Killing of Alights on the Cloud facts for kids

Alights on the Cloud (also known as Touching Cloud) was a brave Cheyenne warrior. In the summer of 1852, he was killed in a battle against the Pawnee. This fight happened in what is now western Kansas.

Alights on the Cloud was famous for wearing special metal armor. He hid this armor under his regular war shirt. This armor protected him from arrows and made him seem almost impossible to defeat. However, a Pawnee warrior named Shield Chief used a special, sacred arrow to shoot him in the eye, ending his life.

His death was a big loss for the Cheyenne people. It led to a major war with the Pawnee the following year. This was one of only six such large-scale wars fought by the Cheyenne in the 1800s.

Lola Montez & Alights-on-a-Cloud, 1851 or 1852

Alights on the Cloud and His Special Armor

Alights on the Cloud got his unique armor from his father, Medicine Water. Many years earlier, Medicine Water had traded several horses for it. He bought it from a young Arapaho warrior. That Arapaho had gotten the armor in Mexico by trading a mule for it.

The armor was made of many small iron scales. Each scale was about the size of a half-dollar coin. These scales were sewn onto a leather shirt. This made the shirt strong enough to stop arrows and possibly even bullets. The armor also included an iron cap that protected the wearer's neck.

Medicine Water, Alights on the Cloud's father, had worn this armor himself. He used it in a big battle in 1838 against the Kiowa, Kiowa Apache, and Comanche tribes in Oklahoma. Later, in 1844, Alights on the Cloud wore the armor. He covered it with a bright red blanket during a fight against some well-armed Delaware Indians. His bravery helped turn that battle into a victory.

Cheyenne warrior Alights on the Cloud in his armor. The branch with leaves shows this battle happened in summer.

The Battle with the Pawnee Hunters

The Pawnee people were on their summer bison hunt in what is now western Kansas. A group of Cheyenne warriors, joined by their allies the Kiowa and Kiowa Apache, decided to attack. Their goal was to gain war honors and capture horses from the Pawnee hunters. Some Arapaho and Lakota warriors, who were friends of the Cheyenne, might have also joined the attack.

Alights on the Cloud rode at the front of the attacking warriors. His hidden armor made him fearless. He charged the Pawnee, reportedly using a sword. His armor was stiff, which made it hard for him to use other weapons. The Pawnee hunters started to retreat, and Alights on the Cloud chased them without hesitation. The Pawnee were amazed by his bravery and talked about how fearless he was.

A young Pawnee warrior, known as Shield Chief or Carrying the Shield, then stepped forward. He was the keeper of a sacred bundle. This bundle contained an old bow and a red arrow. His father had told him to use these special weapons only in times of great danger. Shield Chief went to the battlefield on foot. While other Pawnee were running away, he bravely moved forward. When Alights on the Cloud attacked him, Shield Chief shot his sacred arrow. It hit Alights on the Cloud directly in the eye.

After Alights on the Cloud fell, the Pawnee rushed to him. They cut open his war shirt and discovered the metal armor underneath. Because of this, the Pawnee people later called him "Iron Shirt."

During this battle, several Pawnee warriors were also killed. The Cheyenne lost six warriors, and one Kiowa Apache warrior also died.

Map showing the 1851 Cheyenne and Arapaho territory, Pawnee settlements, and the possible battle area in 1852.

What Happened After the Battle

The Pawnee managed to capture a piece of Alights on the Cloud's armored shirt. The Cheyenne kept the rest of the armor for many years. Eventually, they buried it in a hidden hole in the ground.

To get revenge for Alights on the Cloud's death and the other warriors lost, the Cheyenne launched a major war against the Pawnee the next year. They carried their Sacred Arrows into battle. These arrows, called the Mahuts, are four very important and sacred arrows used in special ceremonies to make big decisions. Only six such "moves of the Sacred Arrows" (meaning all-out wars) are recorded in the entire history of the Cheyenne. However, the Cheyenne were defeated in this war and suffered many losses.

The Pawnee were so impressed by the "arrow-proof" Cheyenne warrior that they created a song about him. The song goes: "Now he lies yonder. He who has on a metal shirt. The protection in which he trusted is set aside."

The Kiowa people also remembered Alights on the Cloud's death. They recorded it in their winter count, which is a way of keeping historical records. They called him "Far Up" and noted his death in the summer of 1852.

Images for kids

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  Lola Montez & Alights-on-a-Cloud, 1851 or 1852

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  Cheyenne warrior Alights on the Cloud in his armor. The branch with leaves shows this battle happened in summer.

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  Map showing the 1851 Cheyenne and Arapaho territory, Pawnee settlements, and the possible battle area in 1852.