Western America
Photogravure Image of "Harry Moccasin - Custer Scout"
1913-Dated, Photogravure of "Harry Moccasin - Custer Scout", who warned Custer of the large Indian encampment ahead at the Little Big Horn, Choice Crisp Extremely Fine.
An original large, 6.5" x 9.75" photogravure by Joseph Dixon of "Harry Moccasin", one of the Indian scouts with George Custer on the ill-fated expedition that led to Custer's defeat at Little Big Horn. It was Hairy Moccasin and the other scouts who warned Custer of the large Indian encampment ahead, which he ignored before dismissing them prior to the battle. They then joined Reno for Battle on Reno Hill. This sepia toned gravure of the Chief in full tribal regalia was taken at the "Last Great Indian Council" in 1909 in Montana, and published by Rodman Wanamaker in a rare limited edition volume entitled "The Vanishing Race" in 1913. This beautiful gravure image was removed from that collection. Image is richly toned.
Hairy Moccasin (also known as Esh-sup-pee-me-shish) (c.1854"October 9, 1922) was a Crow scout for George Armstrong Custer's 7th Cavalry during the 1876 campaign against the Sioux and Northern Cheyenne. He was a survivor of the Battle of the Little Big Horn.



He volunteered to become an Army scout on April 10, 1876, and joined fellow Crow warriors White Man Runs Him, Curly, Goes Ahead, White Swan, and Half Yellow Face (leader of the Crow scouts) in the valley of the Little Big Horn River near the current site of Crow Agency, Montana to assist the Army's fight against the Sioux and Northern Cheyenne. Both tribes were traditional enemies of the Crow.



After scouting the encampment on the banks of the Little Big Horn River, they reported to Custer. After Custer got angry at his changing into traditional Crow clothing for the battle believing he was going to die, Hairy Moccasin was dismissed by Custer about an hour before the last stand. He joined Strikes the Bear (an Arikara Scout), White Man Runs Him, and Goes Ahead with Major Marcus Reno's column on the ridge overlooking the last stand. Attacked but not overrun, most of Reno's men survived the engagement.



After the Black Hills War ended, Hairy Moccasin settled onto the Crow Reservation in Montana. He died October 9, 1922, near Lodge Grass and was buried in Saint Ann's Cemetery.