Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
commander of the area, Colonel H. B. Carrington, gave orders to build a fort at the
fork of Big Piney and Little Piney Creeks. The fort was named after Civil War gen-
eral Phil Kearny. Both the Cheyenne and Jim Bridger had warned Carrington that it
was a death wish to build the fort in the middle of the Sioux's hunting ground. But
the warnings went unheeded.
True to their word, the Sioux made numerous attacks on the fort. Within the first
five months, there were numerous civilian and military losses as well as the theft
of horses, mules, and cattle. The fort's construction required timber and logs to be
shipped in from the nearby Big Horn Mountains, and the trains were easy targets for
the Sioux.
In mid-December 1866, Captain William J. Fetterman and his 18th Cavalry were
stationed at the fort. Fetterman did not think highly of the Sioux's fighting skills
and was convinced that if given the opportunity, his 80 men “could ride through the
whole Sioux nation.” In response, Jim Bridger reminded Fetterman and his men that
although they had fought in the South during the Civil War, “they don't know any-
thing about fighting Indians.”
On December 21, 1866, the Sioux attacked a lumber train heading toward the fort.
Fetterman and his men responded to the cries for help, intending to ward off the at-
tackers. The 18th Cavalry pursued the attackers, chasing the Indians who dared to
taunt them, and rode right into a well-designed ambush about five miles from the
fort. The 81 men were dead within 30 minutes. No one would see such an oblitera-
tion of U.S. troops until Custer's last stand at the Battle of the Little Bighorn 10 years
later.
For this brief period, the Sioux had successfully defended their territory. The
Bozeman Trail was no longer used, and by 1868 Fort Kearny was abandoned.
Today the site of the fight, which is two miles from the fort along Old Highway
87, is marked by a stone monument. The site of
Fort Phil Kearny
has been des-
ignated a National Historic Landmark. Although the original fort was burned to
the ground, most likely by Indians, it was partially reconstructed in 2000. There
is also a small
museum
(528 Wagon Box Rd., Big Horn, 307/684-7629,
www.fortphilkearny.com
,
grounds dawn-dusk daily, museum and visitors center
8am-6pm daily May 15-Sept. 30, or by appointment, $4 adult nonresidents, free for
children under 18).
