Washita Battlefield National Historic Site

On November 27, 1868,  Lt. Colonel Custer, the infamous Cavalry Officer who received his just end at the Battle of Little Bighorn, attacked the small band of Cheyenne under the leadership of Black Kettle along the Washita River in Oklahoma. The Washita Battlefield National Historic Site stands as a testament to the events of that day to what happens when two different cultures clash. 

   Black Kettle was known as a "Peace Maker" among his people and it was because of his peace overtures with the white man, that Black Kettle, his wife  ( Medicine Woman Later) and many others of his band died on that day.  Before this attack, four years before, Black Kettle and his band where attacked at Sand Creek Colorado by militia units.  At the time Black Kettle had led his band to the area thinking they were under the protection of the U.S. Army while he pursued peace negotiations. Over 150 Cheyenne and Arapaho were killed in this attack,  which led to a year of retaliation by the tribes ending in the Peace Treaty of Medicine Lodge of October 1867.

  During the winter of 1868, many of the Arapaho and Cheyenne, to include Black Kettle's band, moved into the Washita River valley. Black Kettle was shunned by the other bands and was forced to move away from the protection of the others further down the river to an isolated area.  It was this area that Lt Colonel Custer and the 7th Cavalry attacked at dawn.  When the attack was over, Black Kettle, his wife and many other of his band lay dead on the field. The next order was to burn everything in the village, supplies, clothes, tools and to kill over 800 horses the tribe depended on for survival.

   After two hours of fighting, 30 to 60 Cheyenne and 22 U.S. Soldiers lay dead. With re-enforcements from the surrounding camps coming to the aid of the Black Kettle band, the 7th Cavalry and Lt Colonel Custer moved out of the area to safety, with a rendezvous with his own destiny to fullfill.