The Sand Creek Massacre

The mother wit brook wallopingAlthough the American general human beings in the 1860s believed that Native American Indians were nothing more than indeed savages, in that location are a few slipperinesss where the general man were sympathetic to Native Americans. The back creek Massacre is the virtually public example of where the United States governing mistreated Indians, as well as an ideal example of where the public was go forthraged at the handling of Indians. The grit brook Massacre occurred on the 29th of November 1864 forty-two miles away from strengthen Lyon Colorado, on this solar day friendly Cheyenne and Arapahoe Indians were attacked by a conclave of Colorado militia led by a man called Colonel john Chivington. ( autobiography.com, n.d.) The gumption Creek Massacre was a horrific tragedy in which many a(prenominal) terrible war crimes were pass onted.Important PeopleColonel Chivington is one of the most prominent figures of the moxie Creek Massacre. Colonel Chivington was the commanding officer of the Colorado reserves. Chivington was born(p) in 1821 he later became a Methodist minister in 1844 who pr for each oneed against slavery. When the Civil state of war started he signed on for a bit commission, in 1862 Chivington had worked his way to the position of Major in the Colorado voluntary Regiment. He was herald as a military hero for his procedure in battle of Glorietta Pass. (THE WEST, 2001)Tensions between whiteneds and Indians were approaching its climax in the optic of Chivington political career. He openly opposed the idea of having peace talks with Native Americans. (THE WEST, 2001)Chivington was a bangn greatot, who was known to have said I have come to kill Indians, and believe it is dependable and honorable to aim any means under Gods heaven to kill Indians. (A C retreatr Look, 2002) In August of 1864, he declared that the Cheyennes allow have to be like blue murder whipped or completely wiped out bef ore they will be quiet. I say that if any of them are caught in your vicinity, the whole thing to do is kill them. (THE WEST, 2001) On November 29 of 1864 Colonel legerdemain M. Chivington lead a mathematical group of Colorado Militia of around 700-750 to attack the peaceful Cheyenne and Arapaho Indian military reserve, that had approximately only 500 men, women, and children. (Documents on the Sand Creek Massacre, 1864-1865)Colonel Chivington, in the interrogation by the Joint committal on the Conduct of the struggle had reported that there were about el make up (11) or twelve (12) deoxycytidine monophosphate Indians of these about seven degree Celsius were warriors, and the remainder were women and children. (U.S., Congress, House of Representatives, 1865) When Chivington was questioned by the Committee on the Conduct of the War about the number of Indians killed including women and children killed he responded by tell I judge there were five hundred or six hundred India ns killed, and From all I could learn, I arrived at the mop up that but few women or children had been slain. (U.S., Congress, House of Representatives, 1865) How constantly the actual poem are more likely around 105 women and children and 28 men, as well as mutilating the dead and wounded. (A Closer Look, 2002) Chivington was asked for what reason did he commit the attack and what led he believe that blue kettledrums Cheyenne Indians were assertive towards whites. To which he replied My reason for making the attack on the Indian camping site was, that I believed the Indians in the camp were hostile to the whites. That they were of the same tribes with those who had murdered many persons and destroyed much valuable property on the Platte and Arkansas rivers during the front spring, summer and fall was beyond a doubt. (U.S., Congress, House of Representatives, 1865) In his testimony, Chivington was asked if he had any reason to suspect that Black Kettle and the Indians with hi m had been peaceful. Chivington responded by saying I had no reason to believe that Black Kettle and the Indians with him were in good faith at peace with the whites. (U.S., Congress, House of Representatives, 1865) This is in concomitant a boldfaced lie because several witnesses testified that Captain Soule and Lieutenant Cramer led a large contingency of Fort Lyon soldiers that confronted Chivington and told him that Black Kettle had surrendered. (U.S., Congress, House of Representatives, 1865) in conclusion Chivington was court marshaled for his part in the massacre, nothing came of it because he was no weeklong part of the Army, and hence no charges were ever