Dull Knife Fight
| Dull Knife Fight | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Part of the Great Sioux War of 1876 | |||||||
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| Belligerents | |||||||
| Cheyenne |
 United States
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| Commanders and leaders | |||||||
|
Dull Knife Little Wolf Roman Nose Gray Head Old Bear |
Ranald S. Mackenzie
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| Strength | |||||||
| ~400 | ~1,000 | ||||||
| Casualties and losses | |||||||
| 40 killed unknown wounded |
7 killed 26 wounded |
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The Dull Knife Fight, or the Battle on the Red Fork, part of the Great Sioux War of 1876, was a battle that was fought on November 25, 1876 in present-day Johnson County, Wyoming between soldiers and scouts of the United States Army and warriors of the Northern Cheyenne. The battle essentially ended the Northern Cheyennes' ability to continue the fight for their freedom on the Great Plains.
After soldiers from Fort Fetterman in Wyoming Territory under Brigadier General George Crook fought the Northern Cheyenne's at the Battle of Powder River, on March 17, 1876, the Battle of Prairie Dog Creek on June 9, 1876, the Battle of the Rosebud on June 17, 1876, and the Battle of Slim Buttes on September 9–10, 1876, General Crook received reinforcements at his Goose Creek, Wyoming supply base and began to move up the old Bozeman Trail towards Crazy Horse. After learning of a village of Cheyennes in October, 1876, Crook sent Colonel Ranald S. Mackenzie into the Southern Powder River Country to locate it.
Colonel Mackenzie departed Camp Robinson, Nebraska with nearly 1,000 soldiers in 11 companies of the 2nd, 3rd, 4th, and 5th United States Cavalry Regiments. He also had a large contingent of 400 Indian scouts, including Pawnee led by Li-heris-oo-li-shar, Shoshone led by O-ho-a-tay, Arapaho led by "Sharp Nose", Sioux led by "Three Bears", Bannocks led by Tup-si-paw, and Cheyenne. The expedition of 1500 officers and men left Fort Fetterman on 14 Nov. 1876, accompanied by four dismounted companies of the 4th Artillery and eleven cpmpanies of infantry from the 4th, 9th, 14th and 25th regiments under Col. R.I. Dodge, and a medical staff of 6 surgeons. The Indian scouts "scoured" the front, flank and rear up to 40 miles. The cavalry then pushed forward, ready to fall back on the infantry if necessary. A train of one 168 wagons, 7 ambulances, 219 drivers and attendants, 400 mules and 65 packers in the pack-train supplied the column. They waited out a snow storm at Cantonment Reno until 22 Nov.
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