What Led to the Little Bighorn: Early Beginnings: The Grattan Affair

The 1851 Fort Laramie Treaty was never truly agreed upon. Sioux and Cheyenne never signed its amended form. They had agreed to an original version. Congress, however, amended it before finally ratifying it later.

By that time the various Indian bands and tribes had scattered. The treaty is a study in itself, but several factors led to a flawed negotiation. Misunderstandings – and violations – resulted.

The logistics of sustaining a huge encampment in one place for months would have been impossible. Challenges included sanitation and sustenance, both for people and horses.

Of necessity, tribes scattered out in order to find newer, cleaner camp areas as well as grazing for their horse herds. The tribes needed hunting opportunities in order to feed their members in the short run, and winter was approaching.

The treaty was negotiated in September. Harsh winter months loomed. Much hunting and preparation were needed in order for tribes to lay in stores of dried meat and pemmican. Therefore, they dispersed after the original version of the treaty was signed.

Regardless, both sides believed the main tenets of the treaty had been agreed upon. Failure to follow this treaty resulted in large amounts of needless conflict and death. Those consequences would follow for more than two decades, even beyond the Little Bighorn.

One of the more notable events that started the coming conflicts is sometimes called the Grattan Affair (some have called it the Grattan Massacre.)

Most readers will be generally familiar with the Oregon Trail, or at least its existence. Gold discoveries in California, along with the opening of the trail to Oregon’s Willamette Valley, led to increasing wagon traffic over the trail. Also, widespread drought in 1853 and 54 left many plains tribes with few buffalo to hunt. Conditions became ripe for conflict.

In August of 1854 a group of Mormon emigrants was approaching Fort Laramie. A large band of Brule Sioux was also camped near the fort. A lame ox belonging to one of the emigrants wandered away from the train and close to the Sioux encampment.

A brave named High Forehead was visiting from another band of Sioux. Whether on a lark or due to hunger, he shot the ox. Its owner proceeded to Fort Laramie and complained about the incident, demanding that he be paid $25 for the ox.

Uncertainties surround the incident. The ox may have been abandoned, and its owner simply saw an opportunity for reimbursement. It is also unknown as to whether the owner actually expected cash from the Indians. Given that the tribes normally traded and bartered, it seems unlikely they would even have owned or understood white man’s money at that point.

Perhaps the ox’s owner thought the U.S. Government would pay him cash at the fort for his loss. One can also speculate on the lame ox’s value. A quick AI search indicates that $25 would not have been too unreasonable, at least for a healthy ox at that time. That price sounds high for a lame ox, however.

(NOTE: Trapper, explorer and trader Jim Bridger established Fort Bridger as a trading post farther west on the Oregon Trail. He supplemented his income by purchasing lame or worn-down oxen, cattle, horses and mules from trail-weary emigrants. He would then sell healthy, rehabilitated livestock at a profit to parties of settlers coming later along the trail.)

Regardless, after the killing of the lame ox, Brule Chief Conquering Bear went to Fort Laramie and offered a number of his own horses as payment for the beast. The owner of the lame ox would not be placated. As a result, the fort’s commander demanded the Sioux bring the offender to him for punishment.

However, Sioux “law” prohibited the Brule from turning a visitor or guest over to the white men. Such a practice would also violate the 1851 treaty. The treaty stated that the tribe and its government agent should handle to incident. Instead, the fort’s commander sent a detachment of soldiers to the Brule camp to arrest High Forehead. It did not go well for them.

The detachment of 29 soldiers was led by young 2^nd Lieutenant John Grattan, fresh out of West Point. At only 22 years old, he had no experience in either armed conflict or in dealing with Indians. He led his infantrymen into the Sioux encampment and confronted the tribe’s chief who had tried to defuse the situation. Knowing the soldiers were coming, the tribe’s warriors had prepared accordingly.

It is unknown who fired the first shot, or why, but someone in the camp fired. Mayhem ensued. Brave Bear was killed. Surrounded by armed warriors, all the soldiers were quickly wiped out. Grattan himself was found with 24 arrows protruding from his body.

Sadly the Grattan incident was just the opening act in the decades of conflict to follow. It had both a prequel and a sequel.

Issues began in that area the previous year. A few bands of Oglala and Brule Sioux had camped peacefully in the area for some time. However, an aggressive band of Miniconjou had come to the area also and had camped at the Platte Ferry crossing. They harassed emigrants and exacted tolls from them, likely in the form of flour, sugar, coffee and other goods. (More on this when Fanny Kelly is profiled in May.)

On June 15, 1853 a Minneconjou brave fired a shot toward an army sergeant who was out on the ferry. Whether he missed intentionally or by accident is unknown. What is known is that the matter was reported at Fort Laramie and then dealt with.

Within two days a contingent of soldiers went to the Miniconjou camp to arrest the warrior. They planned to take hostages with which to bargain for his surrender. They were led by Hugh Fleming, also a recent West Pointer. A classmate of Grattan, he had graduated in 1852. The next year he would command the fort.

Conflict arose. Those warriors in camp withdrew away from the meeting, and the soldiers fired on them, killing three. A few squaws were also taken as captives. It appeared the matter was settled during negotiations that followed.

The problem was that most of the camp’s warriors had been away on their spring hunts. Easy success seemed to give the soldiers a false impression. Now they believed all they must do is make a show of strength in such disputes.

George Custer would gain much the same impression in his battles against Sioux war parties in 1873. Much like Grattan, he would find his impression was wrong.

The sad sequel to the event is that Brigadier General William Harney would then come to Fort Laramie and issue an ultimatum. Any Indians who came to the fort would be treated as peaceful. They would be issued food and supplies to sustain them near the fort. Any Indians who did not move to the fort would be seen as considered warlike. They would be attacked.

Brave Bear’s band, now under Chief Little Thunder, believed it was already known as a peaceful tribe. Therefore, they did not report to Fort Laramie. Harney located their village, attacked it and destroyed it. At least 86 Sioux died. More than 70 women and children were captured.

The perceived success of Harney’s use of force further set the stage.  Plains tribes waged guerilla-like warfare, while whites waged large-scale military actions. Their conflicts would span more than two more decades to come. They would reach their apex at the Little Bighorn.

One of the greatest leaders in that conflict would be the Oglala chief Red Cloud. (Stay tuned.)