User:IveGoneAway/sandbox/Battle of Prairie Dog Creek (Kansas, 1867)

Battle of Prairie Dog Creek (Kansas)
	Part of the American Indian Wars
	; The Battle of Prairie Dog Creek, original oil painting by Ralph Heinz commissioned by the National Guard Bureau for its Heritage Series, depicting the racially-integrated charge formed and led by Major George Augustus Armes.
Date	August 21, 1867
Location	{{{place}}}
Result	Inconclusive; suspension of hostilities until the next year
Belligerents
United States	Cheyenne; Kiowa
Commanders and leaders
Bvt Maj G. A. Armes; Cpt H. L. Moore	San-tan-ti; Roman Nose; Charlie Bent (youngest son of William Bent)
Units involved
Co F, 10th Cav; Co B&C 18th Cav	tribal horsemen; white men (advisors)
Strength
260	Over 800
Casualties and losses
3 killed; 36 wounded	50 killed; 150 wounded

The Battle of Prairie Dog Creek was an engagement between allied Plains Indians forces opposing the construction of the Kansas Pacific Railway across the High Plains and the United States Cavalry and Kansas volunteers who were charged with the railroad's security. This battle was the second engagement seen by the Buffalo Soldiers, following their first combat days before in the Battle of the Saline River. Recently recovered from a severe thigh wound recieved in the August 2^nd fight, George Augustus Armes, now Brevet-Major, formed and led an uphill cavalry charge of mixed Buffalo Soldiers and Kansas Volunteers, commemorated in the Ralph Heinz painting The Battle of Prairie Dog Creek, commissioned by the United States National Guard.^[6]

^[7]

Prelude

Battle

Armes' habit of aggressive maneuver resulted in fragmentation of his command, whereupon they were beset by more numerous plains warriors. Strung out, outnumbered, and in bad positions, Armes' command managed to fight their way back together with only light casualties. They were soon joined by the 18^th Kansas, who quickly fought their way into the 10^th's position.

Still, with numbers and position favoring the tribal forces, a tactical stalemate developed with the Cavalry pinned down but able to hold off the Indians.

Armes assembled a squadron of combined cavalrymen of the U.S. 10^th Cavalry, that is, mostly recently emancipated negros, and the Kansas 18^th Volunteer Cavalry, which included a number of men who had recently fought for the Confederacy. With the assembly, Armes led a charge up a rugged sandstone bluff. This charge scattered the Indians, ending the confrontation for the moment and allowing the Army and Kansans to withdraw.

Aftermath

References

^ Armes, George Augustus (1900). Ups and Downs of an Army Officer. Washington D. C.: C. L. Taylor Publishing. p. 242-249. Retrieved 2024-08-18. The guides reported that they recognized San-tan-ti, Roman Nose, Charlie Bent and other prominent chiefs.
^ Armes (1900), p.246. "At the same time several Indians started out from among those behind, carrying a red flag, singing out in plain English, ..."
^ Armes (1900), p.239. "Two white men or half-breeds were with the Indians, who took an active part, but were very careful not to dash through the command. I had fifty shots fired at them, but to no effect. They were mounted on the finest and most active horses I ever saw."
^ Armes (1900) [citing a report of J. B. McAfee, Adjt.-Gen. , p.252. "The personal daring, courage and military skill displayed in resisting more than ten times their own numbers, in repulsing the bold charge made by the enemy (led by the basest of white men, well drilled in war), ... " [emphasis added]
^ Armes (1900) [citing a report of Henry C. Corbin], p.249. " All think that many of our own race were with the enemy, from the fact that our forces were repeatedly challenged in plain English." [emphasis added]
^ Ralph Heinz. The Battle of Prairie Dog Creek (painting). Heritage Series. United States National Guard. Retrieved 2024-08-25. [caption] On July 15, 1867, four companies of the 18^th Kansas Volunteer Cavalry were mustered into Federal service. Under command of Captain Horace L. Moore, the 18^th set out immediately for a month of vigorous campaigning. Returning to camp at Ft. Hays, then in the midst of a cholera epidemic, the Kansans then joined forces with the 10^th U.S. Cavalry, the famous black "Buffalo Soldiers." A combined force of 135 men, commanded by Captain George A. Armes of the 10^th, rode down the Saline River; Captain Moore, with 125 Kansans, scouted upstream. The two groups had lost contact with each other when Captain Armes' group was struck by 300 to 400 Kiowa and Cheyenne under the great war chiefs Satanta and Roman Nose. As Armes' group of men held their ground through fierce fighting, the men of the 18^th Kansas, hearing the noise of battle, managed to fight their way through to Armes. To break the stalemate, Captain Armes formed a party for a charge on the Indians. Led by Armes, the force of about 20 black regulars and regulars and Kansas volunteers moved first toward Prairie Dog Creek, and then, turning charged up the hill toward the main body of warriors. The Indians broke and scattered, ending the day's fighting. The cavalry had lost 3 men dead and 36 wounded; the Indians, 50 dead and 150 wounded.
^ Kirby Ross (October 14, 2004). "Major Indian battle fought in Phillips County, Kansas" (PDF). Philips County Review. Retrieved 2024-08-25.

