It was not his nature to remain peaceful and quiet, and reports seemed lo indicate that he was preparing for the war path. Among other things, he circulated the story that General McKenzie and his entire command were preparing to descend on the camp some night and massacre the entire outfit. By means of this and similar stories he managed to start a reign of terror, both in his camp and also that of Little Bad Man. At that time Crazy Horse had some three hundred warriors and one hundred forty-six tepees, and the way we came to hear these reports was due to the feuds which existed among the Indians themselves.

The Ogalalla Sioux, Under Red Cloud, and the Brule Sioux, under Spotted Tail, had remained loyal to the whites during the campaign of 1876, and also the Arapahoes. Red Cloud and his people were stationed at the agency named in his honor, while Spotted Tail and the Brule Sioux were at Spotted Tail agency, some miles distant. The Ogalallas were bitter enemies of the Northern Sioux under Crazy Horse, despising the latter from the bottom of their hearts. A very considerable number of these Indians were at that time enlisted and serving in several companies at Fort Robinson, and inasmuch as Crazy Horse was a domineering tyrant, holding his people in subjection more through fear than he did through kindness, they did a good deal of talking behind his back to the Ogalallas and enlisted Indians who, of course, carried the word direct to the commanding officer.