Battles and massacres of the Indian Wars in the American West

Battles & Massacres of the Indian Wars

North Dakota

Killdeer Mountain (1864) - The Battle of Killdeer Mountain, fought on July 28, 1864 in western North Dakota, was an outgrowth to the 1862 Sioux discontent in Minnesota. Leading more than 3,000 volunteers, Brigadier General Alfred Sully confronted more than 1,600 Sioux in the North Dakota badlands, representing one of the largest pitched battles in the history of Plains warfare. Sully’s force approached the Indian encampment dismounted in a large square. The soldiers easily deflected the Sioux charges and drove the warriors from the field. Although casualties were few, Sully was able to destroy vast quantities of Indian stores. Killdeer Mountain Battlefield is operated by the North Dakota State Parks.

Killdeer Mountain, North Dakota

Killdeer Mountain, courtesy North Dakota State Parks.

Oklahoma

Washita Battlefield National Historic Site, Oklahoma -

Here in the predawn of November 27, 1868, Lieutenant Colonel George Custer, leading the 7th Cavalry, attacked the sleeping Southern Cheyenne village of Peace Chief Black Kettle. The chief and more than 100 Indians, many of them women and children, were killed. The controversial attack was hailed by the military and many civilians as a significant military victory aimed at reducing Indian raids on frontier settlements. However, Washita was also viewed by many whites and Indian participants as a massacre. Washita Battlefield National Historic Site, located in western Oklahoma , testifies to the struggle of the Southern Plains Indians to maintain their traditional lifeways. Casualties included some 21 U.S. soldiers killed and nother 16 wounded. Of the Cheyenne, 103 killed and 53 captured. The site is operated by the National Park Service.

Contact Information:

Washita Battlefield National Historic Site

PO Box 890

426 E. Broadway
Cheyenne, Oklahoma 73628
580-497-2742

Trail at Washita Battlefield, courtesy the National Park Service.

South Dakota

Wounded Knee Massacre Site, South Dakota - Wounded Knee, South Dakota , represents the last significant clash between American Indians and U.S. troops in North America. Following the introduction of the Ghost Dance among the Lakota Sioux and the killing of Sitting Bull on December 15, 1890, a Miniconjou band of Sioux led by Chief Spotted Elk (Big Foot) fled the reservation. However, when U.S. troops caught up with them, they surrendered. The surrender turned into tragedy when a gun discharged as the troops were gathering the Indian's weapons, leading to a virtual massacre of Spotted Elk's band on December 29, 1890. Situated on the Pine Ridge Indian Reservation, Wounded Knee Battleground is open to the public. There are markers, and nearby is the cemetery with the mass grave of the Indians who died that day. Of those involved in the conflict the U.S. troops suffered 25 dead and 35 wounded. Of the Sioux, 128 were killed and 33 wounded.

Slim Buttes, South Dakota - Following the Battle of the Little Bighorn, Generals Alfred Terry and George Crook took up an unsuccessful summer chase of the Sioux. As the campaign continued into fall, General Crook's column found itself out of supplies. Unexpectedly, as part of the column under Captain Anson Mills was attempting to reach the Black Hills to find supplies, the command stumbled onto the Sioux village of American Horse. On the evening of September 8, 1876, near the present town of Reva, South Dakota , Mills's Third Cavalry troopers surrounded the village and attacked it the next morning. Taken by surprise, the village was destroyed and American Horse killed. Other assaults during the fall and winter convinced most of the Sioux and Cheyenne of the futility of fighting the soldiers. The site is on private land though nearby monument commemorates the battle.

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ALSO SEE:

Indian Proverbs & Wisdom

Legends, Myths & Tales of Native Americans

Old West Legends

Native American Heros

Native American Tribes

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