Bloody Knife - Friendship and Early Work With Custer

Friendship and Early Work With Custer

In 1873, at Fort Rice, he met George Armstrong Custer. The two became friends, and Custer admired Bloody Knife's talents as a scout. Although Bloody Knife is said to have been insolent, Custer was amused by his candor. He was himself a volatile man, and during an expedition in 1874 would shoot at Bloody Knife during a fit of rage. Custer occasionally gave Bloody Knife gifts, including a silver medal inscribed with Bloody Knife's name that Custer ordered from Washington. Bloody Knife quickly became Custer's favorite scout. On the next Yellowstone Expedition, Bloody Knife joined Custer and fought against the Sioux. Bloody Knife helped to discover an abandoned Sioux village which he estimated to have held 1,000 warriors. The group followed the trail, which led them to a battle at Yellowstone.