Showing posts with label Big Horn Expedition. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Big Horn Expedition. Show all posts

Wednesday, June 17, 2026

Saturday, June 17, 1876. Battle of the Rosebud Battlefield, Montana.

Today In Wyoming's History: Battle of the Rosebud Battlefield, Montana.: The Battle of the Rosebud was an important June 1876 battle that came, on June 17, just days prior to the Battle of the Little Big Horn.  Fo...

Battle of the Rosebud Battlefield, Montana.

The Battle of the Rosebud was an important June 1876 battle that came, on June 17, just days prior to the Battle of the Little Big Horn.  Fought by the same Native American combatants, who crossed from their Little Big Horn encampment to counter 993 cavalrymen and mule mounted infantrymen who had marched north from Ft. Fetterman, Wyoming, at the same time troops under Gen. Terry, including Custer's command, were proceeding west from Ft. Abraham Lincoln.  Crook's command included, like Terry's, Crow scouts, and he additionally was augmented soon after leaving Ft. Fetterman by Shoshoni combatants.

The battlefield today is nearly untouched.








































Called the Battle Where the Sister Saved Her Brother, or the Battle Where the Girl Saved Her Brother, like Little Big Horn, it was a Sioux and Arapaho victory, although it did not turn into an outright disaster like Little Big Horn. Caught in a valley and attacked, rather than attacking into a valley like Custer, the Army took some ground and held its positions, and then withdrew.  Crook was effectively knocked out of action for the rest of the year and retreated into the Big Horn mountains in Wyoming.

Last edition:

Tuesday, June 9, 2026

Friday, June 9, 1876. Battle of Prairie Dog Creek.

The Battle of Prairie Dog Creek, also known as the Skirmish at Tongue River Heights, or the Battle of the Tongue River, occurred at the confluence of Prairie Dog Creek and the Tongue River primarily in Wyoming Territory, but also in part of Montana.


Crooks command was camped on the creek when it was attacked by a large party of Sioux, which engage them with volley fire.  Crook had his men mount an attack in response, which pushed the Sioux back three times before they disengaged.  Two Sioux warriors were killed in the battle.

The Sioux goal had been to steal the Army remuda.

Last edition:

Thursday, June 8, 1876. "It's Harder Not To: 1876 in Deadwood" First issue of the Deadwood Pioneer.

Thursday, March 26, 2026

Sunday, March 26, 1876. Big Horn Expedition returns.

The Big Horn Expedition returned to Ft. Fetterman.  It was a failure.

The commander of the expedition, Joseph J. Reynolds, would be court martialed for failures associated with the campaign and was convicted on all three charges.  He retired in 1877.  He died in 1899 at age 77.

Last edition:

Friday, March 17, 1876. Battle of Powder River

Tuesday, March 3, 2026

Friday, March 3, 1876. Redistributing horses.

Today In Wyoming's History: March 3:  1876  A nighttime raid takes horses and cattle from Crook's Powder River Expedition. The cattle are recovered, but are driven to Ft. Fetterman.

The mysterious Kentucky Meat Shower, in which chunks of meat, apparently, rained down in Bath County, Kentucky, occurred.

Last edition:

Sunday, March 1, 2026

Wednesday, March 1, 1876. The Big Horn Expedition commences.

Today In Wyoming's History: March 1: Gen. George Crook left Ft. Fetterman bound for the Powder River basis with a command that was to search for Sioux who were off the Reservation.

Ft. Fetterman had the reputation of being one of the worst forts to be stationed at in the Frontier West, and it had the highest insanity rate of any U.S. military post at the time.

Last edition: