The grave of Spotted Tail’s daughter near Fort Laramie, about 1881. Courtesy Wyoming Historical Department.
Fort Laramie in 1867. From a sketch by Anton Schoenborn.
By June, a good representation of Brule and Oglala Sioux being present, the commissioners set about negotiating a treaty. In the meantime, unfortunately, the War Department sent out an expedition instructed to open the Bozeman Trail through the Powder River country to the Montana gold mines. Colonel Carrington and his troops arrived at Fort Laramie in the midst of the negotiations and caused serious unrest among the Indians. One chief commented, “Great Father send us presents and wants new road, but white chief goes with soldiers to steal road before Indian say yes or no,” and a large faction, led by Red Cloud and Man-Afraid-of-His-Horses, withdrew in open opposition to all peace talk. Nevertheless, the remaining Indians agreed to a treaty which provided for the opening of the Bozeman Trail.
In late June the troops under Colonel Carrington marched up the trail, garrisoned Camp Connor (later moved and named Fort Reno), and began building Fort Phil Kearny at the foot of the Bighorn Mountains and Fort C. F. Smith farther north in Montana. Immediately, it became evident that the peace treaty was meaningless. Fort Phil Kearny was the scene of almost daily Indian attacks on traders, wagon trains, wood-cutting parties, and troops. These attacks were climaxed on December 21 when Capt. William Fetterman and 80 men were led into an ambush and annihilated by Indians led by Crazy Horse and Red Cloud. The fort and its remaining garrison were in danger of being overwhelmed, and the nearest aid lay at Fort Laramie, 236 miles away. At midnight, John “Portugee” Phillips, trader and scout, slipped out into a blizzard on the colonel’s favorite horse and in 4 days made his way across the storm-swept, Indian-infested plains to Fort Laramie in one of the truly heroic rides of American history. While his gallant mount lay dying on the parade ground, Phillips interrupted a gay Christmas night party in “Old Bedlam” to deliver his message, and a relief expedition was soon on its way.
The severe weather made an attempted winter campaign against the Indians unsuccessful, and there was no important fighting until summer. On August 2, 1867, the Indians again attacked a woodcutting party near Fort Phil Kearny, but the small detachment led by Captain Powell was armed with the new 1866 Springfield breech-loading rifles and fought off repeated charges by the Indians in the famous Wagon Box Fight.
FORT LARAMIE
GENERAL PLAN
(FROM AN OLD MAP)
1867 APRIL 1954 NM-LAR-7004
INDIAN LODGES OFFICERS’ STABLES HOSPITAL GRAVE YARD CAVALRY STABLES PROVOST MARSHALL OFFICERS’ QUARTERS MAGAZINE CAMP SHOP SUTLER’S STORE SUTLER’S RESIDENCE BAKERY BARRACKS ICE HOUSE BARRACKS PARADE COMMANDING OFFICER’S QUARTERS ADJUTANT’S OFFICE ICE HOUSE BAND ROOM BARRACKS BARRACKS GUARD HOUSE Q.M. STORE HOUSE POST OFFICE CARPENTERS’ COMM. OFFICE COMMISSARY STORE HOUSE MILL YARD STORE HOUSE Q.M. OFFICE LUMBER, CORN PILE LAUNDRESSES SADLERS’ Q.M. QUARTERS SMITH’S SHOP HORSE SHED CORRAL TEAMSTERS’ QUARTERS HAY YARD WOOD YARD CORRAL FOOT BRIDGE BROWN’S HOTEL