Author: D.E.L Connor
Published: 14th August 2014
Publisher: Booktrope Editions
Although this is the second book in the Spirit Warriors series, it can be read as a stand alone novel.
Guest Post by D.E.L Connor
Where Ghost Warriors Walk
Growing up in Eastern Montana I was totally indoctrinated into the frontier and Native American history of the Wild West. I mean how could I not be? This was after all where The Battle of the Little Bighorn (Custer’s Last Stand) occurred! You can look at these pictures and almost envision the ghost warriors roaming this mighty and beautiful land.
Of course, there were multiple other battles that occurred in this area both before and after the arrival of the wagon trains and settlers. Before the westward migration of the settlers, the Native Americans battled one another for horses, land, and food. My father, who will be 90 years young next year, grew up in the Crow Rock area of Eastern Montana. He took all of us kids and all of his grandkids back to where he grew up. We asked about the name of the area, Crow Rock. Why was it named that?
Dad remembered hearing as a child that 100 Native Americans once hid and died there. He also remembered hearing about people finding skeletal remains and ancient warfare relics around Crow Rock. He couldn’t remember the rest of the story so I went online and found the story. Here’s the story compliments of http://milescity.com/history/books/dotoo/view.asp?id=29
Crow Rock is a sandstone formation 40 feet in height, surrounded at its summit by a caprock which forms a breastwork 5 feet high. The interior of this cap is large enough to accommodate 100 men, who might take refuge behind the breastworks.
Such a situation, in fact, was enacted, according to the Indian legend, when a band of Crow Indians crossed the Yellowstone and advanced into Sioux hunting ground. Believing that they had caught the Sioux napping, figuratively, if not literally, the Crow warriors not only encroached upon the other tribe's hunting grounds' but added further insult to injury by stealing a number of ponies from the Sioux. Once they became aware of the situation, it did not take the Sioux long to act. They pursued the Crows who, in time, sought shelter behind the breastworks on the top of "Crow Rock." In doing so, the Crows sealed their own fate, for the Sioux retired a short distance and camped on the creek, taking a few pot shots at the Crows whenever one ventured out for food or water, and eventually starved them into submission. Human bones and arrowheads found on the rock told the outcome of the siege. As it ended, the Sioux not only recovered their horses' but also the ponies belonging to the Crows.
The picture below was taken from the area around the Crow Rock.
I wish we could have climbed to the top of Crow Rock, but it is on private property and we didn’t have permission to visit it. It will definitely be on my bucket list. Now you know where my inspiration comes from! It comes from the ghost warriors that I see wandering the land where they once lived. Look closely at the picture below. Can’t you envision them?
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