The Fetterman Fight was the worst U.S. Army defeat on the Great Plains to that date, with all 81 soldiers killed in a Native American ambush.
Key Facts
- Date
- December 21, 1866
- U.S. soldiers killed
- 81 men
- Decoy warriors
- 10, including Crazy Horse
- U.S. base
- Fort Phil Kearny, Wyoming
- Native alliance
- Lakota, Cheyenne, and Arapaho
By the Numbers
Location
Cause → Event → Consequence
During Red Cloud's War, the U.S. Army maintained forts along the Bozeman Trail to protect emigrant travelers, encroaching on lands claimed by the Lakota and their allies. Tensions culminated in a deliberate Native American plan to draw U.S. soldiers out of Fort Phil Kearny using a small decoy party, exploiting the aggressive tendencies of the garrison's officers.
On December 21, 1866, ten warriors including Crazy Horse lured Captain William J. Fetterman and his entire detachment of 81 soldiers beyond Lodge Trail Ridge and into a prepared ambush. The combined Lakota, Cheyenne, and Arapaho force killed every member of the U.S. detachment, representing a complete tactical victory for the Native alliance.
The defeat shocked the U.S. military establishment and led to the eventual withdrawal of American forces from the region. It was the largest single U.S. Army loss on the Great Plains up to that point, and ultimately contributed to the government's reassessment of its military strategy along the Bozeman Trail during Red Cloud's War.
Belligerents & Mobilization Analysis
Side A
1 belligerent
Captain William J. Fetterman.
Side B
1 belligerent
Crazy Horse (decoy leader).