The Revenge of Rain-In-The-Face by Henry Wadsworth Longfellow

Yes. Rain-in-the-Face (Ite Omagazu in Lakota) was an actual Hunkpapa Lakota warrior who fought at Little Bighorn. He had a personal grudge against Tom Custer, George's brother, who had once arrested and humiliated him. After the battle, the tale of him cutting out Tom Custer's heart circulated widely, but historians have never verified it. Rain-in-the-Face himself provided conflicting accounts over the years.

This is George Armstrong Custer, the U.S. Army lieutenant colonel known for his long blond hair. Longfellow doesn't mention him by name; instead, he uses this physical description, which is how many Native people also referred to Custer. Custer met his end at Little Bighorn, where he and his entire battalion were killed.

He refers to the U.S. government's long history of breaking treaties with Native nations. The U.S. signed the Fort Laramie Treaty of 1868, which promised the Black Hills to the Sioux. However, when gold was found there, the government essentially abandoned the treaty and forced the Sioux off their land. Longfellow argues that it was American betrayal, not Native savagery, that led to the conflict.

It points to 1876, the hundredth anniversary of American independence. The Battle of Little Bighorn took place in June that year, coinciding with the country’s celebration of 100 years of nationhood. Longfellow uses this phrase to highlight the irony: while America was celebrating its freedom, it was simultaneously infringing upon the freedom of the people who had inhabited the land for centuries.

He does, but with caution. He presents both sides respectfully — the soldiers are "gallant," the warriors are strong, and their grievances are valid. However, the final stanza clarifies his stance: the blame falls on the U.S. government's broken promises, not on the warriors who resisted. For a mainstream American poet in the 19th century, that was a pretty daring statement.

This highlights the limitations of Longfellow's viewpoint. While he shows sympathy for the Native cause, his writing from the 1870s includes the dehumanizing language typical of that time. This creates a genuine tension in the poem: he aims to critique American policy, yet he describes Indigenous warriors using a colonial perspective. Contemporary readers are likely to recognize this contradiction.

The poem consists of eight stanzas, each with six lines, following a steady AABCCB rhyme scheme. The short, rhythmic lines create a ballad-like pace that captures the intensity of a battle — it rushes forward like a cavalry charge. This regular structure adds a sense of inevitability, suggesting that the events were destined to happen this way. In the final stanza, the same structure is employed to present its moral judgment, making it feel more impactful due to the formal consistency.

Almost certainly not, or at least it's not proven. The story started as a rumor in newspapers after the battle, becoming part of the mythology surrounding Little Bighorn. Rain-in-the-Face himself shared different versions of the tale at various times. Longfellow relied on popular accounts of the battle instead of verified history, which was typical for poets writing about recent events in the 19th century.