June 17th, 1876 marked the Battle of Rosebud Creek in the Montana Territory. Thaddeus Capron was a lieutenant in the U.S. Army. He kept a diary that recorded the events of the day. The Army troops had been reinforced by 180 Crow and 86 Shoshoni warriors.
The objective was for General George Crook’s troops and their Native American allies to drive the Lakota and Cheyenne back onto their reservation. Crook’s men had been out on expedition for weeks and the day before the battle had traveled 42 miles. Men and mules were all very tired.
The next morning, following along the Rosebud Creek, the Army was surprised by an attack of the Lakota and Cheyenne. The battle lasted for six hours and was bloody on both sides. Twenty-one Army officers were wounded with ten killed. The number of Native American casualties is uncertain.
Read the Thaddeus Capron diary in his papers at UW’s American Heritage Center.
For more information, visit the American Heritage Center site.