| Sallie Curtis & the Ledger Art of White Swan Claremont, California 
In June 1876, a young warrior named White Swan was one of six Crow scouts assigned to the 7th Cavalry. The outnumbered Crow had aligned themselves with the U.S. government against their traditional enemies, the Sioux and Cheyenne, in exchange for a promise from General George Armstrong Custer of a return to their old way of life, and a return of land stolen from the Crow by other tribes.
History would have been altered had Gen. Custer followed the advise of the Crow scouts who urged him not to lead his forces into the valley of the Little Big Horn. In the ensuing battle, White Swan was severely injured, and after a long recovery, returned to Crow Agency seriously disabled. In 1894 White Swan, crippled and unable to hear or speak, created a series of drawings on pages from an accounting ledger book to explain his role in the famous battle to his friend, the pastor at the Congregational Church. That man was my grandfather, Rev. James Gregor Burgess. These remarkable illustrations have been in our family ever since. Our goal is to use reproductions of these drawings to raise college scholarship funds for members of the Crow tribe. Thanks for your interest and support through the sale of items. If you have any questions please contact Sallie Curtis. The Burgess Collection |
