Tongue River (Montana)
From birchyHistory
(Created page with "{{Geobox|River <!-- *** Name section *** --> |name = Tongue River |native_name = |other_name = |other_name1 = <!-- *** Image *** ---> |image =Tongue_river.jpeg |image_size =27...") |
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====The Bozeman Trail and Red Cloud's War==== | ====The Bozeman Trail and Red Cloud's War==== | ||
| − | In 1864, the Bozeman Trail was opened to the Montana gold fields. A portion of the [[trail]] entered the Tongue River Basin at Prairie Dog Creek<ref>See comments attributed to Glen Sweem in the history section in the Wikipedia article on Big Horn Wyoming.</ref> and crossed over to Goose Creek and went on to the Tongue River beyond present day [[Ranchester, Wyoming]] then up the Tongue River to the Pass Creek divide. After the [[Sand Creek Massacre]] in [[Colorado]] in November 1864, depredations by Cheyenne, [[Arapahoe]] and Sioux increased along the [[Oregon Trail]] and the Bozeman Trail, which was then closed to civilian traffic. The [[army]] launched a punitive campaign, and [[Brigadier General]] [[Patrick Edward Connor]] led a column up the Bozeman Trail. On August 29, 1865, General Conner, with a force variously estimated at about 300 soldiers, surprised an [[Arapahoe]] village of about 500 to 700 under Chiefs Old David and Black Bear camped on the Bozeman Trail, on the south side of the Tongue near present day [[Ranchester|Ranchester, Wyoming]]. In what is now known as the [[Battle of the Tongue River]] the [[soldiers]] charged into the [[Indigenous peoples of the Americas|Indian]] camp firing indiscriminately, surprising the Indians who were breaking camp. The Indians first fled up Wolf Creek, but then regrouped and counter-attacked. The [[soldiers]] destroyed about 250 lodges, then retreated down the Tongue River Valley driving from 700 to 1000 captured [[horses]], repulsing attacks of [[Arapahoe]] [[warrior]]s seeking to get back some of their [[horses]]. | + | In 1864, the Bozeman Trail was opened to the Montana gold fields. A portion of the [[trail]] entered the Tongue River Basin at Prairie Dog Creek<ref>See comments attributed to Glen Sweem in the history section in the Wikipedia article on Big Horn Wyoming.</ref> and crossed over to Goose Creek and went on to the Tongue River beyond present day [[Ranchester, Wyoming]] then up the Tongue River to the Pass Creek divide. After the [[Sand Creek Massacre]] in [[Colorado]] in November 1864, depredations by Cheyenne, [[Arapahoe]] and Sioux increased along the [[Oregon Trail]] and the Bozeman Trail, which was then closed to civilian traffic. The [[army]] launched a punitive campaign, and [[Brigadier General]] [[Patrick Edward Connor]] led a column up the Bozeman Trail. On August 29, 1865, General Conner, with a force variously estimated at about 300 soldiers, surprised an [[Arapahoe]] village of about 500 to 700 under Chiefs Old David and Black Bear camped on the Bozeman Trail, on the south side of the Tongue near present day [[Ranchester|Ranchester, Wyoming]]. In what is now known as the [[Battle of the Tongue River]] the [[soldiers]] charged into the [[Indigenous peoples of the Americas|Indian]] camp firing indiscriminately, surprising the Indians who were breaking camp. The Indians first fled up Wolf Creek, but then regrouped and counter-attacked. The [[soldiers]] destroyed about 250 lodges, then retreated down the Tongue River Valley driving from 700 to 1000 captured [[horses]], repulsing attacks of [[Arapahoe]] [[warrior]]s seeking to get back some of their [[horses]]. |
Two days after the [[battle]] with Conner, on August 31, 1865, [[warrior]]s from the same [[Arapahoe]] village [[Strike (attack)|attacked]] a large [[wagon train]] of road-builders led by "Colonel" James A. Sawyers,<ref>"The Bloody Bozeman', Dorothy M. Johnson, Montana Press Publishing Co. 1987, ISBN o-87842-152-1, p. 159</ref> who were traveling on the Bozeman Trail, improving it as they went. The [[wagon train]] was [[besieged]] for 13 days at the Bozeman Trail [[ford]] on the Tongue River about halfway between [[Ranchester|Ranchester, Wyoming]] and Dayton, Wyoming.<ref>"The Bloody Bozeman', Dorothy M. Johnson, Montana Press Publishing Co. 1987, ISBN o-87842-152-1, p. 165, 166</ref> As the [[siege]] dragged on and a number of men were killed, Sawyers faced [[mutiny]] from his [[employees]].<ref>"The Bloody Bozeman', Dorothy M. Johnson, Montana Press Publishing Co. 1987, ISBN o-87842-152-1, p. 166, 167</ref> Sawyers had started to [[Withdrawal (military)|retreat]] down the [[trail]], when he met a contingent of army [[cavalry]] moving up the [[trail]], who agreed to escort them to the [[Big Horn River]], after which the [[wagon train]] proceeded on to the Montana gold fields.<ref>"The Fighting Cheyennes", George Bird Grinnell, Published by Digital Scanning Inc, 2004, ISBN 1-58218-390-2, ISBN 978-1-58218-390-9, p. 202.</ref> | Two days after the [[battle]] with Conner, on August 31, 1865, [[warrior]]s from the same [[Arapahoe]] village [[Strike (attack)|attacked]] a large [[wagon train]] of road-builders led by "Colonel" James A. Sawyers,<ref>"The Bloody Bozeman', Dorothy M. Johnson, Montana Press Publishing Co. 1987, ISBN o-87842-152-1, p. 159</ref> who were traveling on the Bozeman Trail, improving it as they went. The [[wagon train]] was [[besieged]] for 13 days at the Bozeman Trail [[ford]] on the Tongue River about halfway between [[Ranchester|Ranchester, Wyoming]] and Dayton, Wyoming.<ref>"The Bloody Bozeman', Dorothy M. Johnson, Montana Press Publishing Co. 1987, ISBN o-87842-152-1, p. 165, 166</ref> As the [[siege]] dragged on and a number of men were killed, Sawyers faced [[mutiny]] from his [[employees]].<ref>"The Bloody Bozeman', Dorothy M. Johnson, Montana Press Publishing Co. 1987, ISBN o-87842-152-1, p. 166, 167</ref> Sawyers had started to [[Withdrawal (military)|retreat]] down the [[trail]], when he met a contingent of army [[cavalry]] moving up the [[trail]], who agreed to escort them to the [[Big Horn River]], after which the [[wagon train]] proceeded on to the Montana gold fields.<ref>"The Fighting Cheyennes", George Bird Grinnell, Published by Digital Scanning Inc, 2004, ISBN 1-58218-390-2, ISBN 978-1-58218-390-9, p. 202.</ref> | ||
