Sand Creek Massacre Black Kettle Colorado 1864

Sand Creek Massacre is one of the most horrific and devastating atrocities ever to befall the Cheyenne and Arapaho nations. With tensions running high between Native Americans and white settlers due to an increased influx into the Colorado territory by whites that were drawn to Colorado because of its hunting and gold prospecting opportunities, and in the aftermath of the U.S. Civil War, it was becoming increasingly dangerous to live on the plains. On November 29, 1864, Colonel John Chivington, without provocation, viciously attacked Cheyenne Chief Black Kettle's encampment at Sand Creek.

One of the main causes for the massacre was "rooted in the long conflict for control of the Great Plains of eastern Colorado," which had been gradually ceded to the United States via a series of treaties ("Nov 29, 1864: Native Americans are massacred at Sand Creek, Colorado"). With tensions steadily increasing between white settlers and Native Americans, John Evans, then governor of the Colorado territory, attempted to contain insubordinate Native Americans by inviting them to camp near military forts where they would receive "provisions and protections" ("Nov 29, 1864: Native Americans are massacred at Sand Creek, Colorado"). During this time, Colonel John Chivington, was called by Governor Evans to "quell the mounting violence" that was caused by the tension between Native Americans and white settlers ("The Sand Creek Massacre"). The final treaty entered into by Governor Evans and Black Kettle took place three months prior to the massacre at Sandy Creek. "In August 1864, Evans met with Black Kettle and several other chiefs to forge a new peace, and all parties [were] left satisfied" ("Nov 29, 1864: Native Americans are massacred at Sand Creek, Colorado").

However, peace would be short lived. In November, Colonel Chivington, after hearing about the impending Native American threat "sweeping the territory," left Denver to "join his troops in Booneville" and on the 28th of November, his "command arrived at Fort Lyon," a short distance from where Black Kettle and his followers were camped ("History & Culture"). "On the morning of November 29, [Chivington] led his troops, many of them drinking heavily, to Sand Creek and position them, along with four of their howitzers, around the Indian village" and attacked the settlement despite Black Kettle's signaling that the camp was peaceful ("The Sand Creek Massacre"). As a result of the attack, nine of approximately 650-700 of Chivington's men were killed and 148 of Black Kettles followers -- more than half of them women, children, and the elderly -- were dead ("Nov 29, 1864: Native Americans are massacred at Sand Creek, Colorado"). The Third Colorado Cavalry, which had volunteered to accompany Chivington, later returned and killed any wounded Native American and proceeded to mutilate their bodies before setting fire to the village.