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War Overview
Defining the Conflict
The Great Sioux War of 1876, also known as the Black Hills War, represents a significant series of military engagements and diplomatic efforts between the United States and an alliance of Lakota Sioux and Northern Cheyenne peoples. Occurring primarily in 1876 and 1877, this conflict was fundamentally driven by the United States' desire to acquire the Black Hills, a region of immense spiritual and material importance to the Native American tribes, following the discovery of gold and subsequent settler encroachment.
Temporal Scope
The war officially spanned from February 8, 1876, to May 5, 1877, encompassing a period of approximately one year, two months, and four weeks. This timeframe covers the major military campaigns and the eventual surrenders that marked the conclusion of large-scale hostilities.
Geographical Context
The primary theaters of operation were the territories of Montana, Dakota, and Wyoming, with significant actions also occurring in Nebraska and on the Crow Indian Reservation. These lands constituted the traditional hunting grounds and territories of the involved tribes.
Historical Context
Territorial Disputes
The Cheyenne migrated westward, introducing horse culture to the Lakota, who subsequently expanded their territory west of the Missouri River. By the late 18th century, alliances with the Cheyenne and Arapaho solidified Lakota control over the rich buffalo hunting grounds of the northern Great Plains. The Black Hills, in present-day western South Dakota, became a vital resource for lodge poles, plants, and small game.
The Treaty of Fort Laramie (1868)
Following Red Cloud's War, the Treaty of Fort Laramie established the Great Sioux Reservation, encompassing the western half of South Dakota, including the Black Hills, for the exclusive use of the Lakota and Northern Cheyenne. Crucially, it also designated a large "unceded territory" in Wyoming and Montana, the Powder River Country, as hunting grounds. The treaty explicitly forbade white trespassers, except for government officials, on these lands.
The Lure of Gold
The discovery of gold in the Black Hills by the Custer Expedition in 1874, and confirmed by the Newton-Jenney Geological Expedition in 1875, dramatically escalated tensions. Despite the treaty protections, prospectors, spurred by the Panic of 1873, began a mass invasion of the Black Hills, overwhelming the U.S. Army's attempts to enforce the treaty's boundaries.
Root Causes of Conflict
Economic Imperatives
The primary catalyst for the Great Sioux War was the discovery of gold in the Black Hills. This economic incentive fueled a relentless wave of prospectors and settlers, directly violating the terms of the 1868 Fort Laramie Treaty. The U.S. government, facing pressure from its citizens and economic interests, prioritized access to these valuable resources over treaty obligations.
Treaty Violations and Diplomatic Failures
The U.S. government's inability or unwillingness to prevent settler encroachment on the Great Sioux Reservation undermined the integrity of the Fort Laramie Treaty. Diplomatic efforts, such as the delegations led by Spotted Tail and Red Cloud in 1875, failed to secure a peaceful resolution. The government's subsequent attempts to coerce the tribes into ceding the Black Hills or relocating to Indian Territory were met with firm refusal, escalating the path toward armed conflict.
Indigenous Resistance and Intertribal Dynamics
The Lakota and Northern Cheyenne viewed the Black Hills as sacred and integral to their way of life. Their refusal to cede the land was a defense of their sovereignty and ancestral territory. Furthermore, the expansion of Lakota influence into lands previously occupied by other tribes, such as the Crow and Shoshone, created existing intertribal tensions. These tribes often allied with the U.S. Army, viewing the Lakota and Cheyenne as intruders, thereby complicating the conflict's dynamics.
Belligerents and Leadership
United States Forces
The U.S. Army deployed significant resources, including elements from the 7th Cavalry, 5th Infantry, and other units. Key commanders included Lieutenant General Philip Sheridan, Major General Alfred Terry, Brigadier General George Crook, Lieutenant Colonel George Armstrong Custer, Colonel John Gibbon, Colonel Ranald S. Mackenzie, and Colonel Nelson A. Miles. Allied forces included scouts and warriors from the Shoshone, Crow, Pawnee, and Arikara tribes, who often acted as auxiliaries.
Lakota Sioux and Northern Cheyenne Alliance
The primary indigenous combatants were the Lakota Sioux (including bands like the Oglala, Hunkpapa, Miniconjou, Sans Arc, and Two Kettles) and the Northern Cheyenne, often joined by Arapaho warriors. Prominent leaders included Crazy Horse, Sitting Bull, Dull Knife, Little Wolf, and Two Moons. While estimates vary, the number of warriors engaged could range from 900 to over 2,000 at peak engagements.
Strengths and Weaknesses
Indigenous forces possessed superior knowledge of the terrain and mobility but were part-time warriors constrained by seasonal hunting needs and limited ammunition. Their weaponry varied, with many relying on bows and arrows alongside firearms. The U.S. Army benefited from superior numbers, organization, and weaponry, including the Springfield Model 1873 rifle, though many soldiers were inexperienced recruits.
