John Lawrence Grattan facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
John Lawrence Grattan
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|---|---|
| Born | June 1, 1830 Corinth, Vermont |
| Died | August 19, 1854 (aged 24) Near Fort Laramie, Wyoming |
| Buried |
Fort Leavenworth, Kansas
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| Allegiance |  United States of America |
| Service/ |
 United States Army |
| Years of service | 1853–1854 |
| Rank |  Second Lieutenant |
| Unit | 6th Infantry Regiment |
| Battles/wars | American Indian Wars |
John Lawrence Grattan (born June 1, 1830 – died August 19, 1854) was a young officer in the U.S. Cavalry. His lack of experience and poor choices led to the Grattan massacre. This event was a major cause of the First Sioux War.
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Who Was John Grattan?
John L. Grattan was born in Corinth, Vermont on June 1, 1830. His mother, Sarah Rogers, passed away when he was only five years old. His father, Peter Grattan, moved with John and his sister Mary to Lisbon, New Hampshire. There, his father worked as a wheel maker.
Grattan's Time at West Point
John Grattan joined the West Point military academy in 1849. He struggled with his studies there. Out of 63 students, he ranked low in French and engineering. He even failed mathematics completely. Because of this, he had to repeat a year.
He tried harder the next year and improved his grades. However, by his final year, he again fell to the bottom third of his class. In 1853, he graduated 36th out of 55 students. Some of his classmates became famous generals in the American Civil War. Grattan, however, became known for a big mistake during his very first command.
Military Service on the Frontier
After graduating, Grattan's poor grades meant he didn't get a clear officer assignment right away. He was made a temporary Second Lieutenant in the 6th Infantry. He was supposed to report to Fort Laramie by October 1, 1853. But he didn't arrive until November 16, 1853.
Grattan's Reputation at Fort Laramie
Within his first month at Fort Laramie, Grattan gained a reputation. Reports from the post doctor, Charles Page, said Grattan was bold and boastful. He seemed proud to be in the army. However, Dr. Page also noted a troubling trait. Grattan showed dislike for American Indians. This was before he had even met any of them, except those near the fort.
In the summer of 1854, new settlers moving west faced raids from the Cheyenne people. They asked the army for help. After one raid, settlers chased the Cheyenne warriors. But they stopped before fighting them. When Grattan heard this, he made fun of the settlers. He said they were afraid to fight.
However, the settlers and traders were experienced. They thought the Cheyenne were trying to trick them into an ambush. So, they stopped chasing and reported the event to Fort Laramie. Grattan then boasted that he could defeat the entire Cheyenne nation with just 10 men.
Tensions Rise Near Fort Laramie
Around this time, many Lakota and Oglala people camped near Fort Laramie. They were waiting for supplies promised by a treaty. Their villages stretched for three miles along the North Platte River. In these camps, older chiefs tried to control younger warriors. These young warriors were angry because their people were starving. They were also upset about broken promises from the white government.
Fort Laramie was commanded by two young, inexperienced officers. One of them was the bold and untested Second Lieutenant Grattan.
The Incident of the Cow
The Native Americans were very hungry, waiting for weeks for their supplies. A Mormon wagon train passed through the area. One of their cows, which was old and limping, wandered off. Since game was hard to find, the Sioux people butchered the cow and ate it.
On August 18, 1854, the wagon train reached Fort Laramie. The cow's owner complained to Lieutenant Hugh Fleming that his cow had been stolen. The owner had found the Indians butchering his missing cow. Lt. Fleming sent for Conquering Bear, the leader of the group that had taken the cow.
Negotiations and Demands
Conquering Bear knew that the Treaty of 1851 required payment for stolen property. But he also knew this was not a military matter. It should have been handled by the Indian Agent, John Whitfield, who was due to arrive soon. Lt. Fleming wanted the warrior who killed the cow, High Forehead, arrested.
Conquering Bear went to the fort, thinking it was a small issue. But Lt. Fleming, being inexperienced, was easily influenced by the settlers. Conquering Bear offered the owner any of his 60 horses. But the owner refused. He wanted $25 in cash instead.
Lt. Grattan joined the talks and immediately sided with the cow owner. Encouraged by Grattan's support, Lt. Fleming demanded High Forehead be arrested. Conquering Bear explained that he had no power over High Forehead. High Forehead was from another tribe and was a guest in his village. It was against his tribe's customs to arrest a guest. Conquering Bear left the fort. He offered to show the soldiers High Forehead's lodge. But he insisted that his people would not help with the arrest.
Grattan's March to the Village
The next morning, Lt. Fleming allowed Lt. Grattan to take 22 soldiers. This was a poor choice. The fort only had 75 soldiers total. That day, 32 were away cutting wood and hay. So, Fleming was left with very few soldiers.
To make things worse, Lt. Grattan took 29 soldiers, seven more than allowed. He also took two artillery cannons. Most of the soldiers with Grattan were experienced. But their translator, Luciene Auguste, spoke the Dakota language poorly. The Sioux also disliked him. Lt. Grattan, with no experience with Native Americans, was leading his small group into a large Sioux camp. This camp was full of young warriors angry about broken promises.
The Grattan Battle Begins
The Sioux village had about 600 lodges and 4,800 people. Around 1,200 of them were warriors. Some experienced soldiers with Grattan quietly said their small group was in a bad spot. They thought leaving would be a good idea.
A Trader's Warning
Halfway into the village, Grattan saw hostile warriors riding around his group. He stopped and asked for advice from James Bordeau. Bordeau was an experienced trader who had lived on the frontier for many years. He was in the village trading when the army arrived. He didn't know the army planned to arrest High Forehead.
Bordeau later said that Auguste, the translator, was shouting to the Native Americans that the army had come to kill them all. Grattan asked Bordeau how to solve the problem without fighting. Bordeau told Grattan to speak with Conquering Bear again. He suggested letting Conquering Bear handle it in his own time.
At this point, Auguste was riding wildly, saying they had come to fight, not talk. Lt. Grattan led his group deeper into the village. He found High Forehead. When ordered to surrender, High Forehead dared Grattan to fight him one-on-one. He said he would die rather than surrender. This made Grattan very angry.
The Final Confrontation
Grattan then tried to negotiate with Conquering Bear. The Native American leader asked Grattan to get James Bordeau to translate. He said Auguste would not translate correctly. Another leader, Man-Afraid-Of-His-Horse, went to get Bordeau. But before Bordeau arrived, the tension between Grattan and Conquering Bear grew. Bordeau quickly realized violence was unavoidable and turned back.
At some point, Lt. Grattan ordered his two cannons to point at the village. Immediately, hundreds of warriors surrounded the soldiers. A young warrior named Red Cloud led a group to surround the soldiers. Bordeau decided to try and stop the violence again. But when he got close, he saw the warriors surrounding the soldiers. He heard the heated argument between Grattan and Conquering Bear. He retreated again. Bordeau returned to his trading post. He told all the traders there to load their weapons, as a fight was coming.
Lt. Grattan ended his meeting. He seemed to be planning to leave as Conquering Bear walked toward his lodge. But before Grattan reached his soldiers, a nervous soldier fired at some approaching warriors. One warrior was wounded. Grattan first moved to his cannons. However, his gun crews were the first to fall, hit by many arrows. Lt. Grattan died near the cannons.
His group, now with only 18 men, tried to reach a rocky area to defend themselves. But they had to cross an open field. They met Red Cloud's warriors there. The rest of Grattan's soldiers were quickly defeated and killed.
