Natives versus Army: the Sand Creek Massacre, November 29, 1864
As with the incident at Camp Grant, this tragedy follows a similar part, Natives counting on the protection of White authorities becoming victims in a perfect storm of greed, hatred and prejudice. The Cheyenne and Arapaho both claimed Colorado as part of their traditional home and hunting range. Per the terms of the Treaty of Fort Laramie, both tribes had given up substantial land in exchange for a reduced range between the North Platte and Arkansas River, the Rocky Mountains to western Kansas. This area encompassed southeastern Wyoming, southwestern Nebraska, all of eastern Colorado and portions of western Kansas. Then in 1858, gold was discovered in the Rocky Mountains and prospectors flocked to the region to take part in the Pikes Peak Gold Rush. Soon ranchers, farmers and townspeople followed, all trying to cash in on the fortune.
Colorado territorial officials demanded that the federal government reassess Native presence in the region and an Indian Commissioner came to Bent's New Fort along the Arkansas River to hold another treaty parley. In February, 1861, six Cheyenne chiefs including Black Kettle signed the Treaty of Fort Wise, ceding most of the lands given to them under the Laramie treaty. Their new home was eastern Colorado between the Arkansas River and Sand Creek. Most of the Cheyenne bands were furious about the land concession and disavowed the treaty. They continued to roam their traditional range and hunt buffalo as they always had, bringing them into continued conflict with wagon trains of settlers arriving to the gold fields.
The Civil War began in 1861 and Coloradans hurried to organize regiments to take their part in supporting the Union. Among these was the 1st Colorado Volunteers, a cavalry unit commanded by Col. John M. Chivington. Chivington wore many hats, including Methodist minister and Freemason. In 1862. his unit participated in the Battle of Glorietta Pass in New Mexico which drove a Confederate contingent back to Texas. Flushed with victory, Chivington returned to Colorado and began attack Cheyenne villages. Chivington made his feelings plain in offensive style. "Damn any man who sympathizes with Indians. I have come to kill Indians and believe it is right and honorable to use any means under God's heaven to kill Indians. Kill and scalp all, big and little, nits make lice." Colorado's territorial governor knew he couldn't protect the Native tribes and fend Chivington off, so he sent messages to the various Native leaders, telling them to go to Fort Lyon near present-day Las Animas for protection.
Black Kettle and 800 of his people, mostly women, children, elderly and otherwise non-combatant, mostly Cheyenne but some Arapaho, moved to Fort Lyon in 1864. Due to the influx of refugees, Army authorities urged him to relocated to Big Sandy Creek, 40 miles away. There were few warriors with the camp and no Dog Soldiers. Not willing to abide by the Fort Wise treaty, most of the men stayed away. Black Kettle had been told by Fort Lyon's commander to fly an American flag near his lodge as a sign of his peaceful intent, and he'd done so. This wasn't enough for Col. Chivington, who arrived at Fort Lyon with the 3rd Colorado Cavalry. He picked up a detachment from the 1st Colorado Cavalry and the 1st New Mexico Volunteer Infantry and made his way to the camp. Robert Bent, William Bent's son whose mother had been a Cheyenne woman, was with Chivington as an interpreter. In Black Kettle's village were George and Charlie Bent, two of his brothers. On the morning of November 28, 1864, Chivington's men attacked Black Kettle's camp. Two officers, commanding D and K of the 1st Colorado Cavalry, ordered their men to hold back and not fire.
The rest of Chivington's force swept through the village, ignoring the American flag, killing as many Cheyenne and Arapaho as they could reach. Not content with killing, they also mutilated and even scalped some of their victims. Not content with firearms and sabers, Chvington also turned cannon fire on the fleeing Natives. George Bent was wounded in the assault and fled with several others up Sandy Creek, some trying to dig holes in the riverbank to escape being killed. Chivington would later tell a Congressional Committee with a straight face that 500-600 warriors were killed. In fact, 133 Cheyenne and Arapaho perished, 105 being women and children, so less than 20 warriors killed. Robert Bent watched the slaughter of his mother's people, some of whom he personally knew, with horror. Chivington's men plundered the tipis and took the horses. When the smoke cleared from the village, they came back for a second round, killing wounded who'd been unable to flee or mount a defense.
