Battle of Ash Hollow
Encyclopedia
The Battle of Ash Hollow, also known as the Battle of Bluewater Creek, was an engagement of the First Sioux War
, fought on September 2 and 3, 1855 between United States Army
soldiers under Brigadier General
William S. Harney
and a band of the Brulé
Sioux
along the Platte River
in present-day Garden County
, Nebraska
. The battle, which the much larger American force won while killing numerous Sioux women and children as well as warriors, was a punitive expedition for the Grattan Massacre
in August 1854. In turn, the Sioux called the September 1855 event a massacre of their people.
. In this battle, 600 soldiers attacked 250 Sioux, killing 86 people. By October, commanding General William Harney negotiated a peace treaty
to stop further bloodshed with the Sioux.
While the battle was hailed by many newspapers as a heroic victory over the Indians, critics decried it as "outright butchery". Some others claimed that the battle was fought only to justify growth in the American army, which was pushed for by then Secretary of War
Jefferson Davis
, later president
of the Confederacy
during the American Civil War
.
; the animal wandered into a Brulé Lakota
camp. A Sioux named High Forehead killed the cow for food. The Mormon farmer reported the cow as stolen to Army officers at Fort Laramie.
The fort's commander sent out an inexperienced officer, Lieutenant
John Lawrence Grattan
, said to be contemptuous of the Indians, to arrest High Forehead, although such matters related to livestock and relations with settlers were supposed to be handled by the Indian Agent
. Grattan vowed to take the wanted Indian "at all hazards" and took along thirty men and artillery. Grattan pressed the chief to surrender the Sioux man. One of his soldiers shot the chief Conquering Bear
in the back and killed him. In the ensuing battle, the Sioux killed Grattan and twenty-nine of his men. One soldier survived the fighting but died later in the Fort Laramie hospital.
President Franklin Pierce
vowed to avenge the Grattan Massacre, as it was called by the press. The War Department appointed Harney in command with instructions to "whip the Indians." In the ensuing debate, Grattan was blamed for the fracas in which he was killed.
The expedition finally set out in August 1855. On September 1, 1855, the expedition caught up with a Sioux encampment along the Platte River in a place known as Blue Waters. Harney sent a regiment
in a long night flanking maneuver
to set up a blocking position against which he would drive the Sioux. The flanking maneuver was led by Lieutenant Colonel
Philip St. George Cooke
and Captain Henry Heth
who was later a division commander under General Robert E. Lee
.
Harney moved up in the morning to drive the Sioux against Cooke and Heth. He first attempted to parlay with the Sioux chief, Little Thunder
, but his demands to hand over the men responsible for the Grattan attack were rebuffed. The Sioux felt justified in having killed Grattan and his men as they had shot first. During the parlay, several Sioux braves discovered Cooke's men.
The warriors managed to break through Heth's men, but were pursued on horseback by cavalry
with Heth in the lead. They had a running fight for about five miles, which lasted several hours. At some point, Heth got so far ahead of his men that he was presumed killed in action
. His death was reported in newspapers around the country, and he later took satisfaction in the obituaries his friends had written. The American forces were victorious and took prisoners.
The young man later known as Crazy Horse
was the first Sioux to come upon the site of the massacre. He later told of his discovery of many bodies in the village, mostly women and children. He said that all of the bodies had been maimed and desecrated. After covering the bodies, he rode north following the military and their prisoners. He came upon an Indian woman who had tried to escape the massacre and been trapped in a gully where her husband and baby had been killed. Crazy Horse became well known among his people for rescuing her.
Among other American participants of the battle was Gouverneur K. Warren
, who noted in his diary the horror of killing women and children. He later became a Union general during the American Civil War.
Afterward, the army made a wide sweep of the surrounding Sioux country but encountered no further resistance. The Sioux called Harney "Woman Killer" for his troops' killing of non-combatants. Following this battle, there were about ten years of peace between the United States and the Sioux, who tried to ignore the many emigrants on the Oregon Trail
.
