Fetterman Massacre Historic Site

Fetterman Massacre Historic Site
Name	Fetterman Massacre Historic Site
Caption	Monument at the site
Location	near Fort Phil Kearny, Sheridan County, Wyoming, United States
Built	1866 (battle), monument 1926
Governing body	State of Wyoming; National Park Service involvement

Fetterman Massacre Historic Site

The Fetterman Massacre Historic Site marks the location of the 1866 engagement known as the Battle of the Hundred-in-the-Hands, a pivotal action in the Red Cloud's War period that involved leaders such as Crazy Horse, Red Cloud, and Wagon Box Fight participants, and U.S. Army officers including William J. Fetterman and Henry B. Carrington. The site lies near Fort Phil Kearny on the Bozeman Trail in present-day Sheridan County, Wyoming, and it connects to wider themes of the Indian Wars, the Treaty of Fort Laramie (1868), and U.S. westward expansion debates involving figures like William T. Sherman and Ulysses S. Grant.

Introduction

The Fetterman Massacre Historic Site commemorates the December 21, 1866 action where a detachment of the United States Army under William J. Fetterman was annihilated by a coalition of Lakota Sioux, Cheyenne, and Arapaho warriors led by chiefs including Crazy Horse and tactical leaders associated with Red Cloud's War. The site's narrative intersects with military officers such as Henry B. Carrington, political figures like Abraham Lincoln's successors and Congress of the United States, and diplomatic frameworks exemplified by the later Treaty of Fort Laramie (1868). As a public historic landmark it is interpreted alongside nearby military installations and landscapes visited by explorers like John C. Frémont and emigrant trails used by pioneers such as John Bozeman.

Historical Background

The conflict at the site developed against the backdrop of the Bozeman Trail controversies, pressure from mining interests in the Montana Territory, and military policies shaped by commanders including William T. Sherman and administrators tied to the Department of the Platte. Fortifications such as Fort Phil Kearny were established by companies under officers including Henry B. Carrington to protect settlers and prospectors associated with routes promoted by John Bozeman. Indigenous resistance coalesced under leaders like Red Cloud, Sitting Bull, and Crazy Horse, who responded to incursions linked to the Fort Laramie Treaty era. The strategic calculus involved units of the 3rd U.S. Infantry Regiment and volunteer elements from territories influenced by officials like Samuel D. Sturgis.

Battle of the Hundred-in-the-Hands (Fetterman Massacre)

On December 21, 1866, a sortie led by William J. Fetterman departed Fort Phil Kearny pursuing a decoy party in an ambush orchestrated by Crazy Horse and supported by Red Cloud-aligned bands including Spotted Tail contingents. The result was the complete destruction of Fetterman's command, including officers and enlisted men drawn from regiments such as the 18th U.S. Infantry and elements connected to frontier garrisons like Fort Laramie. Contemporary military reports disputed command decisions involving carriers like James A. Hardie and critics in Congress and the War Department debated responsibility, with commentary from public figures like Horace Greeley and periodicals including the New York Tribune. The engagement influenced subsequent actions, including the Hayfield Fight and the Wagon Box Fight, and it accelerated negotiations culminating in the Treaty of Fort Laramie (1868), affecting homesteading patterns and routes used by emigrants such as John Bozeman.

Site Development and Preservation

The battlefield landscape remained a locus of memory, attracting preservationists, veterans, and organizations like the Daughters of the American Revolution and later state agencies in Wyoming. A monument erected in 1926 reflected a period interpretation influenced by veterans associations such as the Grand Army of the Republic and historians like Frederic Remington in popular culture, while later archaeological assessments invoked methodologies used at sites like Little Bighorn Battlefield National Monument and Sand Creek Massacre National Historic Site. Preservation involved cooperation among the Wyoming State Historic Preservation Office, Bureau of Land Management, and National Park Service, and it has adapted to legal frameworks including the National Historic Preservation Act of 1966 and state land use policies. Scholarly treatments by historians such as Stanley Vestal and contemporary researchers in journals focusing on Western History Association themes have re-evaluated the site's material culture and oral histories from Lakota and Cheyenne descendants.

Commemoration and Interpretations

Interpretation at the site has evolved from early 20th-century martial commemorations toward inclusive narratives incorporating perspectives from Lakota, Cheyenne, and Arapaho communities, and scholars referencing works by Bituminous historians and Native authors including Black Elk-era testimonies. Exhibits and signage engage themes addressed by institutions such as the Smithsonian Institution and university programs at University of Wyoming and Harvard University that examine frontier violence, treaty law, and memory studies. Public debates have involved descendants of participants, tribal organizations like the Oglala Sioux Tribe, and historians associated with the American Historical Association, prompting conferences and publications by presses such as University of Nebraska Press and University of Oklahoma Press.

Visiting Information

The site is accessible from routes connecting Interstate 90 and local roads near Story, Wyoming and provides on-site markers, interpretive panels, and proximity to Fort Phil Kearny State Historic Site and visitor resources at regional museums such as the Sheridan County Museum and Plains Indian Museum. Visitors should consult the Wyoming State Parks, Historic Sites & Trails for hours, special events, and guidelines, and may combine visits with nearby National Historic Landmarks like Custer Battlefield-related sites and Bighorn National Forest attractions. Local tour operators, historical societies including the Sheridan County Historical Society, and academic outreach from institutions such as Montana State University offer lectures and guided programs.

Category:Historic sites in Wyoming Category:Battlefields of the American Indian Wars