Battle of Slim Buttes

Battle of Slim Buttes
Conflict	Great Sioux War of 1876
Partof	Great Sioux War of 1876
Date	September 9–10, 1876
Place	Slim Buttes, Dakota Territory
Result	United States victory
Combatant1	United States Army
Combatant2	Cheyenne and Oglala Lakota
Commander1	George Crook
Commander2	Morning Star? Lone Horn?
Strength1	~650 cavalry and infantry
Strength2	~90–250 warriors
Casualties1	~3 killed, 6 wounded
Casualties2	~40–60 killed, noncombatants captured

Battle of Slim Buttes The Battle of Slim Buttes was a tactical engagement during the Great Sioux War of 1876 in which columns of the United States Army under George Crook attacked an encampment of Cheyenne and Oglala near Slim Buttes in the Dakota Territory on September 9–10, 1876. The clash followed the Battle of the Little Bighorn and represented a punitive expedition that seized supplies and disrupted Cheyenne Oglala Lakota logistics, provoking controversy over the treatment of noncombatants and influencing subsequent Sioux resistance and Indian peace policy.

Background

Following the Battle of the Little Bighorn in June 1876, the United States Army accelerated campaigns across the northern Plains to subdue bands resisting the 1868 treaty. Major campaigns involved commanders including George Crook, Alfred Terry, and William Tecumseh Sherman coordinating with Fort Laramie and Fort Robinson. The broader context included migrations of Lakota Sioux bands under leaders such as Sitting Bull, Crazy Horse, Red Cloud, Spotted Tail, and Gall, and the entry of adjacent groups like the Northern Cheyenne led by Dull Knife (Morning Star) and Two Moons. Federal policy was shaped by officials including Henry Teller, Elihu B. Washburne, and Grant administration directives, while pressures from Homestead Act settlers, Union Pacific Railroad, and Black Hills Gold Rush prospectors intensified conflict.

Prelude and Movements

After the Little Bighorn, George Crook reorganized his forces at Fort Fetterman and conducted winter operations from Camp Robinson and Fort Laramie. Crook's columns included regiments such as the 9th Cavalry and 3rd Cavalry, supported by scouts from Crow and Shoshone nations and civilian guides linked to Powder River Country campaigns. Intelligence from Indian Scouts and trackers following trails from the Bighorn River to the White River led Crook toward a small village at Slim Buttes. Orders referenced punitive aims congruent with prior operations like the Red Cloud's War expeditions and precedents set during the Snake War and Modoc War.

The Battle

On September 9, Crook's force launched a dawn attack, surprising an encampment that consisted of lodges, winter stores, and noncombatants. The assault involved mounted charges by elements of the 5th Infantry and cavalry units with support from artillery detachments similar to those used in earlier conflicts such as the Battle of Washita River. Defenders included Cheyenne and Oglala warriors who engaged in close combat, while elders, women, and children were present among the lodges. The fighting spanned the butte and ravines; Crook's men recovered captured army property reportedly taken at Little Bighorn, including arms and provisions. Casualties were sustained on both sides, and the contact produced heated debate involving officers like Lieutenant Colonel Luther Bradley and staff including Samuel D. Sturgis and local Indian agents like William F. Cody (as a contemporary figure though not present) in immediate reports.

Aftermath and Consequences

Crook declared the action a success for disrupting Cheyenne supply lines and for recovering property associated with Battle of the Little Bighorn survivors. The raid provoked humanitarian outcry amid calls for investigations by politicians such as Henry Wilson and prompted commentary in newspapers like the New York Times and Harper's Weekly. Military repercussions included intensified pursuit of bands by columns under commanders like Nelson A. Miles and policy adjustments at Fort Keogh and Fort Buford. The engagement influenced negotiations and surrenders that later involved leaders including Sitting Bull (who remained at large), Crazy Horse (who later surrendered), and Dull Knife (whose people faced subsequent displacement to reservations such as Red Cloud Agency and Pine Ridge Indian Reservation). The battle affected public opinion on Indian Wars prosecutions and the administration of Indian Affairs under the Bureau of Indian Affairs.

Participants and Forces

United States forces comprised cavalry and infantry drawn from regiments including the 3rd Cavalry, 5th Infantry, 9th Cavalry, with officers such as George Crook, Samuel D. Sturgis, and company commanders from frontier posts like Fort Laramie and Fort Robinson. Indigenous combatants included Northern Cheyenne, Oglala Lakota, and associated bands influenced by leaders such as Dull Knife, Lone Horn, Red Cloud, Sitting Bull, and Crazy Horse. Additional actors comprised civilian scouts from Crow Nation, Shoshone, and Pawnee communities, as well as supply and communications personnel linked to Military Telegraph Service routes across the Plains.

Legacy and Commemoration

The Slim Buttes engagement has been commemorated in regional memory through markers near sites such as Chadron, Nebraska and discussions in institutions like the National Museum of the American Indian and state historical societies of South Dakota and Nebraska. Historians including Ely S. Parker (as a historical figure related to broader contexts), E. A. Brininstool, and modern scholars at universities such as University of Nebraska-Lincoln and South Dakota State University have analyzed the raid's role in the conclusion of the Great Sioux War of 1876. The battle remains a subject in works alongside narratives of Little Bighorn, Washita River, and campaigns led by Nelson A. Miles, and it features in discussions about Plains Indian Wars memory, preservation efforts by National Park Service, and commemoration controversies involving descendant communities and federal historical interpretation.

Category:Great Sioux War of 1876 Category:Battles involving the United States Category:Battles involving Native American tribes