Sand Creek Massacre

The discovery of gold in 1858 and 1859 on the South Platte River lead to a massive influx of white fortune seekers into the buffalo hunting grounds of the plains tribes. The Kansas to Colorado trail running directly through Cheyenne and Arapaho territory. The Indians refused to relocate to reservations in 1861, but Cheyenne chiefs such as Black Kettle and White Antelope continued to work for peace. Travelling to Washington that year to put their case to President Lincoln, who gave Black Kettle a large American flag and White Antelope a peace medal.

As tensions rose in 1864, Black Kettle and other Cheyenne and Arapaho chiefs travelled to Denver to meet the Governor John Evans and military commander Colonel John Chivington of Colorado. However on the day of the 'peace talks' Chivington received a telegram from General Samuel Curtis (his superior officer) informing him that "I want no peace till the Indians suffer more...No peace must be made without my directions."

Unaware of Curtis's telegram, Black Kettle and the others, having made their peace with Evans and Chivington travelled south to set up camp on Sand Creek under the promised protection of Fort Lyon. While those who remained opposed to the agreement headed North to join the Sioux.

Chivington however had other ideas believing "the Cheyenne will have to be soundly whipped before they will be quiet." Accordingly on the dawn of the 29th November 1864 Chivington's Colorado volunteers and regular troops from Fort Lyon, under orders to take no prisoners, descended on Sand Creek. Black Kettle, believing there was no danger, ran up President Lincoln's American flag and a white flag of truce on a large lodge pole in front of his tipi to reassure his people. The troops responded by opening fire.

The main body of Indians fled towards the dry creek bed frantically digging pits in its sandy banks for protection. Those warriors who had been able to grab their weapons engaged in a desperate rear-guard action, killing 8 and wounding 38 of their attackers. White Antelope died in front of his tipi wearing Lincoln's peace medal, his arms folded, singing his death song, "nothing lives long, except the earth and the mountains."

Black Kettle and his wife followed the others up the stream bed, his wife being shot in the back and left for dead. The troops kept up their indiscriminate assault for most of the day and many atrocities were committed. One Lieutenant killing and scalping 3 women and 5 children who had surrendered and were screaming for mercy. Finally breaking off their attack they returned to the camp killing all the wounded they could find before mutilating and scalping the dead.  They then plundered the lodges and divided up the Indian's horse herd before leaving.

More than a 150 Indians, including 8 leading chiefs, had been slain (Some sources put the figure as high as 500). The vast majority of victims were however women and children. Black Kettle's wife although shot 9 times somehow managed to survived the attack. The survivors, over half of whom were wounded, sought refuge in the camp of the Cheyenne Dog Warriors (who had remained opposed to the 'peace' treaty) at Smokey Hill River.

The Colorado volunteers returned to Denver, exhibiting their scalps, to receive a hero's welcome. A congressional investigation subsequently determined the crime to be a "carefully planned massacre", but no one was ever brought to justice for it.