Battle of Slim Buttes facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Battle of Slim Buttes
Part of the Great Sioux War of 1876
"General Crook's headquarters in the field at Whitewood (Dak. Terr.). On starvation march 1876."
Date September 9–10, 1876 Location Great Sioux Reservation (Harding County, South Dakota) Result United States victory
Belligerents
Lakota	United States
Commanders and leaders
American Horse   † Crazy Horse	George Crook
Strength
~600-800	~1,200
Casualties and losses
10 killed unknown wounded 23 captured	3 killed 13 wounded

The Battle of Slim Buttes was a fight between the United States Army and the Miniconjou Sioux people. It happened on September 9–10, 1876, in what is now Harding County, South Dakota. This battle was part of the larger Great Sioux War of 1876. It was the first important win for the U.S. Army after their big loss at the Battle of the Little Bighorn in June of that year.

Why the Battle Happened

After the U.S. Army's defeat at Little Bighorn, Lieutenant General Philip Sheridan ordered his soldiers to make the Native American tribes return to their reservations. Generals Alfred Terry and George Crook led a search for the Lakota and Cheyenne tribes. They didn't find them at first.

The army continued its search in August. General Crook's soldiers soon started running out of food. They had to eat only half of their usual meals. Many soldiers even had to eat their horses and mules to survive.

General Crook sent a group of soldiers, led by Captain Anson Mills, to find supplies. They were heading to Deadwood, South Dakota, a mining town. On their way, they accidentally found a village of the Miniconjou Sioux, led by American Horse.

The Battle Begins

On the evening of September 8, 1876, Captain Mills and his 150 soldiers quietly surrounded the village. The village had 37 lodges (tipis). The next morning, they attacked the village by surprise.

The Native Americans were caught off guard and tried to escape. American Horse, who was badly hurt, hid in a nearby ditch with 15 women and children. He later died there, along with two women and one child. One young boy was found alive in the village; he had slept through the whole fight.

The Sioux who escaped quickly told other nearby tribes, including the Sans Arc, Brulé, and Cheyenne. They told Crazy Horse and other leaders that they had seen about 100-150 soldiers. But they didn't know that General Crook's main army, with many more soldiers and cannons, had also arrived.

Fighting at Slim Buttes

Crazy Horse and 600-800 warriors quickly rode about 10 miles to help. They reached a high spot where they saw many more soldiers than they expected. The soldiers had surrounded the village.

From their positions on the hills, the warriors started shooting. General Crook quickly formed a defense around his horses and mules. He then ordered the village to be set on fire.

Crook sent his soldiers forward in a line. After about 45 minutes of steady fighting, the soldiers pushed most of the warriors off the hilltops. A few Sioux warriors kept fighting bravely, even charging the soldiers at one point. But eventually, they were also forced to leave.

The soldiers found 110 ponies in the village. They also found a supply of dried meat, which they shared with Crook's sick and wounded men. The soldiers were very interested to find items from the Battle of Little Bighorn. These included a flag (called a guidon) from the 7th Cavalry and the bloody gloves of Captain Myles Keogh, who had died at Little Bighorn. They also found army guns and ammunition.

On September 10, Crook's hungry army left the burning village. They headed towards the Black Hills to get food and supplies. The Sioux continued to fight them for a few more days. Finally, on September 15, Crook's army met a supply group. The fighting at Slim Buttes resulted in the deaths of two U.S. cavalrymen and one of Crook's scouts. At least 10 Sioux warriors also died.

What Happened Next

The U.S. Army continued to search for other Native American camps. More important battles happened later, like the Dull Knife Fight in November and the Battle of Wolf Mountain in January 1877. These fights, along with the harsh winter, convinced most of the Sioux and Cheyenne that fighting the soldiers was too difficult.

In May 1877, Crazy Horse surrendered at Fort Robinson. Sitting Bull led his remaining followers into Canada.

The place where the Battle of Slim Buttes happened is on private land today. There is a monument nearby that remembers the battle.

Who Fought in the Battle

Sioux Warriors

• American Horse's group of Miniconjou Sioux (about 30-40 warriors)
• Crazy Horse's mixed group of Sans Arcs, Brule, and others (600-800 warriors)

U.S. Army

• Led by Brig. Gen. George Crook
• Included soldiers from the 2nd U.S. Cavalry, 3rd U.S. Cavalry (including Captain Anson Mills's group), and 5th U.S. Cavalry.
• Also included infantry (foot soldiers) from the 4th U.S. Infantry, 9th U.S. Infantry, and 14th U.S. Infantry.

See also

In Spanish: Batalla de Slim Buttes para niños