Robert Bent would later tell a reporter from the New York Tribune all that he had witnessed. Other officers and men also spoke to the Tribune and other papers and word of the outrage spread. Even Kit Carson was disgusted, telling an Army officer, "I don't like a hostile red skin any more than you do. And when they are hostile, I've fought 'em, hard as any man. But I never yet drew bead on a [woman] or a [baby], and I despise the man who would." William Bent received the few refugees from the village who survived, including his own son Charles. Several Cheyenne bands were decimated in the attack. In the winter weather, wounded and without shelter, food or blankets, more Cheyenne and Arapaho perished of exposure and lack of medical care. Eight Cheyenne leaders, members of the Council of 44 were killed or died of their injuries, disrupting the traditional power structures within the tribe. The Dog Soldiers, who would soon include George Bent in their ranks, began to urge a more militant response to White incursion.
As Cheyenne and Arapaho survivors made their way to other camps, word spread and war plans were made. Not only were the Cheyenne and Arapaho ready for revenge, the Lakota were also ready to come to their aid. Native raids flared throughout Colorado and Nebraska. Black Kettle still believed that the path forward was peace and reached out to Colorado authorities, but with little success. Congress had set up a Joint Committee on the Conduct of the War, to investigate Union battle losses and reports of atrocities during the Civil War. They were given the task of investigating Chivington's conduct. By this time, he had resigned from the Army, so he couldn't be court-martialed or prosecuted as a civilian. Capt. Silas Soule, the commander of D Company, 1st Colorado Cavalry, who'd held his men back from participating in the massacre, provided testimony to the Committee despite threats against his life for doing so.
Other witnesses also offered testimony, either before the Committee or to local investigators and these did include some Cheyenne and mixed race Natives who had been present. The Committee formally condemned Chivington's conduct, but didn't have the authority to punish him. The government later sent a Commission whose members were known to and trusted by the tribes to negotiate the Treaty of the Little Arkansas in 1865. It provided for access to hunting lands south of the Arkansas River, restricted them from the area of the North Platte to the Arkansas and did promise compensation to Sand Creek victims, who never saw any money. The later treaties of Medicine Lodge in 1867 would do away with the Little Arkansas Treaty, anyway. The site of the Massacre, on Big Sandy Creek in Kiowa County, Colorado, is now a National Historic Site dedicated in 2007. The various pathways taken by Cheyenne and Arapaho fleeing the carnage are commemorated in the Sand Creek Massacre Trail in Wyoming.
Colorado territorial officials demanded that the federal government reassess Native presence in the region and an Indian Commissioner came to Bent's New Fort along the Arkansas River to hold another treaty parley. In February, 1861, six Cheyenne chiefs including Black Kettle signed the Treaty of Fort Wise, ceding most of the lands given to them under the Laramie treaty. Their new home was eastern Colorado between the Arkansas River and Sand Creek. Most of the Cheyenne bands were furious about the land concession and disavowed the treaty. They continued to roam their traditional range and hunt buffalo as they always had, bringing them into continued conflict with wagon trains of settlers arriving to the gold fields.
The Civil War began in 1861 and Coloradans hurried to organize regiments to take their part in supporting the Union. Among these was the 1st Colorado Volunteers, a cavalry unit commanded by Col. John M. Chivington. Chivington wore many hats, including Methodist minister and Freemason. In 1862. his unit participated in the Battle of Glorietta Pass in New Mexico which drove a Confederate contingent back to Texas. Flushed with victory, Chivington returned to Colorado and began attack Cheyenne villages. Chivington made his feelings plain in offensive style. "Damn any man who sympathizes with Indians. I have come to kill Indians and believe it is right and honorable to use any means under God's heaven to kill Indians. Kill and scalp all, big and little, nits make lice." Colorado's territorial governor knew he couldn't protect the Native tribes and fend Chivington off, so he sent messages to the various Native leaders, telling them to go to Fort Lyon near present-day Las Animas for protection.
