THE DANCING HORSE

THE FATEFUL FRIENDSHIP OF SITTING BULL AND BUFFALO BILL

- PAUL ANDREW HUTTON

Sitting Bull and the Dancing Horse by Thom Ross

Near the end of the 1882 theatrical season, Buffalo Bill Cody had a fateful lunch in New York City at the restaurant adjacent to Haverly's theater with Nate Salsbury. The conversation drifted to an idea Nate had for an arena show featuring a variety of American horsemen—cowboys, Indians and Mexican vaqueros—in daredevil feats of riding. Such a show needed a headliner and Salsbury felt Cody the perfect man for the part. Cody's stage career had prospered, although he was growing weary of tramping the boards after 10 years and was anxious for a new challenge. Cody liked the idea and he liked Salsbury. They eventually signed a contract to establish “Buffalo Bill's Wild West—America's National Entertainment,” and Nate began to organize the 1884 season.

In Nate's mind Cody would be the star attraction of the Wild West, which he saw as his invention. But Cody took an active role in management and, even more importantly, in the conception of the show. He saw it as a combination rodeo, outdoor spectacle and historical pageant. Combined with steer roping, bronc riding and Western animals including a small herd of buffalo, were historical motifs such as the Deadwood Stage, attack on the settler's cabin, the Pony Express, Summit Springs, the first scalp for Custer, and even Custer's Last Stand.

Frontier celebrities, both real and invented, were featured over the years—Frank North, A.H. Bogardus, Dr. Frank “White Beaver” Powell, Pawnee Bill, Lillian Smith, Johnny Baker, Antonio Esquivel, and most importantly, sharpshooting Annie Oakley (Phoebe Ann Moses) who signed on in 1885.

One unique celebrity who Cody was determined to sign was Sitting Bull. “I am going to try hard to get old Sitting Bull,” Cody had written in 1883. “If I can manage to get him our everlasting fortune is made.”