The American West: Confrontation on Bitter Creek

"In June the Indians commenced 'raiding' on the line of the Stage road. The first intimation we at the head of the Creek had of them was finding our "ranche (sic.) " surrounded by about two hundred Sioux." – written by a telegrapher stationed at the LaClede Station known by his initials "H.E.R."

In June of 1867, the conflict known as Red Cloud's War was in its second year. Hostilities between the government and the Indian Nations had been almost continuous since the War of the Rebellion. Mineral discoveries, burgeoning numbers of migrants, and government military expeditions helped to spread the conflict throughout the Great Plains, the Rocky Mountains, and the Southwest.

This chapter in the string of almost continuous "Indian Wars" was set off when the U.S. Army sent an expedition to the Bozeman gold fields. The government was in negotiations with several tribes to arrange peaceful passage along the Bozeman Trail, which was a route to the gold fields in western Montana. The government intended to garrison forts along that important route. The lands in question were important for resources and spiritual/sacred places. Seeing that the government had sent the army before concluding peace, Red Cloud and his followers left the negotiations.

Red Cloud's war was a defeat of the U.S. Army by the Native American nations. The December 21, 1866, "Fetterman Fight" (or massacre) was remembered by the tribes as "The Battle of 100-in-the-Hands." There, the command of Captain William J. Fetterman fell for a stratagem attributed to Crazy Horse and was wiped out.

This victory spread panic across much of the region and the garrison of Fort Phil Kearny was so rattled that it sent all the women and children into their armory with a soldier with orders to blow up the powder stores should the native warriors breach the fort's walls. The fort was under a loose siege throughout the winter.

The tribes were unsure the best course of action to follow their victory. After ceremonies in June of 1867, the main tribal host was split between Forts Phil Kearny and C.F. Smith. Both forts had subsequent engagements against the warriors. Fort C.F. Smith had the Hay Field Fight on the first of August. Fort Phil Kearny had the Wagon Box Fight on the second of August. In each action the army used their new rifles to make a defensive stand that held their opponents at bay.

These were the sum of the "major" engagements during the war. Tribesmen spread far and wide to bring mayhem to the Bozeman and other communication routes. Raiding was widespread and the post-civil war army was inadequate to protect the vast territories of the plains and mountains.

An example of a raid occurred on the Overland Mail Route stage station at Bitter Creek in southern Wyoming. In June of 1867, there was little inkling that hostilities might occur so far from the Bozeman Trail in Montana. The April 25, 1868, edition of a newspaper for telegraphers, appropriately named The Telegrapher printed an account of a June raid on the LaClede Stage Station.

The station contained a thick-walled stone structure and associated corrals. The station had loopholes in the walls. As a swing station, the corrals likely contained a substantial number of horses. The telegraph line linked such isolated places with the network of stage stations, railroad stations, towns, cities, and forts.

At roughly 3:00 p.m. on a hot June day, a body a large party of war paint-wearing warriors appeared on the horizon near the station. That day the facility was occupied by five men and two women. Immediately they prepared to defend themselves. Everyone moved into the substantial building.

Taking stock of their armaments, the defenders discovered they had three old muzzle loading U.S. Army muskets. Unfortunately, one had a broken lock and one had no gun barrel. The third musket apparently was of a different caliber and lacked ammunition. All was not lost as the telegrapher had a Derringer (originally spelled Deringer after its inventor) in good order with a supply of ammunitions for this short-range, hide-away pistol. H.E.R. did not specify which Derringer he possessed.

The first model double barrel was the contemporary version of the pistol. This used a short .41 caliber rim-fire cartridge though versions going back roughly forty years were single shot cap-and-ball weapons. In any case, the effective range was limited to a few yards as the weapon was notoriously inaccurate. Even when using metal cartridges, reloading was a slow process, as the casing expanded upon being fired making extraction of the empty round difficult. It was the wrong weapon for keeping opponents at a distance.

It was lucky for the occupants of the station that the Sioux warriors did not know how the station was effectively defenseless.

H.E.R. picks up the narrative, "I sat at my instrument, reporting the movements of the enemy to Salt Lake 'C' office. The Indians did not attack us that P.M., but amused themselves burning poles; and my principal and oft-repeated report to 'C' was, 'There goes another pole.' The line finally opened, and that stopped any report West. I worked East for half an hour longer, when that circuit also opened." (When H.E.R. mentions the line opening he is indicating the closed circuit had been broken, making the line inoperative.)

H.E.R. continued, "As 'Injuns' were too thick for me just then, I did not go out on the line until after dark. Starting just after dark, I rode immediately under the line for about nine miles, when I found the break. They had cut down four poles, and carried off about one mile of wire. It took me two days to get that break fixed up, as I was without assistance."

H.E.R. does not mention what happened to the horses and whether there were any shots exchanged. The published account does not speculate as to why the war party contented itself with burning telegraph poles, cutting the lines, and absconding with a length of the "talking wire."

The telegrapher evidenced great bravery in providing reports and repairing the downed wire in the presence of danger. He knew better than anyone that his messages could not possibly bring help in time to keep the station from being overrun if the Sioux chose to assault.

Given the peril of the situation, H.E.R.'s sketchy account seems overly detached. Few are the participants of such an event that could relate the story without commenting upon fear and excitement of being defenseless when faced with a brutal death. At least he could have indicated what a relief it was for all the occupants of the station when the Sioux withdrew. H.E.R. was a cool customer.

Red Cloud's war resulted in substantial losses of life and property. The conflict was brought to an end by the Fort Laramie Treaty of 1868 .

Red Cloud and his Northern Arapaho and Northern Cheyenne allies were victorious. The western Powder River area was recognized as theirs and the forts on the Bozeman Trail were abandoned. As the last members of the garrisons disappeared on their sullen retreat, exultant warriors put the forts to the torch. The spires of smoke from the burning structures announced for all to see that the U.S. Army was gone. The peace lasted only eight years, but that is another story.

Terry A. Del Bene can be reached at