made. He did however lose his military and political power in Colorado, he locomote butt to Ohio where he attempted to run for a state legislature base but was quickly shut out. He then moved to capital of Colorado where he became a deputy sheriff until his death in 1892. (THE WEST, 2001)Black Kettle was the Chief of t he Southern Cheyenne. Black Kettle lived on an enormous region of land that reached from western Kansas to eastern Colorado which was given to the Indians on the conditions of the write of Fort Laramie Treaty of 1851. The 1851 Fort Laramie Treaty defined territory for each tribal group in order to end intertribal argument and it permitted travelers and railroad workers on the Platte River Road. (Nd.gov,)However this treaty was broken after the discovery of gold at Pikes Peak in 1859. Instead of removing the unlawful colonists, the U.S. government hale the Southern Cheyenne to sign a new treaty forfeiting most of their lands, with the exception of the Sand Creek reservation. Even though the Sand Creek reservation was inhabit, not able to grow crops and not taut to any herds of buffalo, Black Kettle was fearful of the United States Massive soldiers power and what would happen if they refused. Due to the lack of food and supplies, younger anthropoid Indians started to raid set tlers and wagon trains. In the spring of 1864 a Colorado Militia group attacked a group of peaceful Cheyenne Indians. This horrid casualty sparked Indian uprisings all over the massive Plains region. Black Kettle discerning that even with the Civil War going on the whites still had a vastly superior military power, so in order to check his tribes survival, Black Kettle went to Fort Weed, Colorado, where he was promised that his tribe would be salutary as long as they stayed on the Sand Creek reservation. (Black Kettle, 2001)Colonel Chivington however, attacked the Sand Creek reservation, by some miracle Black Kettle and his wife both(prenominal) survived the attack. Even having lived though the carnage at Sand Creek he continued to advocate peace with the U.S. After being moved to some other reservation, Black Kettle signed the Medicine Lodge Treaty of 1867, which moved his people onto two smaller reservations in modern day Oklahoma. History tends to have a way of repeating i tself. On the 27th of November 1868, alone two days shy of the fourth anniversary. On this fateful day Lieutenant Colonel Custer attacked Black Kettles village and both Black Kettle and his wifes circumstances had run out and they were killed. (Black Kettle, 2001)The Battle of Sand CreekThe Battle of Sand Creek, as the Rocky Mountain News called it, was stated that it was Among the brilliant feats of weapons system in Indian warfare, the recent campaign of our Colorado volunteers will provide in history with few rivals, and none to exceed it in closing results. (Rocky Mountain News, p.1) Although Colonel Chivington portrayed the attack on the Sand Creek reservation as a battle in which there were, at the m of the attack, about eleven (11) or twelve (12) hundred Indians of these about seven hundred were warriors (U.S., Congress, House of Representatives, 1865). However in truth there were only about 500 men, women and children according to John Smith in the village. (Smith, 186 5)The Indians were in fact peaceful and tried to surrender. When the Indians first saw the soldiers, they rushed to go and blend the United States Indian interpreter and special Indian agent John S. Smith who was stationed in the village in order to get intelligence on the Indians. Black Kettle ran this American flag up to the top of his lodge, with a small white flag tied right under it, as he had been advised to do in case he should meet with any troops out on the prairies. (Smith, 1865) That is a crystal clear picture of a peaceful group of Indians, the white flag of truce or peace is a near universal joint symbol. Regardless of this the soldiers attacked with artillery and then foot soldiers swept the Creek bed, violent death every Indian they could find, often hunting pile fleeing children. Kill them big and small, (Smith, 1865) Chivington was reported saying. After six hours, about cl Indians, a billet of the camps population, lay dead. The soldiers took three prisoners, all children. A dozen soldiers were killed, some evidently by friendly fire in the frenzy. (Smith, 1865) Much less then what Chivington who estimated that between three and four hundred of the savages got away with their lives, and taking into level the huge exaggeration of about eleven (11) or twelve (12) hundred Indians of these about seven hundred