“SIOUX MEDICINE PIPE” INSCRIBED “CAPTURED AT BATTLE OF MUDDY CREEK MAY 7, 1877”

“SIOUX MEDICINE PIPE” INSCRIBED “CAPTURED AT BATTLE OF MUDDY CREEK MAY 7, 1877”

02-21440

Sargeant Louis Rott, 7th US cavalry picked up & inscribed this wonderful souvenir of the Nelson Miles led fight in Big Horn River Valley. Miles 450 men came upon an Indian camp much like Custer had done a year previous. In this attack however, Nelson Miles and the 7th US cavalry routed the Minneconjou Sioux camp with its leader “Lame Deer” killed. Lame Deer and his warriors participated in Battle of Little Horn the previous year when Custer was killed. Rott was survivor of the “Hilltop Fight” at Little Big Horn and was nominated by his captain Edward S. Godfrey for Congressional Medal of Honor. Several of his comrades received the medal for identically risking life retrieving water for wound tropers on hilltop.
In the aftermath of the battle Sergeant Rott picked up this pipe, and inscribed it on three sides of the squared Catlinite base: “Soiux (sic) Indians / Medicine Pipe” “Captured at the Battle / of Muddy Creek / May 7th, 1877”, “Louis Rott 7 U S Cav”. The wooden stem and pipe bowl 31″ overall are mounted on 36″ x 25″ board by the family with 2 brass plaques telling history.
UNATTACHED ACCESSORIES: copy of a letter from Gloria Wood who states she is the last living descendant Sergeant Louis Rott and had the pipe mounted in 1985 designed by artist at Southern Illinois University. CONDITION: the pipe is broken into two pieces and has glued repair which could be an upgrade by conservator, the text in surface are unaffected. The simple round wood stem has hand worn patina, pipe has residue from smoking in bowl and stem. Red pipe measures 9″, bowl 4″, stem is 22″. Modern mounting is fine. PROVENANCE: Louis Rott, 7th US cavalry, descent of family to last surviving member; Gloria B. Wood; Heritage Auctions, lot 38367, May 21, 2011; Martin Lane Historic & Western Americana Lifetime Collection.