Today is December 29. The anniversary of the massacre at Wounded Knee, in which nearly 300 mostly peaceable Sioux were mowed down by trigger happy troopers of the 7th US Cavalry. To me, the phrase "trigger happy" usually equates to being afraid. I'm willing to bet that the troopers of the 7th Cavalry were pretty nervous around the Sioux, who were famous for their bravery and fighting abilities. Below are what I believe to be actual Sioux war party pictures. The pictures were taken by Edward S. Curtis.
The Wounded Knee massacre pretty well closed out the Plains Indian era, I believe. The last of the nomadic tribes were moved onto reservations around this time, and endured a great deal of suffering and mistreatment for a number of years. Below is a picture of the Wounded Knee battlefield immediately after the fight, showing a few of the bodies of the Indians that were shot down mercilessly.
Finally....here is a picture of a Wounded Knee veteran taken in 1964. The guy in the center of the picture was one of the soldiers at Wounded Knee during the massacre. I'm not so sure I would be taking credit for it.
Also, on this date in 1896, six years after the events at Wounded Knee, my maternal grandfather, W.W.Johnston, was born.
As you may be able to tell, Granddad was not always thrilled to have his picture taken. He passed away in 1977, at age 80. My grandfather was in the Army during WW1, according to my memories of what he told me, but did not go overseas.
Coincidentally, on this date in 1976, my son Matthew III was also born. Matthew is married and is an attorney, now, and has just become a father for the first time. Below is a picture of him holding his newborn son, Matthew IV, for the first time last month.
Next is a picture of Matthew III and Matthew IV comparing muscles. I'm not sure which one won. :)
Happy Birthday, Son.
My paternal grandfather, J.H. Steen was born in 1877, 13 years before Wounded Knee. He was in the Army during the Spanish American War, but also, to the best of my knowledge, did not see any action. Below is a picture of my Grandfather Steen, along with my Grandmother and two other persons whose identity I am not sure of. The man may possibly be my late uncle, Fred. No clue about the child, unless it is one of his grandchildren, whom I do not know.
Granddad Steen died in 1968 at the age of 91 or 92.
Last year, I posted that my Grandfather Steen was born in 1870, and died at the age of 98. However, my son did some genealogical work and discovered differently. I trust my son's research better than I do the memories of elderly family members, who did not have the resources available to search public records that we now have, and who have long since passed away themselves.
