Mizpah Creek incidents
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The Mizpah Creek incidents, were a series of incidents that occurred from April 5 – June 8, 1879, between United States soldiers and civilians, and eight
Northern Cheyenne The Northern Cheyenne Tribe of the Northern Cheyenne Indian Reservation ( chy, Tsėhéstáno; formerly named the Tongue River) is the federally recognized Northern Cheyenne tribe. Located in southeastern Montana, the reservation is approximately ...
s, that resulted in the death of one U.S. soldier, and the capture of the eight Cheyenne, three of whom committed suicide in prison at
Miles City, Montana Miles City ( chy, Ma'xemâhoévé'ho'eno) is a city in and the county seat of Custer County, Montana, United States. The population was 8,354 at the 2020 census. History After the Battle of the Little Bighorn in 1876, the U.S. Army created fo ...
Territory. The incidents occurred near Mizpah Creek, a tributary of the Powder River, in
Montana Territory The Territory of Montana was an organized incorporated territory of the United States that existed from May 26, 1864, until November 8, 1889, when it was admitted as the 41st state in the Union as the state of Montana. Original boundaries T ...
.


Background

During the
Northern Cheyenne Exodus The Northern Cheyenne Exodus, also known as Dull Knife's Raid, the Cheyenne War, or the Cheyenne Campaign, was the attempt of the Northern Cheyenne to return to the north, after being placed on the Southern Cheyenne reservation in the Indian Terr ...
in January, 1879, Black Coyote, his wife Buffalo Calf Road Woman (she is famously known for saving her brother in the
Battle of Rosebud The Battle of the Rosebud (also known as the Battle of Rosebud Creek) took place on June 17, 1876, in the Montana Territory between the United States Army and its Crow and Shoshoni allies against a force consisting mostly of Lakota Sioux and Nor ...
, which was the reason why the Cheyennes called it "The battle where the girl saved her brother"), their two small children, his brother-in-law Whetstone, Hole in the Breast, and other members of his family were part of Little Wolf's band of Northern Cheyenne who were traveling north to the Powder River Country. Black Coyote stole some horses with U.S. army brands, and one of the chiefs, named Black Crane, told him to return the horses for the safety of the group. Black Coyote opposed this, and when Black Crane raised his whip, Black Coyote shot and killed him. Because of this, he and his family, totaling eight people were banished from the tribe.


The incidents

On Saturday, April 5, 1879 in present-day Powder River or Custer County, Montana, near the crossing of Mizpah Creek by the
Fort Keogh Fort Keogh is a former United States Army post located at the western edge of modern Miles City, Montana, Miles City, in the U.S. state of Montana. It is situated on the south bank of the Yellowstone River, at the mouth of the Tongue River (Montan ...
to Deadwood telegraph line, Sergeant Kennedy of the U.S. Signal Corps, and Private Leo Baader of Company E, 2nd U.S. Cavalry were repairing the line, when Black Coyote's party found and attacked them. The warriors killed Private Baader, severely wounded Sergeant Kennedy, and captured the two men's horses. The wounded Sergeant crawled into a bush, and drove off the warriors with his revolver, but not before Black Coyote took Baader's carbine and watch. Kennedy was later rescued after a great loss of blood by three civilians traveling from
Deadwood, South Dakota Deadwood (Lakota: ''Owáyasuta''; "To approve or confirm things") is a city that serves as county seat of Lawrence County, South Dakota, United States. It was named by early settlers after the dead trees found in its gulch. The city had it ...
, including a Mr. O'Neil, who helped him about northwest to Fort Keogh. After learning details of the event, on April 8, 1879 Colonel
Nelson A. Miles Nelson Appleton Miles (August 8, 1839 – May 15, 1925) was an American military general who served in the American Civil War, the American Indian Wars, and the Spanish–American War. From 1895 to 1903, Miles served as the last Commanding Gen ...
, the commander of Fort Keogh, ordered out Sergeant Thaddeus B. Glover with a small detachment of ten soldiers of the 2nd U.S. Cavalry to locate and arrest the warriors responsible. A small detachment from Fort Ellis consisting of men from Company D, 2nd Cavalry under Captain Thomas J. Gregg also traveled in pursuit of the Lakota band. On April 10, 1879 Glover's men caught up with the Cheyenne's trail, and deployed to advance. Two of the Cheyenne warriors signaled a white flag and willingly surrendered to Glover's detachment, before the remaining warrior fired on the cavalrymen. The soldiers then forced the three warriors' surrender without taking any casualties, and captured the five women and children. Black Coyote had with him articles of clothing and the watch taken from the body of Private Baader on April 5. The eight captured Cheyenne were then brought back to Fort Keogh. As the case was adjudged to be a civil one, the three warriors involved were housed in the Custer County jail at Miles City. During their imprisonment, Buffalo Calf Road Women, the wife of Black Coyote died of Diphtheria in Miles City. When Black Coyote learned of this, he became crazy and did not eat or sleep. From May 27-June 4, 1879, their case was heard in the first territorial court held in Montana Territory east of
Bozeman Bozeman is a city and the county seat of Gallatin County, Montana, United States. Located in southwest Montana, the 2020 census put Bozeman's population at 53,293, making it the fourth-largest city in Montana. It is the principal city of th ...
. Present as a reporter for ''
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'' was Thompson R. McElrath who on June 8, 1879 wrote a lengthy letter describing the trial. The verdict of June 4, was for the three warriors to be executed by hanging on July 7, 1879, but the next morning, June 5, two hanged themselves in the jail at Miles City, Montana Territory. Later, the third Cheyenne also hanged himself in the jail. The action of April 10, 1879, as recalled by Sergeant T. B. Glover:


