of 5 regiments in General George Armstrong Custer’s 7^th Calvary.  Although it was a great victory for the combined Plains Indian tribes, it marked the beginning of the end of The Great Sioux War.

On this day, the U. S. Army engaged with a large encampment of combined Plains Indians tribes.  The first group to attack the tipi village was led by Major Marcus Reno.  His soldiers charged across the Little Bighorn River, to find a much larger encampment than they anticipated.  Intense fighting took place and Reno was forced to retreat across the river and into open terrain, resulting in a bloody and chaotic scramble. Reno’s group were able to re-group atop a knoll wait for help to come days later, while listening to the battle being waged against the men with Custer.  Reno’s Retreat was the beginning of the famous battle.

The beginning of the end.  The unraveling lodge poles in this painting are symbolic of the breaking down of a way of life.  It reminds me of the heroic and noble tales that are told yet today about this pivotal battle in history.   This is one of my most favorite paintings to date.