Grattan Fight – Indian Wars Begin on the Northern Plains
The summer of 1854 on the high plains of what would become Wyoming and Nebraska was a tinderbox, waiting for a spark. That spark, tragically, came in the form of a brash young lieutenant, a stray cow, and a series of escalating misunderstandings that culminated in the Grattan Fight. This bloody encounter, though seemingly minor in scale, ignited a conflagration that would engulf the Northern Plains in intermittent warfare for the next three and a half decades. The Grattan Fight served as a violent punctuation mark, ending a period of relative peace and ushering in an era of bitter conflict between the United States and the proud tribes who called this land home.
Prior to the Grattan Fight, relations between the U.S. government and the Plains Indians, though strained by the relentless westward expansion of settlers along the Oregon-California Trail, had largely avoided widespread bloodshed in this region. The Fort Laramie Treaty of 1851, while flawed and often ignored, provided a framework for coexistence, promising annuities and defined territories to various tribes in exchange for allowing safe passage for emigrants. However, the influx of newcomers, the depletion of resources, and the inherent clash of cultures created a volatile atmosphere, ripe for misinterpretation and conflict.
In July and early August of 1854, a significant gathering of Native American tribes had assembled near Fort Laramie, Wyoming. Approximately 600 lodges, representing the Brule, Miniconjou, and Oglala Sioux, as well as smaller numbers of Northern Cheyenne and Arapaho, clustered along the North Platte River Valley, extending several miles east of the fort. This impressive encampment, capable of easily overwhelming the fort’s small garrison, was patiently awaiting the delayed distribution of annuities promised by the Fort Laramie Treaty. This delay, coupled with existing tensions, heightened the sense of unease and anticipation.
The incident that triggered the Grattan Fight was seemingly insignificant. On August 18, 1854, a cow belonging to a passing Mormon caravan wandered into the Brule camp of Chief Conquering Bear, located about eight miles east of Fort Laramie. A visiting Miniconjou Indian named High Forehead shot and killed the stray animal. This act, though relatively minor in the context of frontier life, set in motion a chain of events that would have devastating consequences.
The killing of the cow was reported to Lieutenant Hugh B. Fleming, the commanding officer at Fort Laramie, by both the Mormons and Chief Conquering Bear himself. Conquering Bear, seeking to maintain peace and adhere to the treaty, offered to make amends for the incident. However, Lieutenant Fleming, demonstrating a lack of understanding of tribal customs and a rigid adherence to military protocol, rejected Conquering Bear’s overtures. He demanded the arrest of High Forehead, an action that directly violated the existing treaties and disregarded the complex social dynamics within the Native American encampment.
The task of apprehending High Forehead was assigned to Second Lieutenant John L. Grattan, a 24-year-old West Point graduate with little experience in dealing with Native American affairs. Grattan, described as rash and impetuous, was given broad discretionary powers in carrying out his mission. This decision proved to be a fatal error, as Grattan’s lack of judgment and escalating aggression would quickly transform a minor incident into a full-blown conflict.
On the afternoon of August 19, 1854, Grattan, accompanied by an interpreter named Lucien Auguste and 29 infantrymen, set out from Fort Laramie with a wagon and two small cannons. The small force was heading toward a confrontation that would drastically alter the relationship between the U.S. Army and the Sioux Nation. Their first stop was at the Gratiot Houses fur trading post, followed by James Bordeaux’s trading post, located just 300 yards from the Brule camp and about eight miles southeast of Fort Laramie. At both locations, the interpreter, Lucien Auguste, fueled the escalating tensions. Over Grattan’s objections, Auguste, who had become intoxicated, reportedly abused and threatened the Native Americans who were present, further inflaming an already volatile situation.
Upon arriving at the Brule camp, Grattan demanded the surrender of High Forehead. However, High Forehead refused to comply, and a series of tense conferences ensued between Grattan, Conquering Bear, and other tribal leaders. These negotiations took place in front of High Forehead’s lodge, where Grattan, disregarding the warnings of the alarmed James Bordeaux, ultimately positioned his troops. The chiefs repeatedly offered to pay for the cow, pleaded with Grattan to postpone any action until the arrival of the Indian agent, and continued to urge High Forehead to surrender himself. Conquering Bear explained that High Forehead was a guest in his village and, therefore, not subject to his direct authority.
