Conquering Bear facts for kids
Matȟó Wayúhi ("Conquering Bear") (around 1800 – August 19, 1854) was an important leader of the Brulé Lakota tribe. He was known for signing the Fort Laramie Treaty in 1851. In 1854, Conquering Bear was killed during a conflict with soldiers from Fort Laramie. This event, sometimes called the Grattan massacre or "the Mormon Cow War," led to the death of all 30 soldiers involved. After Conquering Bear's death, Little Thunder became the new chief.
A Leader for His People
Conquering Bear was born around 1800. He was a member of the Brulé Lakota Sioux. During the Fort Laramie treaty meeting in 1851, American officials asked for the main chief from each tribe to sign for their people. Since no tribe had just one main leader, the Americans chose leaders for them. Conquering Bear was picked to represent the Lakota.
Conquering Bear was mostly a peaceful person, but he was also a brave warrior. When white settlers first started moving into the Native American lands, it caused problems for the tribes. The Native Americans wanted to live in peace and at first, they accepted the white newcomers. However, as more settlers arrived with their wagon trains and brought diseases, the Native Americans worried about losing their way of life. They signed many treaties to try and slow down the flow of settlers onto their land. But younger warriors among the Sioux were growing tired of broken promises. It was up to older leaders like Conquering Bear to try and keep these young warriors calm and guide them.
The Fort Laramie Incident
In August 1854, Conquering Bear and his people were camped near Fort Laramie. They were trying to keep the peace, following the treaties as they understood them. Supplies and food were supposed to be delivered as part of the treaty. Many different Sioux groups had gathered along the North Platte River for this purpose. It's thought that about 600 lodges were there, meaning around 4,000 people in total. About 1,200 of these were warriors.
A Mormon wagon train was passing through, and one of their cows wandered away. A hungry Miniconjou Lakota warrior named High Forehead, who was visiting Conquering Bear's camp, killed and ate the cow with his family. The Lakota had not eaten for some time, waiting for their promised supplies. The Mormon settler reported to the army at Fort Laramie that his animal had been stolen.
Lt. John Fleming, the senior officer at the fort, asked Conquering Bear to meet with him about the matter. Conquering Bear tried to make things right. He offered several of his own horses to pay for the cow. But the Mormon cow owner refused, demanding $25 instead. Lt. Fleming also demanded that Conquering Bear hand over the warrior who killed the cow. Conquering Bear refused. He explained that he had no power over a warrior from another group, and that the warrior was his guest.
Lt. Fleming was influenced by the Mormon settlers. His second-in-command, Second Lieutenant John Lawrence Grattan, was eager to take soldiers to arrest High Forehead.
A Tragic Event
With a cannon pointed at the Native American camp, the fragile peace was about to break. Lt. Grattan ordered Conquering Bear to give up the Miniconjou Lakota warrior, but Conquering Bear refused again. The talks went on for a long time. During this time, the translator, Auguste, made many mistakes in what he said. He also seemed confused and made rude comments to the Sioux warriors.
James Bordeau, a trader who owned a nearby trading post, was in the camp. He later gave the most reliable reports of what happened. Bordeau said that Auguste had insulted the Sioux warriors, calling them names. He also openly bragged that the soldiers would kill them all.
Seeing that the situation was getting worse, Lt. Grattan ended the talks. But before he could get back to his soldiers, a shot was fired by a nervous soldier. Conquering Bear was shot in the back as he walked away. Another shot hit another Native American nearby, wounding him. Angered by the shooting, the Lakota fought back. With the help of warriors like Spotted Tail, the Lakota quickly killed all the soldiers. Lt. Grattan was one of the first to die. About 18 soldiers tried to escape to some nearby rocks. However, warriors led by Red Cloud, who was a rising war leader at the time, cut them off. All the soldiers were killed.
Out of respect, the Brulé took the dying Conquering Bear out into the vast prairie. They wanted him to die with dignity, far from white people. They buried him there, laying to rest a respected leader, warrior, and peacemaker. This event caused a strong reaction from the US Army. They ignored the fact that Lt. Grattan had started the conflict. This incident greatly influenced the start of the First Sioux War.
