Mitch Bouyer facts for kids
Mitch Boyer (also spelled 'Bowyer' or 'Bouyer') was an important guide and interpreter in the American Old West. He lived from 1837 to June 25, 1876. General John Gibbon, a famous military leader, said Boyer was "next to Jim Bridger, the best guide in the country." Mitch Boyer died during the famous Battle of the Little Bighorn.
Contents
Mitch Boyer's Early Life and Family
Mitch Boyer was born in 1837. His birth name was Michel Boyer. His father, Jean-Baptiste Boyer, was a French Canadian. He worked for the American Fur Company, trading with the Sioux people in the Wyoming area. Mitch's mother was a Santee Sioux woman.
Mitch's father died around 1863. His Native American name was Kar-pash. Mitch had three sisters: Marie, Anne, and Thérèse. They were born in 1840 and may have been triplets. He also had at least two half-brothers, John and Antoine.
In 1868, Boyer worked as an interpreter at Fort Phil Kearny. In 1869, he married a young Crow woman named Magpie Outside. She later became known as Mary. Their first child, a daughter also named Mary, was born in 1870. Later, they had a son, who was called Tom. He was later renamed James LeForge.
Working as an Army Scout
Mitch Boyer became a guide for the 2nd U.S. Cavalry. He helped the Northern Pacific Railroad survey teams. From 1872 on, he worked for the Crow Agency and the U.S. Army.
In 1876, Lieutenant Colonel George Armstrong Custer asked for Boyer to join the 7th U.S. Cavalry. Boyer would be an interpreter for the Crow scouts. General Alfred Terry had ordered the 7th Cavalry to search for Native American groups who were not peaceful. Custer's usual scouts were from the Arikara tribe. However, for this mission, Terry assigned six Crow scouts to the 7th Cavalry. One of these scouts was Curley. Boyer was a great choice because he knew the land very well.
Warnings Before Battle
At a place called the Crow's Nest, Boyer and other scouts warned Custer about how large the Native American village was. Custer said he could not see it clearly. Boyer told him, "General, I have been with these Indians for 30 years, and this is the largest village I have ever known of."
After failing to convince Custer, Boyer reportedly gave away his belongings. He believed he would die in the upcoming battle. There was a report that Sitting Bull had offered a reward of 100 ponies for Boyer's head.
Death at the Little Bighorn
Around noon, Custer's command was split into three groups. Boyer was assigned to go with Custer's group. Almost all of Custer's group was killed in the battle. Only about a dozen people survived from Custer's group. These survivors had left before the fighting began.
Some soldiers in Reno's group said they saw Custer on the bluffs watching the retreat. But it was later thought that this was probably Boyer and Curley. They had ridden ahead of the main force. Boyer stayed with Custer and was killed in the Battle of the Little Bighorn.
In 1984, a fire at the Custer Battlefield allowed archaeologists to dig there. They found part of a skull. It was identified as Boyer's by comparing the facial bones to an old photograph. The skull was found west of the monument on Custer Hill. This area is called the 'South Skirmish Line'.
Mitch Boyer was known for being a colorful person. On the day of the battle, he was wearing a vest made from a piebald calf.
After Boyer's death, his widow Mary was cared for by his close friend, Thomas Leforge. When Leforge's own wife died, he married Mary and adopted her children. This is likely when Mitch's son was renamed, as Leforge had a son named Tom. Mary died in 1916.
