In
1868 Black Kettle was an ageing Cheyenne chief who wanted nothing more than to
live in peace with the white man. Four years earlier his village along the Sand
Creek had been torn to pieces by a vicious attack under the command of Colonel
John Chivington. Now, though Black Kettle had encamped on the banks of the
Washita River, some 40 miles east of Oklahoma’s Antelope Hills. Although he
was guaranteed protection under the Medicine Lodge Treaty, Black Kettle didn’t
want to take any chances on a repeat of Sand Creek. He approached General
William B. Hazen at Fort Cobb, 100 miles away, and asked for permission for his
people to move closer to the fort to afford them more protection. Hazen assured
Black Kettle that this would be fine and that the village need not fear an
attack from the United States army.
Despite such assurances, however, November of 1868 did, indeed, see a command
of soldiers advancing on Black Kettle’s village. A part of General Philip
Sheridan’s winter campaign, the outfit in question was the Seventh Cavalry,
under the control of the dashing young Civil War hero, George Armstrong Custer.
After a gruelling three day march over snow covered frozen country, Custer
slowed his advance. He sent his second in command, Major Joel H Elliot, ahead on
a scouting mission. Elliot soon found tracks leading to a large Indian village.
He reported back to Custer that he had found signs of a village ahead. Custer
immediately concluded that they were hostiles and made preparations for the
attack.
Meanwhile Black Kettle had just returned home from his conference with
General Hazen. He called a council to relay Hazen’s assurances to the people
that there would be no attack by the soldiers. The day after that council Black
Kettle was awoken with the words “Soldiers! Soldiers!” The old man grabbed
his rifle and fired a warning shot.
Black Kettle advanced to the head of the village to meet the soldiers. He
hoped to talk peace and avoid any bloodshed. But this was not to be. The
soldiers poured into the village from all four sides. Black Kettle still
attempted to bring some sanity, hoisting a white flag besides the Starts and
Stripes that already fluttered above his tipi. Within minutes, though, both
Black Kettle and his wife had been cut down in a hail of bullets. Black
Kettle’s fourteen year old son was killed soon thereafter in hand to hand
combat. Warriors rushed from their tipis and made for the ravine where they
could set about mounting a defence. Yet Custer had secured the village within
ten minutes.
Indians
in neighbouring villages now rushed to the scene of the carnage to take on the
soldiers who had attacked their brothers. Soon Custer’s men were outnumbered.
Just as it seemed that the tables were about to be turned on Custer, his supply
wagons and a mounted escort arrived on the scene. This sufficiently distracted
the Indians and Custer’s regiment was able to pull out. He soon realised that
Major Elliot and his men were missing, however. Custer made the decision not to
look for them, one for which he would be resented for the rest of his life.
Before pulling out of the village, the lodges were burnt. The Indians lost 4000
arrows, 500 pounds of lead and an equal amount of powder. 875 horses were shot
to death. However, Custer released his 53 women and child prisoners before
leaving.
Rather than high tailing it like a scared puppy, Custer reformed his men and
boldly marched them right up the middle of the Washita as the band boomed out ,
“Ain’t I Glad to Get Out of the Wilderness.” This took the Indians by
surprise and they gradually withdrew as Custer’s men advanced. They halted at
the next camp they came to, acting as if they were about to attack this one as
well. He knew, however, that the Indians would have set a trap for him and
eluded them. From there Custer’s regiment managed to make their escape.
Custer’s losses amounted to Major Elliot, a Captain Louis M. Hamilton and
19 enlisted men. Three officers and 11 men were wounded. The official count of
Indian dead was 103.
The Battle of the Washita was an inconsequential engagement in the scheme of
things. It did, however, gain publicity and prominence for the man who led the
attack. The Indians, however, smarted badly from this unprovoked attack on a
friendly encampment. Eight years later they would exact their revenge along the
banks of another river – the Little Big Horn.