Battle of Rush Creek

Part of the Colorado War

Cedar Creek, formerly Rush Creek, near its confluence with the North Platte

Date	February 8–9, 1865
Location	Morrill County, Nebraska
Result	inconclusive

Belligerents

United States Army

Cheyenne, Lakota Sioux, and Arapaho tribes

Commanders and leaders

Lt. Col. William O. Collins

George Bent

Strength

185 soldiers

1,000 warriors

Casualties and losses

2-3 killed, 9 wounded

1+ killed, 2 wounded

The Battle of Rush Creek took place February 8–9, 1865 between about 185 soldiers of the U.S. army and 1,000 warriors of the Lakota Sioux, Cheyenne, and Arapaho tribes. The inconclusive battle took place four miles southeast of present-day Broadwater, Nebraska along both banks of the North Platte River.

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 and Montana. En route they sought revenge for Sand Creek, raiding along the South Platte River in Colorado and burning the settlement of Julesburg on February 2. On February 4–6, the Indians attacked a stagecoach station in the Battle of Mud Springs. Breaking off that battle to resume their journey northward, they crossed the North Platte River on the ice and camped among bluffs about five miles north of the river.

Lt. Col. William O. Collins and soldiers from his command, variously reported at between 140 and 185 in number, left Mud Springs on February 8 to find the Indians who may have numbered, with women and children, as many as 4,000 to 5,000. The food and other provisions the Indians had collected in their raids enabled such a large number to remain together rather than divide into smaller groups for hunting. On Rush Creek (today Cedar Creek) Collins found their previous encampment scattered over several miles of the creek valley and littered with the plunder from their raids, including empty cans of oysters, meat, and fruit. Collins followed the trail northward to the North Platte where, across the river, he saw Indians grazing their large horse herd.

The Indians had not anticipated that the out-numbered soldiers would pursue them and had set up their camp intending to remain there four days to rest their horses before undertaking a waterless 40 mile passage through the Nebraska Sand Hills. The young men and women had spent all night dancing and were asleep but were awakened suddenly at 2 p.m. when a single Sioux warrior signaled from a hilltop that soldiers were approaching. One thousand warriors mounted their horses and crossed the flat Platte Valley to engage the soldiers.

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