The man that stood next to me was shot down in the first discharge. I fired at the Indian at the same time but only struck him in the leg. He returned my fire and struck my revolver which knocked me down, which saved me.
One of the troopers in Capt. Nowlan’s I Troop penned a fifteen-page letter in the summer of 1891 detailing his experiences during the campaign. Private Walter R. Crickett was a carpenter by trade and a recent emigrant from England, where his mother and siblings still resided, one of whom was the recipient of his campaign narrative. Crickett’s letter has been quoted by a number of historians, most notably by Christer Lindberg in his 1990 article, “Foreigners in Action at Wounded Knee,” and William S. E. Coleman in Voices of Wounded Knee. Lindberg provides four brief excerpts while Coleman quotes most of Crickett’s letter piecemeal over the length of his book. Presented here is a transcript of Pvt. Crickett’s complete letter along with images of each page, reproduced with permission from the American Museum at Bath, England, where the original letter is archived. It is followed by a brief biographical sketch of Walter Crickett and his tragic death. As a veteran of Wounded Knee, he was perhaps haunted by the demons of war.
We got the order on the 23rd Nov., 90, that our regiment was for the front, the place being Pine Ridge, S.D., where the Indians had broken out and gone on the war path and committing all sorts of outrages. It was morning when the order came, and by four that afternoon we was all a board the train, had all our horses and transportation along. That is what takes the time to load.
We traveled all night and next day untill we got to a place in Nebraska called Lincon about six P.M. where we took the stock off, watered and fed. Started again about twelve, and got into Rushville at five the day following (morn) that being the nearest town to P.R. There we unloaded every thing and left that afternoon for the Agency.
Camped that night at White Clay creek about twelve miles from Rushville. At five the next morning was up had a cup of coffee, and a few biscuits, struck camp and was in the saddle a little after six, and then made strait in. Got there about four and was into camp where we stayed untill the 26th December when order came for the first battalion to go to Wounded Knee creek to stop Big foot’s band going into the bad lands. It took about two hours to strike tents and pack up all our things having to go on mules as waggons could not haul in the bad lands. Continue reading