Red Cloud’s War: the US Army’s first and only complete surrender

Red Cloud’s War Forces America’s Only Military Surrender

Fort Laramie National Historic Site marks the only place where Native Americans forced the United States into complete military surrender.

In 1866, Oglala Lakota Chief Red Cloud united Plains tribes against illegal Army forts on the Bozeman Trail. His warriors killed eighty soldiers in the Fetterman Fight, then kept attacking until the government gave up.

Red Cloud refused to sign any treaty until every fort was abandoned and burned. When the Army finally retreated in 1868, his fighters torched Fort Phil Kearny to the ground.

Here’s how Red Cloud won America’s most shocking military defeat.

The U.S. Broke Their Promise and Red Cloud Went to War

The 1851 Fort Laramie Treaty gave the Powder River Basin to the Lakota, Cheyenne, and Arapaho as hunting grounds.

Trouble began in 1863 when John Bozeman cut a trail through this protected land to reach the Montana gold fields.

About 3,500 miners and settlers traveled this illegal path from 1864-1866, using up resources the tribes needed to live.

In 1866, the U.S. government pulled a fast one. They called for new treaty talks while secretly sending Colonel Henry Carrington with 700 soldiers to build forts.

When Red Cloud saw the soldiers coming, he walked out and declared war.

Plains Tribes Joined Forces Against a Common Enemy

Red Cloud did something amazing by bringing together the Oglala and Minneconjou Lakota with Northern Cheyenne and Northern Arapaho tribes.

By mid-July 1866, his group gathered near Fort Phil Kearny with about 2,000 warriors and their families, more people than lived in Omaha then. The Army built three forts on Crow Nation land: Fort Reno, Fort Phil Kearny, and Fort C.F. Smith.

The Crow sided with the Army, thinking teamwork would protect them better than fighting, causing bad blood between the tribes.

Warriors Kept the Forts Under Constant Pressure

Red Cloud’s war plan focused on small, steady attacks instead of big battles. His warriors went after soldiers, civilians, and supply trains to wear down the three forts.

Between July and September 1866, they launched fifteen attacks near Fort Phil Kearny alone, killing 6 soldiers and 28 civilians while taking hundreds of horses, mules, and cattle.

Wood-cutting teams became easy targets, forcing soldiers to set up defenses whenever they left to get timber.

Colonel Carrington could only get supplies through heavily guarded wagon trains.

Crazy Horse Found the Perfect Way to Lure Soldiers

On December 6, 1866, Crazy Horse tried a clever trick. He jumped off his horse and ran when soldiers showed up, making them think he was scared and helpless.

Lieutenant Horatio Bingham and Sergeant Bowers chased him over Lodge Trail Ridge and rode straight into a trap. This win gave Crazy Horse and Red Cloud an idea for a much bigger ambush using the same trick.

Captain William J.Fetterman had arrived just seven weeks earlier and reportedly bragged, “Give me 80 men and I can ride through the whole Sioux nation.

The Fetterman Fight Became a Total Disaster for the Army

On December 21, 1866, about 2,000 Native warriors hid along the road north of Fort Phil Kearny in bitter cold of -38°F.

A small group attacked the morning wood train, and Colonel Carrington told Captain James Powell to lead the rescue. Captain Fetterman claimed he should lead because of his rank and took command of exactly 80 men.

Ten warriors including Crazy Horse put their plan into action, luring Fetterman’s entire force over Lodge Trail Ridge where thousands of warriors waited.

Not a Single Soldier Survived the Massive Ambush

The battle lasted just 40 minutes. All 81 men under Captain Fetterman died at the hands of Red Cloud’s warriors.

This became the worst defeat the U.S. Army suffered on the Great Plains until Little Bighorn ten years later.

The Lakota called this the “Battle of 100-in-the-Hands” because one warrior reportedly rode back and forth four times, each time carrying 100 enemy scalps.

After the battle, scout “Portugee” John Phillips made an amazing 236-mile ride through blizzards to Fort Laramie, traveling four days to get help.

New Guns Couldn’t Save the Struggling Forts

Colonel Carrington lost his job after the disaster. General Henry W.Wessells replaced him and brought backup in January 1867. The winter hit Fort Phil Kearny hard.

Food ran low, most horses died from lack of feed, and scurvy spread among the soldiers.

The reinforcements brought new Springfield Model 1866 rifles that could fire 8-10 shots per minute, much faster than the old 3-4 shot muskets.

The disaster reached the top Army levels when General Grant fired General Cooke, who had been Carrington’s boss.

Better Weapons Helped in Battle But Changed Nothing

On August 1-2, 1867, Red Cloud launched attacks on two fronts: the Hayfield Fight near Fort C. F.Smith and the Wagon Box Fight near Fort Phil Kearny.

During the Wagon Box Fight, 32 soldiers and civilians used wagon boxes as cover and their new rifles to hold off over 1,000 warriors.

Only four Americans died while Indian losses ranged from 6 (by tribal count) to 1,500 (by white estimates). Despite the soldiers’ better guns, the Army still lacked the resources.

The forts stayed under siege with no end in sight.

The Government Realized They Couldn’t Win This Fight

The U.S. government started looking for peace as the transcontinental railroad took priority and the Army spread thin.

Military leaders figured they needed 20,000 soldiers to beat Red Cloud’s alliance, making the Powder River forts too costly and pointless.

In April 1868, the government sent a Peace Commission to Fort Laramie.

Red Cloud showed his power by refusing to meet until the Army completely left all three forts in the Powder River country.

Red Cloud’s Warriors Burned Everything to the Ground

In August 1868, Federal soldiers gave up and left Fort Phil Kearny, Fort C. F. Smith, and Fort Reno, pulling back to Fort Laramie.

The very next day, Red Cloud’s warriors burned all three forts to the ground and closed the Bozeman Trail for good.

On May 7, 1868, the Crow Nation had to sell large parts of their 1851 treaty land to the United States, including western Powder River hunting grounds.

The Crow ended up stuck on a smaller reservation on the south side of the Yellowstone River, betrayed by their American allies.

The Only War Native Americans Completely Won

Red Cloud finally arrived at Fort Laramie in November 1868 and signed the treaty on November 6, ending the only war where Native Americans achieved total victory.

The Treaty created the Great Sioux Reservation covering all of South Dakota west of the Missouri River, including the sacred Black Hills guaranteed as “unceded Indian territory.”

The treaty also declared the Powder River country as hunting grounds for Lakota, Cheyenne, and Arapaho who chose not to live on the reservation.

This victory marked the peak of Sioux power in the Great Plains, forcing President Grant to abandon military solutions for diplomatic recognition.

Visiting Fort Laramie National Historic Site

Fort Laramie National Historic Site at 965 Gray Rocks Road in Fort Laramie, Wyoming tells the story of Red Cloud’s War and his victory over the U.S. military.

Admission is free and you can explore twelve restored buildings from the 1800s. The visitor center has exhibits and an 18-minute film about the fort’s history.

This article was created with AI assistance and human editing.

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