William J. Fetterman was killed in 1866, during Red Clouds War.
The Fetterman Massacre
Red Clouds War brought many battles between the Oglala Lakota people and the U.S. Military. One of the most famous wasn't actually a battle, more of an ambush. Captain Fetterman was sent from Fort Phil Kearny with a small cavalry of 79 men and 2 civilians. The reason was to chase away a small Indian party that had attacked a wood party days before.
Captain Frederick Brown accompanied Captain Fetterman; they were confident in their troops and ready to battle with the Indians. The two disobeyed orders to stay behind the Lodge Trail Ridge. The reason for this, they did it to follow a small decoy band of Indians; this decoy was lead by one of Red Clouds most prominent warriors, Crazy Horse, who was riding an apparently injure horse. Fetterman and his small cavalry were led right into an ambush by more than 2,000 Sioux, Cheyenne, and Arapaho Indians. The Indians suffered 14 casualties and killed all of the 81 men in the cavalry, including William J. Fetterman.
Red Clouds War brought many battles between the Oglala Lakota people and the U.S. Military. One of the most famous wasn't actually a battle, more of an ambush. Captain Fetterman was sent from Fort Phil Kearny with a small cavalry of 79 men and 2 civilians. The reason was to chase away a small Indian party that had attacked a wood party days before.
Captain Frederick Brown accompanied Captain Fetterman; they were confident in their troops and ready to battle with the Indians. The two disobeyed orders to stay behind the Lodge Trail Ridge. The reason for this, they did it to follow a small decoy band of Indians; this decoy was lead by one of Red Clouds most prominent warriors, Crazy Horse, who was riding an apparently injure horse. Fetterman and his small cavalry were led right into an ambush by more than 2,000 Sioux, Cheyenne, and Arapaho Indians. The Indians suffered 14 casualties and killed all of the 81 men in the cavalry, including William J. Fetterman.