Major Military Campaigns
Reynolds' Winter Campaign (1876)
Initiated by General Crook, this early campaign saw Colonel Joseph J. Reynolds attack a village of Northern Cheyenne and Oglala Sioux on March 17, 1876. While the village was initially overrun and burned, the U.S. troops suffered losses and were forced to retreat, with many captured horses later recovered by the indigenous forces.
Summer Expeditions (1876)
A coordinated three-pronged strategy was launched: Terry's Dakota Column (including Custer's 7th Cavalry), Gibbon's Montana Column, and Crook's column from Fort Fetterman. The plan was to converge on the Lakota hunting grounds. This strategy led directly to the pivotal engagements of the Rosebud and the Little Bighorn.
Mackenzie's and Miles' Campaigns (1876-1877)
Following the Little Bighorn defeat, Colonel Ranald S. Mackenzie led a successful campaign against the Northern Cheyenne in the Dull Knife Fight (November 1876), leading to their surrender and subsequent forced relocation. Colonel Nelson A. Miles conducted continuous operations from Fort Keogh, engaging various bands and contributing to the eventual surrender of many Lakota and Cheyenne.
Key Engagements
Battle of the Rosebud (June 17, 1876)
General Crook's column engaged a large force of Lakota and Cheyenne warriors. While Crook claimed a victory, most historians consider it a tactical draw or a strategic success for the indigenous forces, as it effectively halted Crook's advance and prevented his column from reinforcing Custer's command later that month.
Battle of the Little Bighorn (June 25-26, 1876)
Perhaps the most famous engagement, Lt. Col. George Armstrong Custer and the 7th Cavalry were decisively defeated by a combined Lakota and Cheyenne force led by Crazy Horse and Sitting Bull. Custer and his immediate command of five companies were annihilated, marking a significant victory for the allied tribes but ultimately galvanizing the U.S. response.
Battle of Slim Buttes (September 9-10, 1876)
An advance company from General Crook's column, while seeking supplies, encountered a small village at Slim Buttes. They attacked and looted the village, prompting a counter-attack by Crazy Horse the following day, which was ultimately repulsed. This engagement occurred during Crook's arduous "Horsemeat March."
Dull Knife Fight (November 25, 1876)
Colonel Mackenzie's Fourth Cavalry decisively defeated a Northern Cheyenne village in Wyoming Territory. The destruction of their lodges and supplies, along with the confiscation of their horses, led to the surrender of the Northern Cheyenne, who were subsequently pressured to relocate to Indian Territory.
Consequences and Aftermath
U.S. Victory and Indigenous Surrender
Despite initial setbacks like the Little Bighorn, the U.S. military's sustained campaigns, coupled with the destruction of villages and supplies, eventually forced the surrender of most Lakota and Northern Cheyenne bands. The "Sell or Starve" rider, enacted by Congress in August 1876, further pressured tribes by cutting off rations unless they ceded the Black Hills and ceased hostilities.
Establishment of Reservations
The Agreement of 1877 officially annexed Sioux lands and permanently established Indian reservations. This marked a significant loss of territory and autonomy for the Lakota and Cheyenne, confining them to designated lands and fundamentally altering their traditional way of life.
Internal Divisions and Lasting Impact
The war exacerbated political divisions within the Lakota nation, separating those who surrendered and accepted agency life from those who continued resistance or fled. The harsh conditions and subsequent events, such as the Northern Cheyenne Exodus and the Fort Robinson massacre, underscored the devastating impact of the conflict. The legacy of the Great Sioux War continued to influence Native American politics and culture for decades, notably contributing to the rise of the Ghost Dance movement.
Key Agreements
Treaty of Fort Laramie (1868)
This foundational treaty, signed after Red Cloud's War, granted the Lakota and Northern Cheyenne exclusive use of the Great Sioux Reservation, including the Black Hills, and established unceded hunting territories. Its subsequent violation by the U.S. government was a primary cause of the Great Sioux War.
"Sell or Starve" Rider (1876)
Attached to the Indian Appropriations Act of 1876, this rider stipulated that all rations for the Sioux would cease unless they relinquished their claims to the Black Hills and terminated hostilities. This legislative measure served as a powerful coercive tool, forcing many tribes into compliance.
Agreement of 1877
Formally enacted on February 28, 1877, this agreement officially annexed Sioux lands and established the permanent boundaries of Indian reservations. It represented the legal culmination of the U.S. government's objectives in the Great Sioux War, solidifying its control over the disputed territories.
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References
References
- Kappler, Charles J. Indian Affairs. Laws and Treaties. Vol. 2. Washington, 1904, pp. 1008â1011. Treaty with the Crows, May 7, 1868.
