Battle of Mud Springs

Battle of Mud Springs
Part of the Colorado War
Monument at Mud Springs Pony Express station site
Date February 4–6, 1865 Location Morrill County, Nebraska 41°29′4″N 103°1′2″W / 41.48444°N 103.01722°W / 41.48444; -103.01722Coordinates: 41°29′4″N 103°1′2″W / 41.48444°N 103.01722°W / 41.48444; -103.01722 Result inconclusive
Belligerents
United States of America	Cheyenne, Lakota Sioux, and Arapaho tribes
Commanders and leaders
William O. Collins
Strength
230 soldiers	500-1,000 warriors
Casualties and losses
1 dead, 8 wounded	few
Location within Nebraska

The Battle of Mud Springs took place February 4–6, 1865 in Nebraska between the U.S. army and warriors of the Lakota Sioux, Cheyenne, and Arapaho tribes. The battle was inconclusive although the Indians succeeded in capturing some Army horses and a herd of several hundred cattle. Mud Springs is located eight miles northwest of Dalton, Nebraska and is today a National Historic Site.

After the Sand Creek Massacre in November 1864 in Colorado, the Plains Indians of the three tribes in that region decided to move northward to the more-isolated Powder River Country of Wyoming. En route they sought revenge for Sand Creek, spending most of the month of January raiding along the South Platte River in Colorado and burning the settlement of Julesburg on February 2. On February 3, they burned a telegraph station on Lodgepole Creek and on February 4 an advance party of Sioux warriors appeared at Mud Springs, a stagecoach station with a telegraph. Only 14 men, including 9 soldiers, were behind the sod and log walls of the station.

Both Indians and soldiers appear to have been well-armed. Bullets from 21 different types of firearms have been found at the battle site. The most common arm of both sides may have been the Spencer carbine. The Indians also used bows and arrows. The Indians had abundant food and other supplies obtained from their raids in the South Platte Valley and thus were enabled to remain together in a large group for an extended period of time.

The advance party of Indians stole 18 horses and a large herd of cattle. The telegraph operator cabled for help to Fort Mitchell, 55 miles west, and Fort Laramie 105 miles west. At daybreak, next morning, after an all-night ride, Lt. William Ellsworth and 36 men reached Mud Springs from Fort Mitchell to reinforce the station. A large number of Indians, described as more than one thousand, arrived shortly thereafter. Ellsworth sent 16 men to occupy a bluff and prevent Indians from getting too close to the station, but they were attacked by 500 Indians and retreated to the station, suffering one man killed and one wounded. In the afternoon, the soldiers in the station opened the corrals and let their horses run loose. This had the desired effect of dispersing the Indians surrounding the station as they attempted to capture the animals. By that time, also, the Indians had tired of exchanging fire with the soldiers inside the thick-walled station and retired to their encampment about 10 miles east.