Essay Database

Raiding Parties Small private raiding parties were out either to take horses or to get a scalp for revenge for the death of a friend or relative. If the main objective was horses they would sneak into camp at night. If its scalps they were after, they prefered to come across lone travelers. Battle Tactics It has been often said that Indians at war are a howling, unorganized mob, each man for himself. This is …

…a whip, or a long twig- called a coup stick. The Cheyennes counted coup on an enemy three times; that is to say, three men might touch the body and receive credit, according to the order in which this was done. The Arapahoes touched four times. When the Cheyennes were allied with the Arapahoes (which they often were) during a fight a total of seven coups could be counted, causing great confusion during the battle.