Battle of Ash Hollow facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Battle of Ash Hollow
Part of the First Sioux War, American Indian Wars
An 1878 depiction of the Battle of Ash Hollow.
Date September 3, 1855 Location Ash Hollow, Nebraska Result United States victory
Belligerents
Brulé	United States
Commanders and leaders
Little Thunder	William S. Harney
Strength
~250	~600
Casualties and losses
86 killed, 70 women and children captured	27 killed

The Battle of Ash Hollow was an important fight during the First Sioux War. It happened on September 3, 1855, near the Platte River in what is now Nebraska. This battle was between soldiers from the United States Army, led by William S. Harney, and a group of Brulé Lakota people.

The American soldiers won the battle. However, many of the people killed were Brulé women and children. Most of the prisoners taken were also women and children. The Army launched this attack to get revenge for an event called the "Grattan Massacre" that happened in August 1854.

What Happened at Ash Hollow?

This battle was a key event in a short war between the U.S. and the Lakota Sioux. The conflict was about disagreements over the 1851 Treaty of Fort Laramie. In this battle, about 600 U.S. soldiers attacked around 250 Sioux. The attack resulted in 86 Sioux deaths and 70 women and children being captured.

After the battle, some newspapers called it a great victory. But others, like the New York Times, called it a massacre. They were upset because so many women and children were killed. Some people even said the battle was fought just to make the U.S. Army bigger.

Why the Battle Started: The Grattan Incident

The main reason the First Sioux War began was an event called the Grattan Massacre. This happened when a traveler lost a cow near a Brulé Lakota camp. A Sioux man killed the cow for food. The traveler reported it to the army at Fort Laramie.

The fort's commander sent a young officer, John Lawrence Grattan, to arrest the Sioux man. Grattan was known for not respecting Native Americans. He took 30 soldiers and cannons with him. He demanded that the Sioux chief, Conquering Bear, hand over the man. During the discussion, one of Grattan's soldiers shot and killed Chief Conquering Bear. After this, the Sioux fought back and killed Grattan and most of his men.

The U.S. President, Franklin Pierce, promised to get revenge for what happened. General Harney was put in charge and told to "whip the Indians." Many people later blamed Grattan for starting the fight that led to his death.

Harney's Expedition

General Harney's army began its journey in August 1855. On September 1, they found a Sioux camp along the Platte River. Harney sent some soldiers, led by Philip St. George Cooke and Henry Heth, on a long night march. Their job was to get behind the Sioux camp and block any escape.

The next morning, Harney moved his main force to attack the camp. He first tried to talk with the Sioux chief, Little Thunder. Harney demanded that the Sioux hand over the men responsible for the Grattan attack. But the Sioux refused. They felt they were right to fight back because Grattan's men had shot first. While they were talking, some Sioux warriors discovered Cooke's hidden soldiers.

The Fight at Blue Water

When the Sioux realized they were surrounded, Harney immediately attacked their camp. Some Sioux tried to hide in caves along the river. Harney's soldiers fired into the caves, killing many women and children. A large group of warriors tried to escape on horseback. But Captain Heth saw them and led his men to block their path.

The warriors managed to break through Heth's soldiers. However, Heth and his cavalry chased them for about five miles. The chase lasted several hours. At one point, Heth rode so far ahead that his men thought he had been killed. But he was fine. The American forces won the battle. They killed 86 Sioux and captured 70 prisoners, mostly women and children. About half of the Sioux who died were women and children.

Gouverneur K. Warren, who later became a general in the American Civil War, was also in this battle. He wrote in his diary about how terrible it was to kill Native American women and children.

After the battle, the army searched the surrounding Sioux lands but found no more resistance. The Sioux called Harney "The Butcher" for this battle. They also called him "the Hornet" for invading their land. After this fight, there was about ten years of peace between the U.S. and the Sioux. The Sioux tried to ignore the many travelers on the Oregon Trail who passed through their territory. These travelers used up game, plants, and water that the Sioux needed to survive.

Who Fought in the Battle?

United States Army

General William S. Harney led the U.S. forces.

• 2nd U.S. Dragoons: Led by Lt. Col. Philip St. George Cooke
  • Company E: Led by 1st Lt. Beverly Robertson
  • Company K: Led by Capt. William Steele
• 6th U.S. Infantry: Led by Maj. Albemarle Cady
  • Company A
  • Company E
  • Company H
  • Company I
  • Company K
• 10th U.S. Infantry, Company E: Led by Capt. Henry Heth
• 4th U.S. Artillery, Company G: Led by Capt. Albion P. Howe
• Topographical Engineers: 2nd Lt. Gouverneur K. Warren

Native Americans

• Brulé Lakota Sioux: Led by Chief Little Thunder

What Happened After the Battle?

After this battle, one of Harney's group renamed Hinhan Kaga, the highest peak in the sacred Black Hills, as Harney Peak. However, Harney's group had not even been close to the mountain. The Lakota people were very upset that their sacred peak was named after a man who had killed so many innocent people.

In 1868, a new Treaty of Fort Laramie created the Great Sioux Reservation. This treaty protected the sacred Black Hills for the Lakota. But within a few years, gold was found in the hills. The U.S. government broke its treaty and took over the Black Hills. This allowed European-Americans to settle there. In 1889, the government broke up the Great Sioux Reservation into five smaller ones. They sold off 9,000,000 acres of land that belonged to the Lakota.

In 2016, the United States Board on Geographic Names officially changed the name of Harney Peak back to Black Elk Peak.

Images for kids

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  An 1878 depiction of the Battle of Ash Hollow.