This engagement, fought the day after Wounded Knee, resulted in the Ninth Cavalry rescuing a pinned-down Seventh Cavalry and led to an official inquiry into Col. Forsyth's command.
Key Facts
- Date
- December 30, 1890
- Location
- White Clay Creek, Pine Ridge Indian Reservation, South Dakota
- Distance from Pine Ridge
- 15 miles
- Medals of Honor awarded
- 3 soldiers recognized for actions at White Clay Creek
- Cavalry units involved
- 7th Cavalry (A) and 9th Cavalry Buffalo Soldiers (relief)
By the Numbers
Location
Cause → Event → Consequence
The day after the Wounded Knee Massacre, the Seventh Cavalry under Col. James W. Forsyth rode out to investigate reports that Brulé Lakota under Chief Two Strike had burned a Catholic mission on White Clay Creek. The same Brulé warriors had also allegedly attacked a 9th Cavalry supply train that morning, heightening tensions on the Pine Ridge reservation.
While reconnoitering along White Clay Creek, the Seventh Cavalry was drawn into a valley and hotly engaged by combined Lakota forces who occupied commanding heights. Pinned down and unable to withdraw, Forsyth called for assistance. A battalion of the Ninth Cavalry, a Buffalo Soldier regiment under Maj. Guy V. Henry, responded and, together with the Seventh, drove the Lakota from their elevated positions.
Maj. Gen. Nelson A. Miles severely criticized Forsyth for allowing his command to be trapped in the valley and submitted findings alongside his Wounded Knee inquiry. Secretary of War Redfield Proctor ultimately exonerated Forsyth of wrongdoing at both engagements. Three soldiers received the Medal of Honor for their actions, and Lt. Sedgwick Rice was awarded a Distinguished Service Medal nearly three decades later.
Belligerents & Mobilization Analysis
Side A
1 belligerent
Col. James W. Forsyth, Maj. Guy V. Henry.
Side B
1 belligerent
Chief Two Strike.