The Grattan Fight: Prelude to a Generation of War | WyoHistory.org
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In 1854, a year of heavy traffic on the Oregon Trail, Fort Laramie was woefully undermanned, tribes were hungry and tensions were growing. That August, in a dispute over a strayed cow, a reckless young West Pointer ignited a war with the Lakota Sioux that would last a generation.

August 19 is the anniversary of the Grattan Fight in 1854. This was the starting point for the first of a series of wars that would take place over the next few decades, killing countless thousands of native peoples. To this date, the Sioux people had been willing to coexist peacefully with the invading forces.

The war begins with a mormon wagon train passing through Lakota territory the day before. One of their cows was lame, and fell behind. A Sioux warrior by the name of “High Forehead” found the animal, and since food was scarce due to the influx of white settlers, slaughtered the animal and fed the tribe. Fearing that the racist government would use it as an excuse to make life even worse, Chief Conquering Bear reported the event to the military fort, and offered a horse or a mule as reparation for the theft. As was the treaty procedure for situations like this, the local Indian Agent was summoned to negotiate a deal.

However, before the Indian Agent could arrive, Lt. Grattan of the US military insisted upon illegally arresting High Forehead personally. The commanding officer gave his approval, and 31 men were dispatched with artillery support and perhaps the most racist, drunk, and unqualified interpretter that could be found. Upon arrival in the village, Grattan treated the Sioux with contempt, and demanded that High Forehead be turned over. Chief Conquering Bear knew that the army had no jurisdiction per the Horse Creek Treaty and refused. Negotiations continued at gunpoint until one of Grattan’s men shot someone. Chief Conquering Bear still tried to maintain the peace, but he was mortally wounded and the US artillery opened fire. All 31 fascists and their racist interpretter were swiftly killed. Grattan was later identified by his pocket watch.

The US government framed this as an unprovoked massacre committed by the natives, and vowed revenge. The Lakota went to war. This would lead to more bloodshed and misery for the Lakota people and more broken treaties that I will talk about in other days. In modern times this is framed as an unfortunate incident that happened because hungry people ate a sick cow. But given the long history of broken treaties and ethnic cleansing from the American government, I think this would have happened anyway. I wrote about the Second Sioux War and the Sell or Starve Act earlier.