Isapi-Wishish is the name the Indians called Hairy Moccasin, a scout under
Gibbon, Miles, Howard, and Custer. His frame is small and wiry, and like
his brother scout, Goes-Ahead, he too will soon be numbered with the great
army of the dead. Silent, unobtrusive, carrying no mark of distinction,
his moccasined feet move slowly along the path made by others. It must be
noted that however unprepossessing his personality he wears an untarnished
badge for bravery and faithful service as a scout. White-Man-Runs-Him
said: “I cannot say anything better about Hairy Moccasin than to say that
he executed faithfully the orders of General Custer.” He was the boyhood
playmate of White-Man-Runs-Him. They were companions in all the sports
and games and tricks of the camp. When the Custer scouts traversed the
difficult and dangerous route from the Little Rosebud to the valley where
they located the mighty camp of the Sioux, it was Hairy Moccasin who under
the stars of that June night reached the apex of the hills at dawn. The
other scouts lay down to rest. Hairy Moccasin, leaving the others asleep,
went to the summit—which is called the Crow’s Nest—and as the gray streaks
of the dawn began to silver the east, it was Moccasin’s eye which caught
the vision of the myriads of white tents, of the brown hills in the
distance covered with brown horses, the curling smoke from hundreds of
wigwams. Word was sent back to Custer. In excited tones, he asked: “Have
you seen the cut-throat Sioux?” From the vantage point of the hills where
they had seen the camp Hairy Moccasin was sent still farther in advance to
reconnoitre. He climbed a pine-clad hill, found the Sioux everywhere, and
then he rode back and reported to General Custer the size and position of
the camp. On hearing the report Custer hurried up his command. As the
brave general moved out of the valley up the ridge it is the testimony of
White-Man-Runs-Him that Hairy Moccasin rode immediately in advance of
Custer, and when the Chey-ennes came up, “He fired at them, banged and
banged at them, and the Cheyennes were afraid of Moccasin. They were
afraid of all three of us. Custer would have been killed before the time
he was shot if it had not been for Hairy Moccasin and myself, who were
around him shooting at the Indians.” When the United States soldiers were
fighting the Nez Perces Hairy Moccasin got a horse away from the enemy,
and brought it into the camp of the soldiers. Hairy Moccasin was always
on the warpath performing brave deeds. The name and fame of Custer will
live in the archives of his country, and a fadeless lustre will forever
crown the heroic deeds of this Indian Scout.
[Curly—Custer Scout]