It is an example of Ex-Confederates serving un

for update to Battle of Indian Rock

The first Expedition across the Kansas River was led by expedit As ruler of the world, the French Imperial Crown desired that their subjects upon the plains live in peace with each with each other, promising that the French would provide peaceful tribes with manufactured goods of the sorts the had Spanish withheld, including guns and ammunition.

[ArmesP246-1] Armes, George Augustus (1900). Ups and Downs of an Army Officer. Washington D. C.: C. L. Taylor Publishing. p. 242-249. Retrieved 2024-08-18. The guides reported that they recognized San-tan-ti, Roman Nose, Charlie Bent and other prominent chiefs.

[2] Armes (1900), p.246. "At the same time several Indians started out from among those behind, carrying a red flag, singing out in plain English, ..."

[3] Armes (1900), p.239. "Two white men or half-breeds were with the Indians, who took an active part, but were very careful not to dash through the command. I had fifty shots fired at them, but to no effect. They were mounted on the finest and most active horses I ever saw."

[4] Armes (1900) [citing a report of J. B. McAfee, Adjt.-Gen. , p.252. "The personal daring, courage and military skill displayed in resisting more than ten times their own numbers, in repulsing the bold charge made by the enemy (led by the basest of white men, well drilled in war), ... " [emphasis added]

[5] Armes (1900) [citing a report of Henry C. Corbin], p.249. " All think that many of our own race were with the enemy, from the fact that our forces were repeatedly challenged in plain English." [emphasis added]

[Heinz-6] Ralph Heinz. The Battle of Prairie Dog Creek (painting). Heritage Series. United States National Guard. Retrieved 2024-08-25. [caption] On July 15, 1867, four companies of the 18^th Kansas Volunteer Cavalry were mustered into Federal service. Under command of Captain Horace L. Moore, the 18^th set out immediately for a month of vigorous campaigning. Returning to camp at Ft. Hays, then in the midst of a cholera epidemic, the Kansans then joined forces with the 10^th U.S. Cavalry, the famous black "Buffalo Soldiers." A combined force of 135 men, commanded by Captain George A. Armes of the 10^th, rode down the Saline River; Captain Moore, with 125 Kansans, scouted upstream. The two groups had lost contact with each other when Captain Armes' group was struck by 300 to 400 Kiowa and Cheyenne under the great war chiefs Satanta and Roman Nose. As Armes' group of men held their ground through fierce fighting, the men of the 18^th Kansas, hearing the noise of battle, managed to fight their way through to Armes. To break the stalemate, Captain Armes formed a party for a charge on the Indians. Led by Armes, the force of about 20 black regulars and regulars and Kansas volunteers moved first toward Prairie Dog Creek, and then, turning charged up the hill toward the main body of warriors. The Indians broke and scattered, ending the day's fighting. The cavalry had lost 3 men dead and 36 wounded; the Indians, 50 dead and 150 wounded.

[7] Kirby Ross (October 14, 2004). "Major Indian battle fought in Phillips County, Kansas" (PDF). Philips County Review. Retrieved 2024-08-25.

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