Sioux Wars
The Sioux Wars were a series of conflicts between the United States and various subgroups of the Sioux people that occurred in the latter half of the 19th century...
, fought on September 2 and 3, 1855 between United States Army
United States Army
The United States Army is the main branch of the United States Armed Forces responsible for land-based military operations. It is the largest and oldest established branch of the U.S. military, and is one of seven U.S. uniformed services...
soldiers under Brigadier General
Brigadier General
Brigadier general is a senior rank in the armed forces. It is the lowest ranking general officer in some countries, usually sitting between the ranks of colonel and major general. When appointed to a field command, a brigadier general is typically in command of a brigade consisting of around 4,000...
William S. Harney
William S. Harney
William Selby Harney was a cavalry officer in the U.S. Army during the Mexican-American War and the Indian Wars. He was born in what is today part of Nashville, Tennessee but at the time was known as Haysborough....
and a band of the Brulé
Brulé
The Brulé are one of the seven branches or bands of the Teton Lakota Sioux American Indian nation. They are known as Sičháŋǧu Oyáte , or "Burnt Thighs Nation," and so, were called Brulé by the French...
Sioux
Sioux
The Sioux are Native American and First Nations people in North America. The term can refer to any ethnic group within the Great Sioux Nation or any of the nation's many language dialects...
along the Platte River
Platte River
The Platte River is a major river in the state of Nebraska and is about long. Measured to its farthest source via its tributary the North Platte River, it flows for over . The Platte River is a tributary of the Missouri River, which in turn is a tributary of the Mississippi River which flows to...
in present-day Garden County
Garden County, Nebraska
-History:Garden County was formed in 1909 by popular vote. Voters in the general election of November 2, 1909, approved making the northern part of Deuel County into its own county...
, Nebraska
Nebraska
Nebraska is a state on the Great Plains of the Midwestern United States. The state's capital is Lincoln and its largest city is Omaha, on the Missouri River....
. The battle, which the much larger American force won while killing numerous Sioux women and children as well as warriors, was a punitive expedition for the Grattan Massacre
Grattan massacre
The Grattan Massacre was the opening conflict of the First Sioux War, fought between United States Army and Lakota Sioux warriors on August 19, 1854. It occurred east of Fort Laramie, Nebraska Territory, in present-day Goshen County, Wyoming...
in August 1854. In turn, the Sioux called the September 1855 event a massacre of their people.
Overview
The battle was the defining engagement of a short war between the United States and the Sioux over disputes concerning violations of the Treaty of Fort LaramieTreaty of Fort Laramie (1851)
Although many European and European-American migrants to western North America had previously passed through the Great Plains on the Oregon and Santa Fe Trails, the California gold rush greatly increased traffic...
. In this battle, 600 soldiers attacked 250 Sioux, killing 86 people. By October, commanding General William Harney negotiated a peace treaty
Peace treaty
A peace treaty is an agreement between two or more hostile parties, usually countries or governments, that formally ends a state of war between the parties...
to stop further bloodshed with the Sioux.
While the battle was hailed by many newspapers as a heroic victory over the Indians, critics decried it as "outright butchery". Some others claimed that the battle was fought only to justify growth in the American army, which was pushed for by then Secretary of War
United States Secretary of War
The Secretary of War was a member of the United States President's Cabinet, beginning with George Washington's administration. A similar position, called either "Secretary at War" or "Secretary of War," was appointed to serve the Congress of the Confederation under the Articles of Confederation...
Jefferson Davis
Jefferson Davis
Jefferson Finis Davis , also known as Jeff Davis, was an American statesman and leader of the Confederacy during the American Civil War, serving as President for its entire history. He was born in Kentucky to Samuel and Jane Davis...
