The Sand Creek massacre, also called the Chivington massacre, was a heinous act perpetrated by the US Army in which it massacred Cheyenne and Arapaho people in the American Indian Wars and it took place on November 29, 1864.
A painting of Sand Creek Massacre by Frederic Remington. (Photo credit: Wikimedia Commons)
New Delhi: The Sand Creek massacre, also called the Chivington massacre, was a heinous act perpetrated by the US Army in which it massacred Cheyenne and Arapaho people in the American Indian Wars and it took place on November 29, 1864. In the massacre, a force of 675 men of the Third Colorado Cavalry commanded by Colonel John Chivington attacked and destroyed a village of Cheyenne and Arapaho people in southeastern Colorado. As per estimates, more than 600 Native American people lost their lives.
The Prelude to the Sand Creek Massacre: Treaty Violations and Growing Tensions
The Treaty of Fort Laramie in 1851 between the US and seven Indian nations, including the Cheyenne and Arapaho was signed. As per the treaty, the US recognized the territory of Cheyenne and Arapaho which was vast in size. But in November 1858, gold was discovered in the Rocky Mountains in Colorado which was part of the Kansas Territory. Immigrants went en masse to Cheyenne and Arapaho lands in search of gold. They competed for resources, and some settlers tried to stay. The discovery of gold changed the entire scenario and a new treaty was to be signed.
At the end of 1863 and at the beginning of 1864, there were words of coalition among the plains tribes to “drive the whites out of the country.” In 1864, during spring and summer, the Comanches, Sioux, Kiowas, Arapahos and Cheyennes murdered numerous civilians and destroyed livestock and crops. The United States warned that the retaliation would be brutal, while the Native American People were hell-bent on driving the ‘whites’ out of their territory.
The Sand Creek Massacre: A Brutal Attack and Mass Slaughter of Native Americans
On November 28, 1864, Chivington and 425 men of the 3rd Colorado Cavalry rode to Fort Lyon and then some of them rode to the Black Kettle’s encampment which was a peaceful settlement of the Native Americans. On the next morning, Chivington gave the order to attack and his men immediately attacked the village, ignoring the white flag that was flying and killing as many Indians as possible.
The mountain of dead bodies
The natives could not resist due to a lack of artillery and were massacred mercilessly. Chivington, in his testimony before a Congressional committee which was investigating the incident, claimed that 500 to 600 Native Indians were killed. According to historian Alan Brinkley, 133 Indians lost their lives. According to white eyewitness John S. Smith, 70 to 80 Indians were killed, including 20 to 30 warriors. Today, the place of the massacre has been designated the Sand Creek Massacre National Historic Site and the National Park Service administers it.
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