- Dunlay, Thomas W. Wolves for the Blue Soldiers: Indian Scouts and Auxiliaries with the United States Army, 1860â90. Lincoln and London, 1982. P. 113.
- Hoxie, Frederick E. Parading Through History: The Making of the Crow Nation in America, 1805â1935. Cambridge, 1995. p. 108 and map p. 99.
- Medicine Crow, Joseph. From the Heart of the Crow Country: The Crow Indians' Own Stories. New York, 1992. Map facing p. xxi.
- George Hyde, Red Cloud's Folk: A History of the Oglala Sioux Indians (Norman: University of Oklahoma Press, 1937)
- Ewers, John C.: "Intertribal Warfare as a Precursor of Indian-White Warfare on the Northern Great Plains". Western Historical Quarterly, Vol. 6, No. 4 (Oct. 1975), pp. 397â410 [408].
- Stands In Timber, John and Margot Liberty (1972): Cheyenne Memories. Lincoln and London. p. 170, note 13.
- Calloway, Colin G.: "The Inter-tribal Balance of Power on the Great Plains, 1760â1850", Journal of American Studies, Vol. 16, No. 1 (April 1982), pp. 25â47 [46].
- White, Richard: "The Winning of the West: The Expansion of the Western Sioux in the Eighteenth and Nineteenth Centuries", The Journal of American History, Vo. 65, No. 2 (Sep. 1987), pp. 319â343 [342].
- Hoxie, Frederick E. (1995): Parading Through History. The making of the Crow Nation in America, 1805â1935. Cambridge, p. 106.
- Medicine Crow, Joseph (1992): From the Heart of the Crow Country. The Crow Indians' Own Stories. New York. pp. 64, 84.
- Dunlay, Thomas W. (1982). Wolves for the Blue Soldiers. Indian Scouts and Auxiliaries with the United States Army, 1860â90. Lincoln and London. p. 132.
- Calloway, Colin G.: "The Inter-tribal Balance of Power on the Great Plains, 1760â1850". Journal of American Studies, Vol. 16, No. 1 (April 1982), pp. 25â47 [46].
- Dunlay, Thomas W. (1982). Wolves for the Blue Soldiers. Indian Scouts and Auxiliaries with the United States Army, 1860â90. Lincoln and London. pp. 112â114.
- Medicine Crow, Joseph (1992): From the Heart of the Crow Country. The Crow Indians' Own Stories. New York. p. xi.
- Donald Jackson, Custer's Gold: The United States Cavalry Expedition of 1874 (New Haven, 1966). Ernest Grafe and Paul Horsted, Exploring with Custer: The 1874 Black Hills Expedition (Golden Valley Press, 2002).
- H. Newton, W. P. Jenney, et al., Report on the Geology & Resources of the Black Hills of Dakota (Government Printing Office, Washington, D.C., 1880).
- James C. Olson, Red Cloud and the Sioux Problem (Lincoln: University of Nebraska Press, 1968).
- M. John Lubetkin, Jay Cooke's Gamble: The Northern Pacific Railroad, the Sioux, and the Panic of 1873 (Norman: University of Oklahoma Press, 2006).
- Textor, Lucy E. Official Relations between the United States and the Sioux Indians, Palo Alto: Stanford University Press, 1896, p. 120
- Bray, Kingsley, "Teton Sioux: Population History, 1655â1881" Nebraska History, Summer 1994, p. 175
- Grinnell, George Bird. The Fighting Cheyennes Norman: University of Oklahoma Press, 1915, 1955, p. 302
- Ewers, John C.: Intertribal Warfare as a Precursor of IndianâWhite Warfare on the Northern Great Plains. Western historical Quarterly, Vol. 6, No, 4 (Oct. 1975), pp. 397â410, p. 408.
- Stands in Timber, John and Margot Liberty: Cheyenne Memories. Lincoln and London. 1972, p. 170, note 13.
- John S. Gray, Centennial Campaign: The Sioux War of 1876 (Fort Collins, CO: The Old Army Press, 1976) pp. 23â29.
- Sheridan endorsement, February 4, 1876, National Archives.
- Grant Short Bull Interview, July 13, 1930, in Eleanor H. Hinman (ed.) "Oglala Sources on the Life of Crazy Horse", Nebraska History v. 57 no. 1 (Spring 1976) p. 34.
- Commissioner of Indian Affairs to Secretary of the Interior, January 31, 1876; Secretary of the Interior to the Secretary of War, February 1, 1876; Colonel Drum to Gen. Terry and Gen. Crook, February 8, 1876, National Archives
- J. W. Vaughn, The Reynolds Campaign on Powder River (Norman, OK: University of Oklahoma Press, 1961).
- United States v. Sioux Nation of Indians (Ct. Cl. 1979), 601 F.2d 1157, 1161
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