Post by WY Man on Apr 25, 2009 11:14:55 GMT -6
When the troops arrived at the Cheyenne village early on the morning of November 25, 1876, the Cheyennes were just concluding an all-night victory dance from their recent attack upon a Shoshone Indian village on Wind River. As winter was fast approaching, the Cheyennes probably intended to camp for a time in the hidden recesses of the Red Fork of Powder River Canyon, where there were plenty of resources.
Yet, I think that another function of this location was a strategic one. From this base, they could continue to conduct operations into the Shoshone country, on horse stealing ventures, and whatever else they could capture. Captain John G. Bourke in "Mackenzie's Last Fight with the Cheyennes," p. 31, described the discovery in the Cheyenne village of several Shoshone scalps, a hand and arm of a Shoshone woman, a necklace of human fingers, a photo of which is included in the book, and a bag containing the right hands of 12 Shoshone babies. Of course, the Shoshone scouts with the troops were wild with grief when they made these discoveries. In addition to those gruesome findings, the scouts and soldiers also found many articles from the Custer battle on June 25th.
Yet, I think that another function of this location was a strategic one. From this base, they could continue to conduct operations into the Shoshone country, on horse stealing ventures, and whatever else they could capture. Captain John G. Bourke in "Mackenzie's Last Fight with the Cheyennes," p. 31, described the discovery in the Cheyenne village of several Shoshone scalps, a hand and arm of a Shoshone woman, a necklace of human fingers, a photo of which is included in the book, and a bag containing the right hands of 12 Shoshone babies. Of course, the Shoshone scouts with the troops were wild with grief when they made these discoveries. In addition to those gruesome findings, the scouts and soldiers also found many articles from the Custer battle on June 25th.
