Washita Battlefield National Historic Site protects and interprets the site of the

Southern Cheyenne The Cheyenne and Arapaho Tribes are a united, federally recognized tribe of Southern Arapaho and Southern Cheyenne people in western Oklahoma. History The Cheyennes and Arapahos are two distinct tribes with distinct histories. The Cheyenne (Ts ...

village of Chief Black Kettle where the

Battle of Washita The Battle of Washita River (also called Battle of the Washita or the Washita Massacre) occurred on November 27, 1868, when Lt. Col. George Armstrong Custer's 7th U.S. Cavalry attacked Black Kettle's Southern Cheyenne camp on the Washita Rive ...

occurred. The site is located about west of

Oklahoma City Oklahoma City (), officially the City of Oklahoma City, and often shortened to OKC, is the capital and largest city of the U.S. state of Oklahoma. The county seat of Oklahoma County, it ranks 20th among United States cities in population, a ...

, Oklahoma, near

Cheyenne, Oklahoma Cheyenne is a town in Roger Mills County, Oklahoma, United States. The population was 801 at the 2010 census. It is the county seat of Roger Mills County. History Cheyenne is the location of the Battle of Washita River (also called Battle of th ...

. Just before dawn on November 27, 1868, the village was attacked by the 7th U.S. Cavalry under Lt. Col.

George Custer George Armstrong Custer (December 5, 1839 – June 25, 1876) was a United States Army officer and cavalry commander in the American Civil War and the American Indian Wars. Custer graduated from West Point in 1861 at the bottom of his class, ...

. In the

, the Cheyenne suffered large numbers of casualties. The strike was hailed at the time by the military and many civilians as a significant victory aimed at reducing Indian raids on frontier settlements as it forced the Cheyenne back to the reservation set aside for them. The site is a small portion of a large area that was declared a

National Historic Landmark A National Historic Landmark (NHL) is a building, district, object, site, or structure that is officially recognized by the United States government for its outstanding historical significance. Only some 2,500 (~3%) of over 90,000 places listed ...

in 1965, and and was listed on the

National Register of Historic Places The National Register of Historic Places (NRHP) is the United States federal government's official list of districts, sites, buildings, structures and objects deemed worthy of preservation for their historical significance or "great artistic ...

in 1966. The landmarked area encompasses the entire battlefield, which extends for some through the city of Cheyenne.

Description

The Washita Battlefield National Historic Site is located just a few miles west of the town of Cheyenne, on the north side of Oklahoma State Highway 47. The main body of the site is located between SR 47A and the

Washita River The Washita River () is a river in the states of Texas and Oklahoma in the United States. The river is long and terminates at its confluence with the Red River, which is now part of Lake Texoma () on the TexasOklahoma border. Geography The ...

, with the visitor center located near the junction of 47 and 47A. It is completely surrounded by the

Black Kettle National Grassland The Black Kettle National Grassland, in Roger Mills County, Oklahoma and Hemphill County, Texas, contains of which are in Oklahoma. Named for the Indian leader Black Kettle, the grassland is managed by the Cibola National Forest, which also ...

, and consists mainly of open prairie, with strips of trees in the riparian area of the river. Trails lead from the parking area on 47A through the park. The visitor center features exhibits about the battle, the soldiers and the Cheyenne, as well as a film and a bookstore. The area that the historic site encompasses is part of a 315.2-acre memorialOklahoma Historical Society: ''Washita, Battle of the''
Retrieved 2017-12-08 associated with the 1868 Battle of Washita River. Landscape areas mainly to the east, north, and south include ridge lines that were the areas from which Custer's attack was launched. Portions of the battlefield extend into Cheyenne, and have been compromised by the construction of roads and railroads through the area. The historic site includes one of the largest and best-preserved tracts, including the village of the Cheyenne, which was the focal point of the battle.

References

External links

National Park Service Official Site

Washita Battlefield National Historic Site information, photos and videos on TravelOK.com
Official travel and tourism website for the State of Oklahoma
Washita Battlefield
Video produced by the

PBS The Public Broadcasting Service (PBS) is an American public broadcaster and non-commercial, free-to-air television network based in Arlington, Virginia. PBS is a publicly funded nonprofit organization and the most prominent provider of educat ...

Series

History Detectives ''History Detectives'' is a documentary television series on PBS. It features investigations made by members of a small team of researchers to identify and/or authenticate items which may have historical significance or connections to important h ...

{{authority control National Historic Sites in Oklahoma National Historic Landmarks in Oklahoma Battles involving the Cheyenne Military and war museums in Oklahoma Museums in Roger Mills County, Oklahoma Native American museums in Oklahoma Protected areas of Roger Mills County, Oklahoma National Register of Historic Places in Roger Mills County, Oklahoma Conflict sites on the National Register of Historic Places in Oklahoma Oklahoma Historical Society Protected areas established in 1996 1996 establishments in Oklahoma

Description

See also

References

External links