Battle of the Saline River, Kansas
The windswept plains of Kansas, a landscape etched with the promise of westward expansion and the sorrow of displaced indigenous peoples, bore witness to countless skirmishes and battles during the 19th century. Among these encounters, the Battle of the Saline River, Kansas, fought in August 1867, stands as a testament to the clash of cultures and the harsh realities of frontier life. This engagement, involving the U.S. Army’s Tenth Cavalry, famously known as the Buffalo Soldiers, and Cheyenne warriors, highlights the struggles over land, resources, and the very definition of the American West.
The catalyst for the Battle of the Saline River, Kansas was the relentless push of the Union Pacific Railroad westward. The iron rails, symbols of progress and national unity, were perceived by the Cheyenne as a grave threat to their traditional way of life, bisecting their hunting grounds and disrupting the delicate balance of the prairie ecosystem. In August 1867, a survey crew led by P.S. Ashley was mapping a route for the railroad when they were ambushed by a war party of approximately 30 Cheyenne warriors. The attack was swift and brutal; six of the railroad workers were killed. One man, William Gould, miraculously survived and managed to reach Fort Hays, Kansas, with news of the massacre, although he later succumbed to his wounds.
Fort Hays, a crucial outpost on the Kansas frontier, served primarily to protect the railroad workers from these kinds of attacks. Upon receiving Gould’s grim report, Captain Henry Corbin, commanding the Thirty-eighth Infantry and the Tenth Cavalry stationed at the fort, immediately ordered Captain George Armes of Company F, Tenth Cavalry, to pursue the Cheyenne raiders. The Tenth Cavalry, comprised largely of African American soldiers, had earned the moniker "Buffalo Soldiers" from the Native Americans they fought, a name that spoke to both their resilience and their distinctive appearance. These men were veterans, hardened by years of service on the frontier and deeply committed to their duty, despite the prejudice they faced within the army and broader society.
Captain Armes and his detachment of Buffalo Soldiers followed the Cheyenne trail, pressing onward until they determined they needed reinforcements. They returned to Fort Hays, but after waiting four long hours, the impatient soldiers decided to resume the pursuit before reinforcements could arrive. Meanwhile, a contingent of 25 men from the Thirty-eighth Infantry, under the command of Sergeant Pittman of Company C, was dispatched to support the Tenth Cavalry. This group followed the trail up the North Fork of Big Creek, northeast of Fort Hays, and encountered a small band of about 50 Cheyenne warriors. Using a howitzer, they fired three shells, scattering the Indians but inflicting minimal damage. Unable to locate Captain Armes and his men, the Thirty-eighth Infantry returned to Fort Hays, leaving Armes and his company to continue their pursuit alone.
Armes and his men followed the trail up the Saline River, venturing approximately 25 miles northwest of Fort Hays. There, they found themselves surrounded by a much larger force of Cheyenne warriors, estimated to be around 400 strong. Realizing the gravity of the situation, Captain Armes quickly ordered his men to dismount and prepare to fight on foot. The soldiers formed a compact defensive perimeter, a "hollow square," around their cavalry horses, using the animals as a makeshift barricade. This formation allowed them to maintain a 360-degree field of fire and protect their vital mounts. With the hollow square formed, the Buffalo Soldiers began a slow, arduous march back toward Fort Hays, the Battle of the Saline River, Kansas unfolding around them.
The battle raged for six grueling hours. The Cheyenne warriors, skilled horsemen and fierce fighters, repeatedly charged the soldiers’ square, attempting to break their lines. The Buffalo Soldiers, despite being heavily outnumbered, stood their ground, delivering volley after volley of rifle fire. The air was thick with the smell of gunpowder, the cries of men and horses, and the deafening roar of battle. The Battle of the Saline River, Kansas was a desperate struggle for survival, a testament to the courage and discipline of the Buffalo Soldiers.
As the soldiers fought their way back towards Fort Hays, the landscape itself became a participant in the battle. The rolling hills, ravines, and sparse vegetation provided limited cover for both sides, forcing the soldiers to rely on their training and the strength of their formation. The sun beat down mercilessly, and the men were soon parched and exhausted, their ammunition dwindling. Yet, they pressed on, driven by the knowledge that their lives depended on maintaining their defensive perimeter.
Finally, after enduring six hours of relentless attacks and marching approximately 15 miles under constant fire, the Cheyenne warriors broke off the engagement when the soldiers were about ten miles north of Fort Hays. Exhausted, dehydrated, and low on ammunition, the Buffalo Soldiers continued their march, finally reaching the safety of the fort. In the 30 hours they had been gone, the troops had marched 113 miles without rations, a testament to their endurance and determination.
Incredibly, despite the intensity of the fighting and the overwhelming odds, casualties were surprisingly light. Only one soldier, Sergeant William Christy, was killed, becoming the first combat death in the Tenth Cavalry. The Cheyenne are believed to have lost around six warriors. While the exact number of Cheyenne casualties remains uncertain, the relatively low losses on both sides can be attributed to the defensive tactics employed by the Buffalo Soldiers and the Cheyenne’s preference for hit-and-run tactics rather than sustained close-quarters combat.
Captain Armes, reflecting on the battle afterward, remarked, "It is the greatest wonder in the world that my command escaped being massacred." His words capture the sheer improbability of the Buffalo Soldiers’ survival against such overwhelming odds. The Battle of the Saline River, Kansas became a celebrated moment in the history of the Tenth Cavalry, a symbol of their bravery, resilience, and unwavering commitment to duty.
The Battle of the Saline River, Kansas also serves as a poignant reminder of the complex and often tragic history of the American West. It highlights the struggles between the U.S. government and Native American tribes over land and resources, the role of the Buffalo Soldiers in enforcing government policies, and the human cost of westward expansion. While the battle itself may have been a relatively small engagement in the grand scheme of the Indian Wars, it stands as a powerful symbol of the clash of cultures and the enduring legacy of the American frontier. It reminds us of the bravery and sacrifice of the Buffalo Soldiers, the resilience of the Cheyenne people, and the enduring power of the Kansas landscape.