, later president
President
A president is a leader of an organization, company, trade union, university, or country.Etymologically, a president is one who presides, who sits in leadership...
of the Confederacy
Confederate States of America
The Confederate States of America was a government set up from 1861 to 1865 by 11 Southern slave states of the United States of America that had declared their secession from the U.S...
during the American Civil War
American Civil War
The American Civil War was a civil war fought in the United States of America. In response to the election of Abraham Lincoln as President of the United States, 11 southern slave states declared their secession from the United States and formed the Confederate States of America ; the other 25...
.
Background
The events were catalyzed by a Mormon emigrant's losing a cow while traveling with his party on the Oregon TrailOregon Trail
The Oregon Trail is a historic east-west wagon route that connected the Missouri River to valleys in Oregon and locations in between.After 1840 steam-powered riverboats and steamboats traversing up and down the Ohio, Mississippi and Missouri rivers sped settlement and development in the flat...
; the animal wandered into a Brulé Lakota
Brulé
The Brulé are one of the seven branches or bands of the Teton Lakota Sioux American Indian nation. They are known as Sičháŋǧu Oyáte , or "Burnt Thighs Nation," and so, were called Brulé by the French...
camp. A Sioux named High Forehead killed the cow for food. The Mormon farmer reported the cow as stolen to Army officers at Fort Laramie.
The fort's commander sent out an inexperienced officer, Lieutenant
Lieutenant
A lieutenant is a junior commissioned officer in many nations' armed forces. Typically, the rank of lieutenant in naval usage, while still a junior officer rank, is senior to the army rank...
John Lawrence Grattan
John Lawrence Grattan
John Lawrence Grattan was a mid-19th century US Cavalry officer, whose poor judgement and inexperience led to the Grattan massacre, which was a major instigator for the First Sioux War.-Early life and military career:...
, said to be contemptuous of the Indians, to arrest High Forehead, although such matters related to livestock and relations with settlers were supposed to be handled by the Indian Agent
Indian agent
In United States history, an Indian agent was an individual authorized to interact with Native American tribes on behalf of the U.S. government.-Indian agents:*Leander Clark was agent for the Sac and Fox in Iowa beginning in 1866....
. Grattan vowed to take the wanted Indian "at all hazards" and took along thirty men and artillery. Grattan pressed the chief to surrender the Sioux man. One of his soldiers shot the chief Conquering Bear
Conquering Bear
Matȟó Wayúhi was a Brulé Lakota chief who signed the Fort Laramie Treaty . He was killed in 1854 when troops from Fort Laramie entered his encampment to arrest a Sioux who had shot a calf belonging to the Mormons. Little Thunder took over as chief after his death...
in the back and killed him. In the ensuing battle, the Sioux killed Grattan and twenty-nine of his men. One soldier survived the fighting but died later in the Fort Laramie hospital.
President Franklin Pierce
Franklin Pierce
Franklin Pierce was the 14th President of the United States and is the only President from New Hampshire. Pierce was a Democrat and a "doughface" who served in the U.S. House of Representatives and the Senate. Pierce took part in the Mexican-American War and became a brigadier general in the Army...
vowed to avenge the Grattan Massacre, as it was called by the press. The War Department appointed Harney in command with instructions to "whip the Indians." In the ensuing debate, Grattan was blamed for the fracas in which he was killed.
The expedition finally set out in August 1855. On September 1, 1855, the expedition caught up with a Sioux encampment along the Platte River in a place known as Blue Waters. Harney sent a regiment
Regiment
A regiment is a major tactical military unit, composed of variable numbers of batteries, squadrons or battalions, commanded by a colonel or lieutenant colonel...
in a long night flanking maneuver
Flanking maneuver
In military tactics, a flanking maneuver, also called a flank attack, is an attack on the sides of an opposing force. If a flanking maneuver succeeds, the opposing force would be surrounded from two or more directions, which significantly reduces the maneuverability of the outflanked force and its...
to set up a blocking position against which he would drive the Sioux. The flanking maneuver was led by Lieutenant Colonel
Lieutenant colonel
Lieutenant colonel is a rank of commissioned officer in the armies and most marine forces and some air forces of the world, typically ranking above a major and below a colonel. The rank of lieutenant colonel is often shortened to simply "colonel" in conversation and in unofficial correspondence...
