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Primary sourceNewspaper article1891

The True Story of the Death of Sitting Bull

Edmond J. Fechet · 1891

A firsthand 1891 magazine account of Sitting Bull's death, written by a U.S. Army officer who was present during the events.

This firsthand account by a U.S. Army officer describes the events surrounding Sitting Bull's death.

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About this source

What it is

This article was written by Major Edmond G. Fechet of the Sixth Cavalry and published in 1891, about a year after Sitting Bull's death. Fechet had been a captain stationed at Fort Yates, North Dakota, during the Sioux unrest of 1890-91, and claims to give a firsthand account of the events leading to Sitting Bull's death.

Why it matters

Written soon after the events by a U.S. Army officer involved in them, this account offers a primary military perspective on one of the most significant and tragic moments of the period: the killing of Sitting Bull. It reveals how official accounts of his death were presented to the American public.

Look closer

  • Why does the author insist his account is the "true story," and what does that suggest about other versions circulating at the time?
  • How might Fechet's position as a U.S. Army officer shape what he chose to include or leave out?
  • What can we learn from comparing a military account like this with Lakota accounts of the same events?

This newspaper article is part of the curated material that grounds the AI version of Sitting Bull (Tȟatȟáŋka Íyotake) on Humy.ai — when students ask about related events, the AI can quote it and cite it.

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