Black Kettle and 800 of his people, mostly women, children, elderly and otherwise non-combatant, mostly Cheyenne but some Arapaho, moved to Fort Lyon in 1864. Due to the influx of refugees, Army authorities urged him to relocated to Big Sandy Creek, 40 miles away. There were few warriors with the camp and no Dog Soldiers. Not willing to abide by the Fort Wise treaty, most of the men stayed away. Black Kettle had been told by Fort Lyon's commander to fly an American flag near his lodge as a sign of his peaceful intent, and he'd done so. This wasn't enough for Col. Chivington, who arrived at Fort Lyon with the 3rd Colorado Cavalry. He picked up a detachment from the 1st Colorado Cavalry and the 1st New Mexico Volunteer Infantry and made his way to the camp. Robert Bent, William Bent's son whose mother had been a Cheyenne woman, was with Chivington as an interpreter. In Black Kettle's village were George and Charlie Bent, two of his brothers. On the morning of November 28, 1864, Chivington's men attacked Black Kettle's camp. Two officers, commanding D and K of the 1st Colorado Cavalry, ordered their men to hold back and not fire.
The rest of Chivington's force swept through the village, ignoring the American flag, killing as many Cheyenne and Arapaho as they could reach. Not content with killing, they also mutilated and even scalped some of their victims. Not content with firearms and sabers, Chvington also turned cannon fire on the fleeing Natives. George Bent was wounded in the assault and fled with several others up Sandy Creek, some trying to dig holes in the riverbank to escape being killed. Chivington would later tell a Congressional Committee with a straight face that 500-600 warriors were killed. In fact, 133 Cheyenne and Arapaho perished, 105 being women and children, so less than 20 warriors killed. Robert Bent watched the slaughter of his mother's people, some of whom he personally knew, with horror. Chivington's men plundered the tipis and took the horses. When the smoke cleared from the village, they came back for a second round, killing wounded who'd been unable to flee or mount a defense.
Robert Bent would later tell a reporter from the New York Tribune all that he had witnessed. Other officers and men also spoke to the Tribune and other papers and word of the outrage spread. Even Kit Carson was disgusted, telling an Army officer, "I don't like a hostile red skin any more than you do. And when they are hostile, I've fought 'em, hard as any man. But I never yet drew bead on a [woman] or a [baby], and I despise the man who would." William Bent received the few refugees from the village who survived, including his own son Charles. Several Cheyenne bands were decimated in the attack. In the winter weather, wounded and without shelter, food or blankets, more Cheyenne and Arapaho perished of exposure and lack of medical care. Eight Cheyenne leaders, members of the Council of 44 were killed or died of their injuries, disrupting the traditional power structures within the tribe. The Dog Soldiers, who would soon include George Bent in their ranks, began to urge a more militant response to White incursion.
As Cheyenne and Arapaho survivors made their way to other camps, word spread and war plans were made. Not only were the Cheyenne and Arapaho ready for revenge, the Lakota were also ready to come to their aid. Native raids flared throughout Colorado and Nebraska. Black Kettle still believed that the path forward was peace and reached out to Colorado authorities, but with little success. Congress had set up a Joint Committee on the Conduct of the War, to investigate Union battle losses and reports of atrocities during the Civil War. They were given the task of investigating Chivington's conduct. By this time, he had resigned from the Army, so he couldn't be court-martialed or prosecuted as a civilian. Capt. Silas Soule, the commander of D Company, 1st Colorado Cavalry, who'd held his men back from participating in the massacre, provided testimony to the Committee despite threats against his life for doing so.
Other witnesses also offered testimony, either before the Committee or to local investigators and these did include some Cheyenne and mixed race Natives who had been present. The Committee formally condemned Chivington's conduct, but didn't have the authority to punish him. The government later sent a Commission whose members were known to and trusted by the tribes to negotiate the Treaty of the Little Arkansas in 1865. It provided for access to hunting lands south of the Arkansas River, restricted them from the area of the North Platte to the Arkansas and did promise compensation to Sand Creek victims, who never saw any money. The later treaties of Medicine Lodge in 1867 would do away with the Little Arkansas Treaty, anyway. The site of the Massacre, on Big Sandy Creek in Kiowa County, Colorado, is now a National Historic Site dedicated in 2007. The various pathways taken by Cheyenne and Arapaho fleeing the carnage are commemorated in the Sand Creek Massacre Trail in Wyoming.
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