"Outside the Walls"
September 6 , 2010

The horses moved amongst the tall sweet grass outside of Fort Buford finding respite from the long ride from the north.  There was the sound of celebration from inside the wooden walls of the fort.  A dozen of the bravest warriors of the Lakota had come on their own free will to lay down their arms and surrender to the Commanding Officer.  The jubilation was evident as the last Lakota surrendered his rifle with words that will ring on in history.  The words of the great chief of the Sioux nation “I wish it to be remembered that I was the last man of my tribe to surrender my rifle.”

A single horse moved away from the herd, as if he knew that there would be no more war.  He stood and gazed across the empty plains of Montana where he used to run free, and now he stood, alone, just outside the walls.

This painting was created from a photograph taken by the artist outside Hardin, Montana at Custer’s last stand re-enactment

Image Size: 26" x 7-1/4”