SDHC History Highlight: Burial Sites in Corson County Near Mobridge
In June of 1876, near the banks of the Little Bighorn River in southeastern Montana Territory, a battle was fought that remains an unforgettable and important moment in history: the defeat of Lieutenant Colonel George Armstrong Custer, leader of the United States Army’s 7th Cavalry, by a powerful and well-organized contingent of Lakota, Arikara, Northern Cheyenne, and Arapaho warriors protecting their encampment against the military’s impending attack. The Battle of Little Bighorn – otherwise known as the Batlle of Greasy Grass – was a victory for the tribes who fought that day…warriors who were led by leaders whose names are likely familiar to most Americans today: Crazy Horse. Sitting Bull. Gall. While the stories of these brave leaders live on in stories and memory, their bodies have long since been laid to rest. While the burial site of Crazy Horse’s remains has never been publicly disclosed, those of Sitting Bull and Gall are located within 12 miles of each other…in Corson County, South Dakota.
Chief Sitting Bull. Tȟatȟáŋka Íyotake. Broadly known as a Sioux leader known for his resistance against the U.S. government, Sitting Bull’s name is synonymous with Lakota Native American history in the United States. The man (whose childhood nickname was Jumping Badger) was a distinguished Hunkpapa Lakota leader and holy man known for his courage and generosity, equaled only by his dedication to protecting his people, his culture, and their lands against the encroachment and assimilation efforts of the United States government. This fierce commitment and dedication inevitably led to his portrayal by early settlers as a hostile enemy, yet he is highly revered today as an enduring symbol of Indigenous resistance, sovereignty, and cultural dignity.
In the Battle of the Little Bighorn, Sitting Bull’s leadership unquestionably led to the defeat of Custer’s 7th Cavalry. Often overshadowed in the historical accounts of this victory is the role of another prominent Hunkpapa Lakota chief: a powerful and respected warrior and leader by the name of Gall (Pizi). Nine years younger than Sitting Bull, he was adopted as a younger brother by the chief. He was given the name “Gall,” when – as a hungry young orphan – he attempted to eat the raw gall bladder of an animal; he was known even at a young age for his remarkable bravery and incredible athleticism.
The first victims slain by the U.S. Cavalry at the Battle of the Little Bighorn were two women and a young girl – victims who, tragically, were the wives and daughter of Gall himself. It is not mere happenstance that Chief Gall’s ferocity and skilled leadership are credited with the outcome of the battle that commenced. After the victory, Gall followed Sitting Bull to North Dakota but returned in 1881 and was taken prisoner. After his release from Fort Buford, he was sent with other Hunkpapa Lakota to the Standing Rock Reservation where he once again became a leader and activist for his people. In December of 1894, Pizi passed away at the age of 55 in his home at Oak Creek and was buried in Saint Elizabeth Episcopal Cemetery in Wakpala on the Standing Rock Reservation.
Four years earlier, his longtime mentor and fellow Lakota leader, Sitting Bull, had been killed on the Standing Rock Reservation during an attempt to arrest him by Indian agency police accompanied by U.S. officers. Sitting Bull’s death resulted from the fear that he would join the Ghost Dance movement. He is buried on a bluff overlooking the Missouri River about 7 miles southwest of Mobridge. A bust carved with his likeness – created by none other than renowned Crazy Horse sculptor, Korczak Ziolkowski – adorns the monument that marks his resting place.
Two Hunkpapa Lakota leaders. Respected. Revered. Remembered. And buried within 12 miles of each other in Corson County, South Dakota. While 2026 marks the 150th anniversary of the Battle of Little Bighorn, the memory of what happened there and the legacy it created live on. The graves of two of the most important and consequential leaders in that victory for the Lakota people now rest peacefully on the northern plains of South Dakota. Their respective graves are clearly marked with monuments at which respects can be paid…and history can be remembered.
For more information about the Sitting Bull Monument, visit https://mobridge.org/sitting-bull-monument. Additional information about Saint Elizabeth Episcopal Cemetery – the burial site of Chief Gall – can be found at https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/7901258/chief-gall.