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Other German Auxiliaries of Great Britain in the
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The Hessian Mercenary Troops of the American Rev-
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Tulane University, 1976.ROMANNOSE
Roman Nose
(ca. 1830–September 17, 1868)
Cheyenne Warrior
F
earless Roman Nose, though never a
chief, was a dogged, successful warrior
of the Southern Plains. Seemingly in-
vincible in battle, he accidentally violated the
good medicine of his sacred warbonnet and
was killed at Beecher’s Island.
Roman Nose was born Sautie (Bat) on the
Central Plains around 1830, variously as-
cribed to both the Northern and Southern
Cheyenne peoples. He matured into a power-
fully built man, tall, muscular, with an
aquiline profile that gave rise to the name
Woquni, or “Hook Nose.” The whites trans-
lated this into the more familiar moniker of
Roman Nose. In his early youth, Roman Nose
displayed all the attributes of a great warrior:
bravery, intelligence, and guile. He became
closely associated with the Elk Soldiers mili-
tary society within the Cheyenne nation and
frequently lived among an even more aggres-
sive lot—the Dog Soldiers. With his six-foot,
three-inch frame, Roman Nose was com-
pletely fearless in battle and became the
most celebrated Indian warrior of his time.
Nevertheless, despite his fierce appearance
and reputation, he was a quiet, self-assured
individual. While he lived, Roman Nose was
held in high esteem by both fellow tribesmen
and the many whites whom he encountered
and dealt with.
One reason behind Roman Nose’s fearless-
ness in battle was the mystical warbonnet
given to him by medicine man White Buffalo
Bull around 1860. This startling headgear con-
sisted of a single buffalo horn with 60 red and
black eagle feathers trailing to his feet.
Roman Nose always wore this attire in battle,
and the strong medicine it conferred rendered
him impervious to injury. On several occa-
sions he paraded himself in battle by riding
back and forth in front of soldiers without in-
jury. However, to ward off the white man’s
bullets, it was incumbent upon the wearer to
avoid taboo behavior, such as eating food
touched by metal utensils, lest the spell be
broken. In that event, Roman Nose was re-
quired to undergo a lengthy purification rite
to restore his warbonnet’s magic. To do other-
wise was to court death in battle.
Like many Southern Cheyennes, Roman
Nose lived in peace with his white neighbors,
despite the increasing tempo of frontier settle-
ment. However, following the unprovoked
massacre of Black Kettle’s band at Sand
Creek, Colorado Territory, in 1864, he became
an implacable enemy of settlers. Roman Nose