Then army was in a campaign for retaliation for the Santee Rebellion in Minnesota. Sitting Bull's people played no part in the rebellion but were forced to fight. .
Middle Life.
When Sitting Bull was in his early thirties he became one of the most celebrated Sioux leaders ever. He led numerous war parties and raids on other tribes and the United States army. His first encounter as a commander of a war party was in 1865. He led a siege against a United States Fort, called Fort Rice, which is in what is now known as North Dakota. .
His bravery earned him the honor of being the head chief of the Lakota Sioux nation in 1868. His courage was legendary. In every item ever published about him, it mentions his courage. every time he rode he would have many boys riding right behind him because he was so looked up to among his people. .
One account of his courage talks about a battle in 1872. "During a battle with soldiers protecting railroad workers on the Yellowstone River, Sitting Bull led four other warriors out between the lines, sat calmly sharing a pipe with them as bullets buzzed around, carefully reamed the pipe out when they were finished, and then casually walked away.".
Another account talks about a raid of the Crow Indians. "In an attack upon a band of Crow Indians, one of the enemy took his stand, after the rest had fled in a deep ditch from which it seemed impossible to dislodge him. The situation had already cost the lives of several warriors, but they could not let him go to repeat such a boast over the Sioux! "Follow me!" said Sitting Bull, and charged. He raced his horse to the brim of the ditch and struck at the enemy with his coup-staff, thus compelling him to expose himself to the fire of the others while shooting his assailant. But the Crow merely poked his empty gun into his face and dodged back under cover. Then Sitting Bull stopped; he saw that no one had followed him, and he also perceived that the enemy had no more ammunition left.