were warriors at the camp. (U.S., Congress, House of Representatives, 1865).AtrocitiesThe Sand Creek Massacre was packed full with scores of despicable atrocities. The Sand Creek Massacre in itself was horrific, more women and children were killed then actually warriors. Out of 150 dead Indians more than 70 percent were women and children. Seventy dead bodies fiction there the greater portion women and children. There may have been 30 warriors, old and young the rest were women and small children of different ages and sizes. (Smith, 1865) This was said by John Smith a Native American interpreter in his social intercourseional test imony.Furthermore there was massive mutilation to the corpses of the deceased Indians. In John Smiths testimony he declared I saw the bodies of those lying there cut all to pieces, worse mutilated than any I ever saw before the women cut all to pieces. (Smith, 1865) When asked how they were cut? Smith replied With knives scalped their brains knocked out children two or three months old all ages lying there, from imbibe infants up to warriors. (Smith, 1865) Even Mr. Smith half-breed son was not spared, even though several officers thought that the kid could be handy as a translator and guide. (Smith, 1865)Those are the more extreme, of course there was the ordinarily spoils of war, or looting depending on who you ask.The RepercussionsThe Sand Creek Massacre forced the United States government to reconsider the treatment of Native Americans. Many members of congress started to look into the mistreatment of Indians and stated To maintain peace with the Indian, let the frontier settle r treat him with humanity, and railroad directors see to it that he is not shot down by employees in wanton cruelty. In short, if settlers and railroad men will treat Indians as they would treat white men under akin circumstances, we apprehend but little trouble will exist. (New Directions, 1868)After the Sand Creek Massacre there were two major conflict category events that involved Indians happened, the Battle of Little Big Horn and the wound knee Massacre.Many people in the United States do not know that the Sand Creek Massacre was a major turning picture in the treatment of Native Americans. This is due to the Civil War that was in full swing at this point in time. Because of the Civil War the Indian problem, this is including the treatment and the general racism against Indians, took a backseat in estimate of the emersion of racism towards African Americans.The Sand Creek Massacre brought the issue of Indian mistreatment to Congresses front door.Sand Creek massacre Hist ory.comThis twenty-four hour period in History 11/29/1864. (n.d.).History.com History Made Every Day American World History. RetrievedDecember 5, 2012, fromhttp//www.history.com/this-day-in-history/-sand-creek-massacre(History.com, n.d.)phosphate buffer solution. (n.d.). phosphate buffer solution THE WEST John M.Chivington. PBS creation BroadcastingService. Retrieved December 5, 2012,Fromhttp//www.pbs.org/weta/thewest/people/a_c/chivington.htm (THE WEST, 2001)Davis, S. L. (n.d.). Sand Creek MassacreA Closer Look. BUFFALO SOLDIERS INDIAN WARS . Retrieved December 5,2012, from http//www.buffalosoldier.net/SandCreekMassacre.htm(A Closer Look, 2002)Great Battle With Indians The SavagesDispersed 500 Indians Killed Our Loss 9Killed, 38 Wounded Full Particulars, .(1864, December 14). ROCKY MOUNTAINNEWS, p. 1.(Rocky Mountain News, p.1)Broadcasting Service. (n.d.). PBS THEWEST Documents on the Sand CreekMassacre (1864-1865). PBS PublicBroadcasting Service. RetrievedDecember 5, 2012, from http//www.pbs.org/weta/thewest/resources/archives/four/sandcrk.htm(Documents on the Sand Creek Massacre, 1864-1865)U.S., Congress, House of Representatives (1865)Massacre of the Cheyenne Indians, (Report on the Conduct of the War, 38 Cong., 2 sess.,p.101-108) Washington, DCGovernment Printing Office, 1865 Retrieved fromhttp//www.kclonewolf.com/History/SandCreek/sc-documents/sc-2JCCW.html(U.S., Congress, House of Representatives, 1865)Tribal diachronic Overview The 1851 FortLaramie Treaty. (n.d.). ND Studies.Retrieved December 5, 2012, fromhttp//www.ndstudies.org/resources/IndianStudies/standingrock/1851treaty.html (Nd.gov, )Broadcasting Service. (n.d.). PBS THEWEST Black Kettle. PBS PublicBroadcasting Service. RetrievedDecember 5, 2012, from http//www.pbs.org/weta/thewest/people/a_c/blackkettle.htm(Black Kettle, 2001)Congressional witness of Mr. John S.Smith. (1865, March 14). UH DigitalHistory. Retrieved December 5, 2012,fromhttp//www.digitalhistory.uh.edu/disp_textbook .cfm?smtID=3psid=1150(Smith, 1865)