This is a rare Winchester Model 1873 Saddle Ring Carbine serial number 16399 ordered by He Dog, marked “Crazy Horse rode with He Dog” and B.F. Flower 1879. The piece comes accompanied by a signed document from Wendell Grangaard from The Guns of History, Inc. Sioux Falls, South Dakota. The firearm was examined by Wendell Grangaard, author and historian on Custer, the Battle of the Little Bighorn as well as the Togia language. Wendell noted the firearm being marked as such in Togia and English: On the left side of the receiver cover is marked He Dog with an illustration of a dog, below this is “B.F. Flower 1879” and in front of the dog, Crazy Horse rode with He Dog (illustration 1); On the left side of the stock is marked son of He Dog – Eagle Hawk (illustration 2); On the right side of the stock is the signature mark of Standing Bear (illustration 3). It is noted in the signed document that in July 1877, General Crook told Crazy Horse he could have one last buffalo hunt, with the date set for August 15, 1877. Crooks notified the trading post and traders that they were permitted to sell weapons to anyone participating in the buffalo hunt. He Dog ordered and purchased a Winchester from Long Joe Larrabee a French trader from St. Cloud on the Missouri River who had a trading post at Fort Robinson. The hunt was delayed when Crazy Horse was arrested and killed at the Fort on September 5, 1877. After returning from Washington in October 1877, He Dog formed a breakout of Soreback band members and they fled into Canada to join Sitting Bull. He Dog brought his first wife, and left behind his 13-year old son Joseph Eagle Hawk with his second wife, Rock mother to He Dog’s daughter They Keep Her Horse. She stayed with her people the Soreback Hunkpapa Lakota Sioux in the White Clay District on the Pine Ridge Reservation. The gun was delivered to Long Joe Larrabee at his trading post Fort Robinson in the spring of 1878 to He Dog’s wife, Rock. Rock knew the way of the Togia and that “lemita” (my possession) must be placed on the new Winchester carbine, so she asked Standing Bear to inscribe the rifle with her husbands name. The winter of 1878-1879 was long, cold and turbulent causing Rock to need to sell the firearm for necessary supplies for her family. She sold it to a teamster who was hailing supplies to the new Pine Ridge Agency. As part of trading the Winchester , Rock told B.F. Flowers, the teamster, to put his name below her husbands in the tradition of Togia. So he marked the gun B.F. Flowers 1879 below He Dog’s name. B.F. Flowers or B. Franklin Flowers was born on August 2, 1819, and was employed by the Department of the Platte for General Crooks. Flowers hauled supplies out of Fort Omaha, Nebraska. He died on December 21, 1889, and is buried on Lot 079 Pacific Cemetery, Pacific Township, Columbia County, Wisconsin. It is believe He Dog’s son, Joseph Eagle Hawk used the carbine before it was sold to Flowers, as his name is written on the stock in Togia. The Winchester is accompanied with a Winchester Factory Letter noting that this firearm, serial number 16399 as a Carbine shipped May 2, 1878 in Order Number 11740. The firearm is accompanied by the Cody Letter, Signed Provenance Document from Guns of History, and illustrations. The carbine exhibits the saddle ring on the left side, marked on the bottom of the straight grip, “16399”, on the top of the barrel in a two line address “WINCHESTER’S – REPEATING - ARMS. NEW HAVEN, CT / KING’S – IMPROVED – PATENTED – MARCH 29, 1866, OCTOBER 16, 1866” and on the back of the frame tang “MODEL 1873”. Has a tilt up site on the barrel and front barrel band site. Hammer exhibits some case hardening and the receiver some original color. Has a 20 inch long round barrel with full length loading tube. Butte plate is a crescent metal with sliding brass window exposing the metal and brass three piece cleaning rod. The lever lock tab functions. The lever works correctly, rolling down pushing the brass ejector up which loads the next round while also cocking back the hammer. The hammer independently will also click back twice holding into place. The trigger releases the hammer appearing to work correctly. The dust cover is present with oblong oval checkered thumb spot. This is an Antique Firearm that does not require an FFL.