Long Commander (Fast Hawk), an Oglala Sioux warrior in 1876, was one of Crazy Horse’s ardent followers in the Battle of Little Big horn. After forcing Reno’s command into a headlong retreat, Long Commander and his fellow warriors followed Crazy horse in a sweeping maneuver to encircle Custer’s command and bring the troopers to a standstill and annihilation. Uncertain as to how many soldiers he may have slain, Long Commander remembered counting four coups and capturing five cavalry mounts.
“Crazy Horse shouted to us ‘come-on Lakota (Sioux) it’s a good day to die. ‘This excited us even more, for our greatest glory as warriors would be to die in battle.” – Wanblee, SD 1940