Adding to the escalating tension was the arrival of a group of impetuous young Oglala warriors, who had hurried to the Brule camp in defiance of Grattan’s orders. Distrusting Auguste’s translation of the ongoing discussions and seeking to avert a clash, Conquering Bear attempted to enlist the translation services of James Bordeaux, but his request was denied. As the situation grew increasingly tense, the Brule women and children began to flee from the camp toward the relative safety of the river.
At some point during the standoff, shots rang out, and an Indian fell, though the exact circumstances remain disputed. The chiefs, recognizing the potential for disaster, cautioned their warriors against retaliating. However, convinced that a greater show of force was necessary, Grattan ordered his men to fire a volley into the assembled crowd. Conquering Bear, the respected Brule chief who had sought to maintain peace, slumped to the ground, mortally wounded.
The volley unleashed a torrent of arrows. As Grattan fell, his command panicked, initiating a chaotic and desperate retreat along the Oregon-California Trail. The mounted Native American warriors, taking advantage of their superior mobility, forced the fleeing soldiers onto level ground, where they were quickly overwhelmed. All but one of the soldiers perished in the Grattan Fight. The sole survivor, mortally wounded, managed to return to Fort Laramie with news of the devastating defeat.
Despite the overwhelming victory, the Indian chiefs, believing that the U.S. government would recognize the soldiers’ culpability in instigating the conflict, chose not to attack Fort Laramie. However, within a few days, they pillaged Bordeaux’s nearby trading post and helped themselves to annuity goods and company property at the Gratiot Houses, as a form of compensation for their delayed annuities.
Following the Grattan Fight, the Brule departed from the North Platte River Valley. The Cheyenne and Arapaho tribes waited only for the distribution of treaty goods before moving away as well. Life at Fort Laramie settled into a familiar routine, but the old sense of security was irrevocably shattered.
The U.S. press, fueled by sensationalism and a lack of understanding of the events, branded the encounter the "Grattan Massacre," ignoring the fact that the U.S. soldiers had initiated the violence by shooting Conquering Bear and that Grattan had violated treaty conditions through his aggressive intervention. When news of the fight reached the War Department, officials immediately began planning a retaliatory expedition to punish the Sioux.
General William S. Harney, known for his ruthlessness and unwavering commitment to military objectives, was dispatched to Fort Kearny, Nebraska, and placed in command of elements of the 2nd U.S. Dragoons. On August 24, 1855, Harney’s forces set out on a punitive expedition, seeking to find and exact retribution on the Sioux for the Grattan Fight.
On September 3, 1855, Harney’s troops engaged the Sioux in the Battle of Ash Hollow, also known as the Battle of Bluewater Creek, near present-day Lewellen, Nebraska. This battle resulted in the deaths of numerous Brule Sioux warriors, as well as the killing of women and children. Many historians believe that the Grattan Fight served as the catalyst that triggered the next several decades of intermittent warfare on the Great Plains, a period marked by violence, displacement, and profound cultural change.
The site of the Grattan Fight, now privately owned and used for ranching operations, is marked by a stone monument on the north side of the road. Extensive modern terrain alterations for irrigation purposes have made it difficult to pinpoint the exact positions of the participants in the conflict. The location of the cairn, where the enlisted men were initially buried, is approximately 200 yards west of the probable site of the Bordeaux trading post, which is marked by ground debris. The remains of the soldiers were later moved to a group burial at Fort McPherson Nebraska National Cemetery. Grattan’s body is interred at Fort Leavenworth, Kansas. The likely site of the Gratiot Houses, also covered in debris, is situated about ten yards from the river, approximately a quarter-mile east of the headgates of the Gratiot Irrigation Ditch. The site is located in Goshen County, between an unimproved road and the North Platte River, roughly three miles west of Lingle.