Medal of honor

One
Congressional Medal of Honor The Medal of Honor (MOH) is the United States Armed Forces' highest military decoration and is awarded to recognize American soldiers, sailors, marines, airmen, guardians and coast guardsmen who have distinguished themselves by acts of valor. Th ...
was awarded for actions during the incident. It was for: *
Sergeant Sergeant (abbreviated to Sgt. and capitalized when used as a named person's title) is a rank in many uniformed organizations, principally military and policing forces. The alternative spelling, ''serjeant'', is used in The Rifles and other uni ...
Thaddeus B. Glover, Company B, 2nd United States Cavalry Regiment.


Order of battle

United States Army -Detachment at Mizpah Creek, April 5, 1879. * Sergeant Kennedy, U. S. Signal Corps, (severely wounded). * Private Leo Baader, Company E, 2nd U. S. Cavalry Regiment, (killed). -Detachment from Fort Ellis, April, 1879. * Soldiers of Company D, 2nd U.S. Cavalry Regiment, Captain Thomas J. Gregg (Co. D). -Detachment from Fort Keogh, April 7,-10, 1879. * 11 Soldiers of Companies B and E, 2nd U. S. Cavalry Regiment, Sergeant Thaddeus Brown Glover (Co. B). * 3 Indian Scouts. Native Americans,
Northern Cheyenne The Northern Cheyenne Tribe of the Northern Cheyenne Indian Reservation ( chy, Tsėhéstáno; formerly named the Tongue River) is the federally recognized Northern Cheyenne tribe. Located in southeastern Montana, the reservation is approximately ...
banished from Little Wolf's band. * 3 Warriors, Black Coyote (committed
suicide Suicide is the act of intentionally causing one's own death. Mental disorders (including depression, bipolar disorder, schizophrenia, personality disorders, anxiety disorders), physical disorders (such as chronic fatigue syndrome), and s ...
), Whetstone (committed
suicide Suicide is the act of intentionally causing one's own death. Mental disorders (including depression, bipolar disorder, schizophrenia, personality disorders, anxiety disorders), physical disorders (such as chronic fatigue syndrome), and s ...
), and Hole in the Breast (committed
suicide Suicide is the act of intentionally causing one's own death. Mental disorders (including depression, bipolar disorder, schizophrenia, personality disorders, anxiety disorders), physical disorders (such as chronic fatigue syndrome), and s ...
). * 3 Women,
Buffalo Calf Road Woman Buffalo Calf Road Woman, or Brave Woman, (c. 1844 – 1879) was a Northern Cheyenne woman who saved her wounded warrior brother, Chief Comes in Sight, in the Battle of the Rosebud (as it was named by the United States) in 1876. Her rescue helped ...
(died of Diphtheria in Miles City) * 2 Children.


References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Creek Incidents, Mizpah Indian wars of the American Old West Montana Territory
Mizpah Creek Mizpah may refer to: Places * Mizpah, Minnesota, U.S. * Mizpah, New Jersey, U.S. * Mizpah in Benjamin, mentioned in the bible * Mizpah in Gilead (disambiguation), the name of several places mentioned in the bible * Mizpah (Moab), mentioned in th ...
1879 in Montana Territory April 1879 events May 1879 events June 1879 events