Battle of Rosebud Creek
The Battle of Rosebud Creek, fought on June 17, 1876, was a significant conflict during the U.S. government's campaign against the northern Plains Indians. This battle arose in the context of heightened tensions following an ultimatum from the U.S. government, which required Native American tribes to relocate to reservations or be labeled as "hostiles." General George Crook led a contingent of over a thousand soldiers, supported by Crow and Shoshone allies, as they moved towards the Rosebud River.
On the morning of the battle, Crook’s forces were engaged by Sioux and Cheyenne warriors, led by the prominent leader Crazy Horse. The confrontation unfolded over a challenging terrain marked by hills and ravines, resulting in a disjointed but intense six-hour fight. Crook's troops managed to hold some ground, thanks in part to the bravery of their allies, who played a crucial role in the battle's dynamics. Although Crook claimed victory by maintaining control of the battlefield at the end, the Sioux and Cheyenne successfully forced his retreat, inflicting significant casualties on his forces. The battle underscored the resilience and unity of the Native American warriors and set the stage for the conflicts that would follow in the summer of 1876.
Battle of Rosebud Creek
Date: June 17, 1876
Place: Montana
Tribes affected: Arapaho, Cheyenne, Sioux
Significance: This battle was preliminary to the Little Bighorn fight; it neutralized General George Crook’s northbound column of the 1876 Sioux campaign, bolstered the Indians’ confidence, and opened the door for the Custer defeat
On January 31, 1876, the U.S. government issued an ultimatum that all Indians must reside on reservations or be deemed “hostiles.” This declaration ultimately led to the army’s 1876 summer campaign against the northern Plains Indians.
The campaign was a three-pronged pincer tactic designed to surround, push, and engage the “hostile” bands in present northcentral Wyoming and south-central Montana, with Colonel John Gibbons coming from the west, General Alfred Terry and Colonel George A. Custer from the east, and General George Crook from the south. Embarking from Fort Fetterman, Wyoming, on May 29, George Crook marched up the Bozeman Trail with more than a thousand troopers and established a base camp at present-day Sheridan, Wyoming. He was joined by more than two hundred Crow and Shoshone allies on June 14.
Mid-June was also when the Hunkpapa Sioux held their Sun Dance in which Sitting Bull experienced his famous vision of many soldiers falling into camp. The Indians knew of Crook’s forces and were eager to fulfill Sitting Bull’s vision. By June 16, Crook’s troops had moved on to the Rosebud River. The next morning, while his forces were relaxing, Crazy Horse and his warriors struck.
After the Sioux’s initial charge the soldiers were able to regroup enough to take command of the high ground on the valley’s northern bluffs. From there, Crook orchestrated his troop’s movements. The Rosebud Valley is long, however, and the terrain broken with hills, ravines, and ridges. These created a disjointed battle with scattered pockets of fierce action stretching three miles along the valley. During the fight, Crook mistakenly believed that Crazy Horse’s village lay northward and ordered Captain Anson Mills’s detachment to find and seize it. The battle intensified, and Crook’s Crow and Shoshone allies proved their worth throughout. In one instance they rescued an officer from the Sioux in a hand-to-hand struggle. Meanwhile, Mills, finding no village, returned to the fight, coming to the rear of the Sioux and Cheyenne. This eventually caused the Indians to disengage and abandon the battlefield.
The battle lasted six hours and was filled with intense fighting. Crook proclaimed victory on the notion that he possessed the battlefield in the end. In truth, Crook’s troops were bested by Crazy Horse’s warriors, and had it not been for the valiant efforts of the Crow and Shoshone, Crook would have suffered greater casualties than his twenty-eight dead and fifty-six wounded. The Sioux and Cheyenne suffered comparable casualties but in the end forced Crook to retreat south with his dead and wounded, thus neutralizing his forces at the most critical juncture in the campaign. In Crook’s defense, he faced (on onerous terrain) an unexpectedly unified force whose tenacious fighting was unparalleled—a combination Custer would face a week later with more disastrous results.