Tongue River Massacre (1820) facts for kids

The Tongue River massacre was a major attack in 1820. It involved Cheyenne and Lakota warriors. They attacked a camp of Crow people. Some historical records say this was one of the biggest losses for the Crow tribe.

Why the Conflict Started

Old Rivalries Between Tribes

The Cheyenne and Crow tribes had been enemies for a long time. This was true even before European settlers arrived. Their conflicts happened in areas like the Yellowstone and Powder River. The Lakotas were also enemies of the Crow people.

Past Battles and Revenge

A Lakota historical record, called a winter count, mentions a fight in 1800-1801. It says "Thirty Dakotas [Lakotas] were killed by Crow Indians." The Lakotas got their revenge the next year. Several Lakotas, with help from the Cheyenne, attacked a Crow camp. They killed all the men in a camp of 30 tipis. They also took the women and children as captives.

The 1819 Cheyenne Raid

Before the 1820 massacre, there was another important event. In 1819, Cheyenne warriors tried to raid a Crow camp. The Crow people defended their horse herds. During this defense, 30 Cheyenne Bowstring warriors were killed. This loss made the Cheyenne very angry and led to the larger attack in 1820.

The Attack on the Crow Camp

Preparing for Revenge

To get revenge for their lost warriors, the entire Cheyenne tribe decided to act. They carried their sacred arrows, called Mahuts, into battle. This was a very important war expedition against the Crow. A camp of Lakota warriors also joined them.

The Journey to Tongue River

The Cheyenne and Lakota warriors set up camp at Powder River. This area is now in either Montana or Wyoming. Just before dark, some Crow people from a camp at the Tongue River accidentally found them. The Cheyenne and Lakota realized they had been seen. They quickly got ready to attack their enemies.

Meanwhile, the Crow camp also prepared a large war party. Their plan was to strike first and drive the enemies out of their land. But during the night, the two groups of warriors passed each other without knowing it. The Crow warriors lost track of the Cheyenne and Lakota camps and never found them.

The Surprise Attack

The Cheyenne and Lakota warriors then attacked the Crow camp at noon. The Crow camp was mostly made up of women, children, and older men. They were not ready for a fight. The attackers quickly took control. They killed the older men and captured the horse herds. They also took the women and children as captives. The camp was completely destroyed.

Disagreement Over Captives

On their way back to Powder River, the Cheyenne and Lakota had a disagreement. They argued about how to divide the more than 100 captives. During this heated argument, some of the Crow women and children who had been captured were killed by the warriors.

Historical Records of the Battle

The battle is mentioned in the Oglala Lakota American Horse's winter count. This record says it was a Crow camp with 100 tipis. It states that the Lakotas "killed many and took many prisoners." This event was likely the most severe defeat for the Crow tribe in battle during that time.

It is hard to know all the details about this battle. There are not many sources. It is difficult to name all the leaders or know the exact number of fighters or casualties. Sometimes, this attack might be confused with other big victories by the Cheyenne or Lakota over the Crow. In 1876, a Crow scout named James H. Bradley shared what he knew about the battle.

After the Massacre

Lasting Impact on Alliances

The 1820 massacre had a big impact. It prevented the Cheyenne and Lakota from ever becoming allies with the Crow. They tried to form an alliance later during Red Cloud's War in the 1860s, but the memory of this event made it impossible.

Revenge and Memories

In the years that followed, the Crow tribe launched revenge attacks. The Cheyenne then took revenge for those attacks. In 1865, a Cheyenne warrior named George Bent visited the site of the massacre with his tribe. He said there was still evidence of the destruction. They found broken tipi poles and old stone weapons in the grass.

Over time, the Crow people began to blame only the Lakota for the 1820 attack. More than 100 years later, Crow chief Plenty Coups spoke about the massacre. He said the Crows had almost been wiped out on "that terrible day" in 1820. Another Crow woman, Pretty Shield, shared a similar view.

The Sacred Arrows

Around 1830, the Cheyenne Indians lost their Sacred Arrows. This happened when they tried to repeat their victory over the Crow. They attacked a hunting camp of Pawnee Indians, but they were defeated.

Images for kids

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  Crow chief Plenty Coups told about the never forgotten massacre on a big Crow camp in 1820 to Frank B. Linderman.