Philip St. George Cooke
Philip St. George Cooke
Philip St. George Cooke was a career United States Army cavalry officer who served as a Union General in the American Civil War. He is noted for his authorship of an Army cavalry manual, and is sometimes called the "Father of the U.S...
and Captain Henry Heth
Henry Heth
Henry "Harry" Heth was a career United States Army officer and a Confederate general in the American Civil War. He is best remembered for inadvertently precipitating the Battle of Gettysburg, when he sent some of his troops of the Army of Northern Virginia to the small Pennsylvania village,...
who was later a division commander under General Robert E. Lee
Robert E. Lee
Robert Edward Lee was a career military officer who is best known for having commanded the Confederate Army of Northern Virginia in the American Civil War....
.
Harney moved up in the morning to drive the Sioux against Cooke and Heth. He first attempted to parlay with the Sioux chief, Little Thunder
Little Thunder
Wakíŋyaŋ Čík’ala was a Brulé Lakota chief. Little Thunder was born about 1820. He took over as chief of the Brulé after the death of Conquering Bear in 1854. Little Thunder died about 1879 on the Rosebud Indian Reservation of the Dakota Territory....
, but his demands to hand over the men responsible for the Grattan attack were rebuffed. The Sioux felt justified in having killed Grattan and his men as they had shot first. During the parlay, several Sioux braves discovered Cooke's men.
Battle
Upon the Sioux discovery of Cooke's men, Harney opened the fight by attacking the Sioux camp. Some of the Sioux took refuge in caves along the river. Harney had his men fire into the caves, where they killed many women and children. A large group of mounted warriors made for an escape route away from Cooke’s and Harney’s forces, but Heth saw them and led his forces to block the escape route.The warriors managed to break through Heth's men, but were pursued on horseback by cavalry
Cavalry
Cavalry or horsemen were soldiers or warriors who fought mounted on horseback. Cavalry were historically the third oldest and the most mobile of the combat arms...
with Heth in the lead. They had a running fight for about five miles, which lasted several hours. At some point, Heth got so far ahead of his men that he was presumed killed in action
Killed in action
Killed in action is a casualty classification generally used by militaries to describe the deaths of their own forces at the hands of hostile forces. The United States Department of Defense, for example, says that those declared KIA need not have fired their weapons but have been killed due to...
. His death was reported in newspapers around the country, and he later took satisfaction in the obituaries his friends had written. The American forces were victorious and took prisoners.
The young man later known as Crazy Horse
Crazy Horse
Crazy Horse was a Native American war leader of the Oglala Lakota. He took up arms against the U.S...
was the first Sioux to come upon the site of the massacre. He later told of his discovery of many bodies in the village, mostly women and children. He said that all of the bodies had been maimed and desecrated. After covering the bodies, he rode north following the military and their prisoners. He came upon an Indian woman who had tried to escape the massacre and been trapped in a gully where her husband and baby had been killed. Crazy Horse became well known among his people for rescuing her.
Among other American participants of the battle was Gouverneur K. Warren
Gouverneur K. Warren
Gouverneur Kemble Warren was a civil engineer and prominent general in the Union Army during the American Civil War...
, who noted in his diary the horror of killing women and children. He later became a Union general during the American Civil War.
Afterward, the army made a wide sweep of the surrounding Sioux country but encountered no further resistance. The Sioux called Harney "Woman Killer" for his troops' killing of non-combatants. Following this battle, there were about ten years of peace between the United States and the Sioux, who tried to ignore the many emigrants on the Oregon Trail
Oregon Trail
The Oregon Trail is a historic east-west wagon route that connected the Missouri River to valleys in Oregon and locations in between.After 1840 steam-powered riverboats and steamboats traversing up and down the Ohio, Mississippi and Missouri rivers sped settlement and development in the flat...
.