Battle At Little Big Horn

The Battle at Little Big Horn

In 1874 when gold was found at the Black Hills of the Dakota it was probable that a war between the U.S army and the Sioux Indians was more than likely in the cards. One of the most important Sioux warriors at this time and era was Red Cloud. From 1862 to 1864, he led a campaign against those who used the Bozeman Trail. It was so successful that the government arranged for a peace meeting to be held in 1866 at Fort Laramie between the government and the western Sioux nation. During the talks, a detachment from the army turned up with orders to set up a series of forts along the Bozeman Trail so that the miners could use the Trail without the fear of being attacked by the Sioux. The Fort Laramie Treaty of 1868 stated that "No white person or persons shall be permitted to settle or occupy any portion of territory or without the consent of the Indians to pass through same".

The U.S government requested that the Indian do not make conflict with the construction workers working on the rail road as well as take no prisoners or to bring any worry to the settlers. Of course, as seen time and time again, the Indians kept their part of the bargain and the whites didn't. Discovery of gold at the Black Hills spread word fast across America and the increase of people at the Black Hills was more evident and defense under the chiefs Sitting Bull, Crazy Horse and Gall were prevailing. The whites tried to buy the Sioux's land a couple times but the Indians refused and finally of course the whites put aside the treaty that they made with the Sioux and said that any Indians not on the reservation by January 31, 1876 was to be considered hostile. So instead of returning to the reservations the Indians went to Sitting Bulls camp in the valley of little big horn.

The U.S army knew that the Indians had decided not to return to the reservations and that they under Sitting Bulls