Colorado Forts- Fetterman

[springfield art]

There was a Fort Fetterman in CO back in the 1800's, I believe. Current senator Fetterman would be right at home with his homespun Carrhart hoodies!

 

[Antelope Pete]

I think Fort Fetterman was in Wyoming.

 

[Phil Coffins]

What is now Wyoming.

 

[Rancocas]

The Fetterman massacre!

 

[springfield art]

I think Fort Fetterman was in Wyoming.

OK!

 

[springfield art]

The Fetterman massacre!

Was there a massacre there? Back in history?

 

[Phil Coffins]

It was a battle that the Indians won, hence a massacre.

 

[springfield art]

It was a battle that the Indians won, hence a massacre.

Ha! You're right! If the Indians won, it's a massacre! I don't know what they called the murderous slaughter of women & children at Wounded Knee! Even the men warriors were asleep, it's not like they were attacking US troopers. Which reminds us, the infamous Lt. Calley died recently.

 

[Rancocas]

Captain William J. Fetterman was stationed at the newly constructed Fort Phil Kearny for the purpose of protecting the Boseman Trail. Fetterman was a Civil War veteran, but he had no experience with Indians. Arrogant and contemptuous of their Indian enemies, he supposedly boasted, "Give me 80 men and I can ride through the whole Sioux nation."
December 21, 1866. He had that exact chance when he was ordered to go to the rescue of a small wagon train that was under attack. It was a trap set by Red Cloud. Fetterman and 80 troopers were all killed.

 

[springfield art]

Captain William J. Fetterman was stationed at the newly constructed Fort Phil Kearny for the purpose of protecting the Boseman Trail. Fetterman was a Civil War veteran, but he had no experience with Indians. Arrogant and contemptuous of their Indian enemies, he supposedly boasted, "Give me 80 men and I can ride through the whole Sioux nation."
December 21, 1866. He had that exact chance when he was ordered to go to the rescue of a small wagon train that was under attack. It was a trap set by Red Cloud. Fetterman and 80 troopers were all killed.

Wow! Thanks for that! Arrogance gets many killed!

 

[Antelope Pete]

The often told tale about Fetterman's 80 man boast is likely a tall tale. According to the book "Where A Hundred Soldiers Were Killed" by John H. Monnett there was no mention about that statement until 1904 in a book by Cyrus Brady titled "Indian Fights and Fighters". Brady worked with Ft. Phil Kearny commander Henry Carrington and his second wife Francis. Francis Carrington was married to cavalry officer William Grummond who was also killed at the Fetterman fight and has been blamed for the whole fight because he went too far chasing the Indians which made Fetterman feel compelled to go to his aid. Francis and Henry Carrington might have been trying to clear William's name and their own by blaming Fetterman. Seems awfully coincidental that the body count was exactly the same as what Fetterman supposedly bragged about.
Another thing is that a week or so earlier Fetterman got in an Indian fight and came away not underestimating his adversary.

 

[Packrat]

It might be a barn house story, but I think the US did not appreciate what the Indians were capable of, on rare occasion, I admit. Kind of like the war in Vietnam, we underestimated what Charlie was capable of, TET springs to mind, and I was there

 

[Shortfingers]

I think Fort Fetterman was in Wyoming.

Yes, just outside of Douglas, Wyoming.

 

[Shortfingers]

Was there a massacre there? Back in history?

It was between what is now Buffalo and Sheridan, Wyoming. Just north of Fort Phil Kearney.

 

[Shortfingers]

The often told tale about Fetterman's 80 man boast is likely a tall tale. According to the book "Where A Hundred Soldiers Were Killed" by John H. Monnett there was no mention about that statement until 1904 in a book by Cyrus Brady titled "Indian Fights and Fighters". Brady worked with Ft. Phil Kearny commander Henry Carrington and his second wife Francis. Francis Carrington was married to cavalry officer William Grummond who was also killed at the Fetterman fight and has been blamed for the whole fight because he went too far chasing the Indians which made Fetterman feel compelled to go to his aid. Francis and Henry Carrington might have been trying to clear William's name and their own by blaming Fetterman. Seems awfully coincidental that the body count was exactly the same as what Fetterman supposedly bragged about.
Another thing is that a week or so earlier Fetterman got in an Indian fight and came away not underestimating his adversary.

Crazy Horse spent many days setting up the trap that Fetterman fell into. He was told, ordered, not to go past Lodge Trail Ridge but could not resist the opportunity to chase and kill a few Lakota who had been hassling the fort for months. There was a treaty in place stating that there would be no forts built in the Powder River country but alas that treaty like almost all others was broken by the Wasicu.

 

[Shortfingers]

It might be a barn house story, but I think the US did not appreciate what the Indians were capable of, on rare occasion, I admit. Kind of like the war in Vietnam, we underestimated what Charlie was capable of, TET springs to mind, and I was there

Thank you for your service. TET was not a good time to be in Nam.

 

[Shortfingers]

The often told tale about Fetterman's 80 man boast is likely a tall tale. According to the book "Where A Hundred Soldiers Were Killed" by John H. Monnett there was no mention about that statement until 1904 in a book by Cyrus Brady titled "Indian Fights and Fighters". Brady worked with Ft. Phil Kearny commander Henry Carrington and his second wife Francis. Francis Carrington was married to cavalry officer William Grummond who was also killed at the Fetterman fight and has been blamed for the whole fight because he went too far chasing the Indians which made Fetterman feel compelled to go to his aid. Francis and Henry Carrington might have been trying to clear William's name and their own by blaming Fetterman. Seems awfully coincidental that the body count was exactly the same as what Fetterman supposedly bragged about.
Another thing is that a week or so earlier Fetterman got in an Indian fight and came away not underestimating his adversary.

Read “Hundred in the Hand” by Joseph M Marshall III for a Lakota perspective on that battle.

 

[BuffaloSoldier]

I visited the site several years ago, it was a perfect place to set up the fights that we now call the "Fetterman Massacre". The command left the fort with a mixed unit of cavalry and infantry to pursue some Indians that had appeared to the sentries. The cavalry pulled away from the infantry and got sucked into an ambush that killed all of them. I don't recall how the infantry faired after that. It's been many years since I was there.

 

[82ndPA]

Here's Duelist1954's take on the Fettrrman Fight:

 

[Shortfingers]

I visited the site several years ago, it was a perfect place to set up the fights that we now call the "Fetterman Massacre". The command left the fort with a mixed unit of cavalry and infantry to pursue some Indians that had appeared to the sentries. The cavalry pulled away from the infantry and got sucked into an ambush that killed all of them. I don't recall how the infantry faired after that. It's been many years since I was there.

I visited the site several years ago, it was a perfect place to set up the fights that we now call the "Fetterman Massacre". The command left the fort with a mixed unit of cavalry and infantry to pursue some Indians that had appeared to the sentries. The cavalry pulled away from the infantry and got sucked into an ambush that killed all of them. I don't recall how the infantry faired after that. It's been many years since I was there.

If I remember correctly even the infantry was surrounded and killed.