Battle of Julesburg, Colorado
The vast plains of eastern Colorado, a landscape etched with the meandering South Platte River, bore witness to a series of tumultuous events in the winter of 1865. These events, collectively known as the Battle of Julesburg, Colorado, were a direct consequence of the escalating tensions between Native American tribes and the encroaching United States military and white settlers. The spark that ignited this particular conflict was the horrific Sand Creek Massacre, a brutal attack that irrevocably altered the relationship between these groups.
On November 29, 1864, the Colorado Territory militia, under the command of Colonel John Chivington, descended upon a peaceful Cheyenne and Arapaho village camped along Sand Creek. What transpired was not a battle, but a massacre. Hundreds of unarmed men, women, and children were slaughtered, an act of barbarity that sent shockwaves through the Native American communities of the region. Estimates suggest as many as 150 people, predominantly elders, women, and children, perished in the brutal assault.
The immediate aftermath of the Sand Creek Massacre saw a significant number of Cheyenne survivors fleeing northward, seeking refuge and solace amongst their kin camped along the Republican River. This main body of the Cheyenne tribe included a formidable contingent of warriors known as the "Dog Soldiers," a highly respected and feared military society within the Cheyenne nation. These Dog Soldiers represented the epitome of Cheyenne martial prowess and were dedicated to protecting their people and their way of life.
Recognizing the need for a united front against the perceived threat, the Cheyenne sent emissaries to other tribes, specifically the Sioux and Arapaho, inviting them to join in a coordinated war against the white settlers and the U.S. Army. The call for retribution resonated deeply, and on January 1, 1865, representatives from various tribes converged on Cherry Creek, near the present-day location of St. Francis, Kansas, to deliberate and formulate a plan of action. This gathering included the Cheyenne Dog Soldiers, the Northern Arapaho, and two bands of Lakota Sioux: the Brule, led by Chief Spotted Tail, and the Oglala, under the leadership of the skilled war leader Pawnee Killer. The burning desire for revenge and the need to protect their ancestral lands fueled their discussions.
As the new year progressed, the combined forces of Cheyenne, Sioux, and Arapaho warriors, numbering as many as 2,000, strategically shifted their encampments closer to the South Platte River. This vital waterway snaked through the northeastern corner of Colorado Territory, providing essential resources and serving as a key transportation route for settlers. Nestled amidst this landscape was the rough-and-tumble town of Julesburg. Julesburg was a strategically important settlement, serving as a vital stop along the Overland Trail, a crucial stagecoach route connecting the East and West. Furthermore, Julesburg was the site of Fort Rankin, later renamed Fort Sedgwick, a U.S. Army outpost intended to provide protection to travelers and settlers in the region. The Battle of Julesburg, Colorado was about to unfold.
The initial spark that ignited the Battle of Julesburg, Colorado, occurred on January 6, 1865, when a small party of Native American warriors ambushed a wagon train, resulting in the deaths of twelve men. This attack heightened the already existing tensions and served as a prelude to the larger conflict that was about to erupt.
The following morning, January 7th, the main force of Native American warriors launched an attack on Fort Rankin. The strategy involved a carefully orchestrated diversion. Cheyenne Chief Big Crow, along with a small contingent of approximately ten warriors, boldly charged the fort, only to swiftly retreat. This calculated maneuver was designed to lure the U.S. Army troops out of the safety of their fortifications.
Captain Nicholas O’Brien, the commanding officer of Fort Rankin, took the bait. He ordered a 60-man cavalry troop to pursue the retreating Cheyenne warriors. Unbeknownst to O’Brien and his men, a much larger force of Native American warriors, estimated to be around 1,000, lay concealed in the nearby bluffs, waiting in ambush.
Fortunately for O’Brien and the majority of his men, some young and eager Native American warriors prematurely fired upon the approaching troops, inadvertently alerting them to the presence of the larger ambush force. Realizing the perilous situation, O’Brien ordered his men to turn back and retreat to the fort.
