He was an excellent military strategist and resistance leader

One of the most interesting facts about Crazy Horse is he was an excellent military strategist and resistance leader. The American Department of War ordered the Lakota to live on reservations in 1876. Mad Horse declined. As an alternative, he commanded 1500 Lakota and Cheyenne warriors in a conflict with Brigadier General George Crook's forces, who were attempting to reach Hunkpapa Lakota chief Sitting Bull's camp at Little Bighorn. Crazy Horse won the engagement strategically, routing Crook's army and depriving George Custer's Seventh Cavalry of much-needed reinforcements. The outcome of the Battle of the Little Bighorn, which came next, would have been different if Crazy Horse had failed.

General Custer ignored the advice of his Native guides, who told him he would lose the engagement, and engaged in battle at Little Big Horn one week later. At the Battle of the Little Big Horn, better known as Custer's Last Stand, Crazy Horse led up to 1,000 warriors to flank Custer's troops, ensuring the general's terrible defeat and death.

Crazy Horse was "the bravest man I ever saw," according to an Arapaho warrior by the name of Water Man. " He shouted orders to his warriors as he rode closest to the soldiers. He was being shot at by every soldier, but he was never struck." Another Native American soldier remarked that Crazy Horse was the battle's best combatant.