On July 3, 1908, Henry B. Carrington, Frances Grummond Carrigton and veterans of the Fort Phil Kearny garrison attended a memorial ceremony to dedicate this monument. Colonel Carrington and others recounted the events surrounding the battle of December 21, 1866, and their experiences at the fort.

To honor the battlefield dead, the monument had been constructed during the previous two years by local stonemasons. There are however, several inaccurcies in the legend and some of language reflects the racial feeling of the times. Historical records show that only two civilians were killed, not the four mentioned in legend. Current scholars also question whether Red Cloud led or was even at the battle. Native Amercan histories do not mention his presence, but do mention numerous other Sioux and Cheyenne leaders. Finally, the plaque states”there were no survivors,” but it obviously refers only to U.S. military casualties since approximately 1,500 Sioux and Cheyenne did in fact survive.

Today, this monument still honors the battlefield dead, but it should be remembered that members of two cultures died here, both fighting for their nations.

By 1866, twenty years of confrontation had occurred on the Northern Plains. European Americans pressured all the tribes in the quest of mineral wealth and settlement lands.

The Fort Laramie Treaty of 1851 attempted to curtail these confrontations. It established territorial boundaries for man of the Plains Indians and the United States Government was allowed to build roads and forts. All signators were allowed to cross on another’s territory unmolested and unhindered. But the diminishing buffalo herds and discoveries of gold led to continuing and escalating confrontation.

The discovery of gold in southwest Montana led to the establishment of the Bozeman Trail in 1863. By the fall of 1865 numerous fights with the European Americans had allied the Sioux, Cheyenne and Arapaho. The Crow Indians supported the military against these tribes. The high cost of military campaigns and the need for new roads with safe travel impressed upon the United States Government the need for new negotiations with the Northern Plains Indians. These negotiations began at Fort Laramie in June, 1866.

While the intent of the Treaty of 1866 was to allow the construction of forts and roads in exchange for bi-annual annuities, government officials failed to recognize the complexity of tribal politics. Some Indian leaders did sign the treaty and government officials assumed they had a treaty with all members of the tribes. When Carrington’s command arrived under orders to establish three forts on the Bozeman Trail, Red Cloud and other Indian leaders walked out of the talks declaring that war would occur if the trail was used and forts constructed. Carrington followed orders regarrisoning Fort Reno and established Forts Phil Kearny and C.F. Smith. The Indian leaders who refused to sign the treaty prepared for war.

With the arrival of reinforcements, supplies and two successive commanders, Fort Phil Keanry was reorganized and and the training of the soldiers increased. Skirmishes between the soldiers and the Indians continued through the spring and summer of 1867. Better arms and ammunition resulted in successful defenses at the Hay Field Fight and Wagon Box Fight on August 1 and 2.

News of the Fetterman Fight intensified the debate in the East between U.S. citizens with differing philosophies about the Indians. Some people avocated annihilation of the Indian nations while others advocated peaceful resolution of hostilities on the Western Plains.

The nation had survived four years of Civil War but the toll had been tremendous. Fighting Indians on the frontier was expensive and unpopular to those who wanted peace. Conflict in the West had created severe equipment and logstics problems for the post-war military.

In 1867, the military established Fort Fetterman, but the Treaty of 1868 closed the Bozeman Trail and Forts Phil Kearny, Reno and C.F. Smith. The treaty established reservations for the Sioux much like those set up for Cheyenne and Arapaho in 1866. The Interior Department became responsible for care and control of the tribes. It was hoped that the Indians would adopt Christian ways, become farmers and cease hostilities on the frontier

For six years, until gold was discovered in the Black Hills in 1874, an uneasy peace existed in the Powder River country. Soon thereafter, the Sioux, Cheyenne and Arapaho were at war on the Little Big Horn River.