The retreat turned into a desperate race for survival. The Native American warriors pursued the fleeing soldiers relentlessly, cutting off some of them before they could reach the safety of the fort. Those who were separated from the main group dismounted and formed defensive positions, fighting bravely against overwhelming odds. In the ensuing clash, fourteen soldiers and four civilians lost their lives. Captain O’Brien and the remaining members of his command managed to make it back to the relative safety of Fort Rankin.
While the remaining U.S. Army troops braced themselves for a renewed assault on the fort, the Native American warriors turned their attention to the undefended settlement of Julesburg. They descended upon the town, looting the stage station, the general store, and the warehouse, seizing a significant amount of much-needed supplies and goods. The warriors then retreated to their encampment at Cherry Creek, Kansas, where they distributed the captured plunder amongst their people. The encampment transformed into a scene of jubilation, with feasting and dancing celebrating their successful raid.
News of the attack on Fort Rankin and the sacking of Julesburg reached General Robert Byington Mitchell, who quickly assembled a force of 640 cavalry troops, a battery of howitzers, and approximately 200 supply wagons at Cottonwood Springs, near present-day North Platte, Nebraska. Determined to retaliate and punish the Native Americans responsible for the attacks, Mitchell marched his troops southwest, seeking to locate and engage the enemy.
On January 19th, Mitchell’s forces located the Native American encampment on Cherry Creek. However, the tribes had already abandoned the site several days prior. The weather conditions were harsh, with bitterly cold temperatures, and more than 50 of Mitchell’s soldiers were incapacitated by frostbite. Faced with these challenges, Mitchell made the difficult decision to abandon the pursuit and return to his base.
During this time, scattered raids continued throughout the South Platte River Valley. Sioux warriors focused their attacks east of Julesburg, while Cheyenne warriors concentrated their efforts west of the town. Arapaho warriors operated in the areas in between. George Bent, the mixed-race son of William Bent, the founder of Bent’s Fort, and his Cheyenne wife, was present with one of these groups. He later recounted that "the whole valley was lighted up with the flames of burning ranches and stage stations, but the places were soon all destroyed, and darkness fell on the valley."
Just weeks after the initial attack on Julesburg, the Native American warriors returned in force on February 2nd. This time, they not only looted the town once more but also set it ablaze, burning it to the ground. Several wagon trains that had sought refuge in Julesburg were also targeted and looted. The fifteen soldiers and fifty civilians who had sought shelter at nearby Fort Rankin remained within the fort’s walls, unwilling to risk an engagement with the overwhelming Native American force.
Captain O’Brien and fourteen of his men, who had been away from the fort during the attack, returned to Julesburg amidst the conflagration. O’Brien, utilizing a field howitzer, fired a round into the midst of the Native American warriors, causing them to scatter and flee.
Simultaneously, a large caravan consisting of thousands of Sioux, Cheyenne, and Arapaho people, including women and children, was traveling north toward the Black Hills and the Powder River Country of South Dakota and Wyoming. This mass migration was indicative of the growing unrest and the desire to move away from areas of conflict.
Along their journey, the warriors engaged in further skirmishes with the U.S. Army at Mud Springs, near present-day Dalton, Nebraska, and Rush Creek, near Broadwater, Nebraska. These clashes were a continuation of the ongoing conflict and demonstrated the determination of the Native American tribes to resist the encroachment upon their lands and way of life.
The war between the Native American tribes and the United States would continue for more than a decade, reaching its climax with the infamous Battle of the Little Bighorn in Montana in 1876. The Battle of Julesburg, Colorado, while a relatively small engagement in the grand scheme of the Indian Wars, served as a critical turning point, highlighting the escalating tensions and the brutal consequences of the conflict. It stands as a testament to the resilience and determination of the Native American tribes in their struggle to defend their ancestral lands and preserve their culture in the face of relentless pressure from the expanding United States.