THE DREADED CHEYENNE DOG SOLDIER:
They were also referred to as the "Dog Leash Men" or "Dogmen". These were not the Cheyenne at Battle of the Greasy Grass (Little Big Horn). Those were Northern Cheyenne; a different tribe with a separate dialect and different religious practices.
The "dog leash" reference was due to a long sash they wore, to pin themselves to the ground with either a cattle pin or spear.
It was dead ground (can neither advance or retreat). The leash was designed with a loose hole or loop, at its contact point with the ground. It allowed for a 360 degree rotation.
The Cheyenne were fewer than other plains tribes, but what they lacked in numbers was compensated for in ferocity. This elite warrior who was carefully selected, could not unpin himself. He had to be relieved by another Dog Soldier, or waited until his party had left the scene completely.
It is believed that they numbered 500 at their peak, and were the backbone of the Southern Cheyenne military infrastructure.
Bravest of the brave, they were the type of men who rang the devil's doorbell and refused to run when he answered. The Lakota version of this were their "Sash Wearers". The same concept.
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