the death of chief big foot

the death of chief Big foot

fiction
edward w pritchard

As reported elsewhere of this blog soldiers of the seventh cavalry carried Chief Big foot onto the field and shot him when he was suffering with pneumonia.

Pneumonia is debilitating. Burning deep in the chest and lungs the victim is helplessly weak. Unable to much move. The will collapses in an attempt to buy the system time for miraculous recovery. Meanwhile the body retreats into itself racked with pain and fearing death. A slow demise destroys.

First to the hunt as a boy, honored in battle as a brave and revered as a chief far and wide Chief Big Foo  overcame his environment seeing himself as capable of miraculous accomplishments.

Shooting Chief Big foot ended his life a few days or weeks early. Unable to walk he was dragged by dogs on an Indian  travois to the soldiers hospital. Sadly he lay dead on the battle field frozen until someone took his picture un-regal in death.

Morn Chief Big Foot, no way for a soldier to die.