The death of Chief Sitting Bull

In the fight with Custer at the Little Big Horn, Chief Sitting Bull was primarily a medicine man who gave encouragement to the warriors. The fighting Chiefs, most notably, were Chief Gall, Crazy Horse and Red Cloud. After the victory over General Custer in June of 1876, Sitting Bull and several thousand Sioux fled to Canada. In 1881, most of the Sioux had returned to the U.S. to live on reservations and the Indian wars were considered to be concluded. Sitting Bull also returned, reluctantly, under an amnesty agreement with the U.S. Army. For a brief time in the 1880’s Sitting Bull traveled with the Buffalo Bill Cody Wild West Show as a celebrity attraction.

In 1890, Sitting Bull was accused of agitating trouble on the reservation and a squad of Indian police were sent to arrest him. As he was being escorted from his cabin to his pony a crowd of rebellious braves gathered and tried to block the police. Shots were fired on both sides and the police retreated to the cabin. However, Sitting Bull had been wounded. A 2 hour stand-off ensued with some shooting back and forth. Then, a cavalry detachment arrived and quieted the situation. By then, Sitting Bull had died from his wounds.

An poignant footnote to this incident: During the stand-off at the cabin, Sitting Bull’s pony was waiting nearby. It was a trained one he had in the Wild West Show. The shooting caused the pony to occasionally break into it’s little routine of show tricks.

ref:Crimsoned Prairie.... by S.L.A. Marshall

Archimedes was Known to the Romans

The Death of Archimedes:
The Roman general Marcellus invaded Sicily and the city of Syracuse in 212BC. Archimedes was one of the great scientists of the ancient world. Marcellus was aware of the talents of Archimedes and wanted him captured alive. The following is from the Roman records.

The city was turned over to the troops to pillage as they pleased, after guards had been set at the houses of the exiles who had been in the Roman lines. Many brutalities were committed in hot blood and the greed of gain, and it is on record that Archimedes, while intent upon figures which he had traced in the dust, and regardless of the hideous uproar of an army let loose to ravage and despoil a captured city, was killed by a soldier who did not know who he was. Marcellus was distressed by this; he had him properly buried and his relatives inquired for—to whom the name and memory of Archimedes were an honour.