Volume 12 , Issue 35

Battle of Turkey Springs & Red Hills

Homer Hawkins sent us this link to Freedom, Oklahoma website concerning The Battle of Turkey Springs & Red Hills.

The Battle of Turkey Springs & Red Hills was the last armed conflict between the US Cavalry and American Indians, in Indian Territory, September 13 and 14, 1878.

What brought on this conflict was when a band of Northern Cheyenne left the Cheyenne and Arapaho Agency near Fort Reno without permission and fled north and westward toward their former homelands on the Northern Plains. This exodus has been known as the Cheyenne Outbreak or dull Knife's Raid. The Northern Cheyenne people were merely attempting to return to their home in Montana and Wyoming.

The flight of the Cheyenne brought about a pursuit by companies G and H of the 4th U.S. Calvalry, stationed at Fort reno, under the command of Captain Joseph Rendlebrock.

The Northern Cheyenne were led by Morning Star or Dull Knife and Little Wolf. They fled through Northwest Oklahoma. Twelve hours later, the cavalry made a move to follow the Cheyenne. On the rolling red hills and canyons north of the Cimarron River in Woods county (approximately twelve miles north of present day Freedom, Oklahoma, a battle pursued, known as the "Battle of Turkey Springs."

It is stated on the Freedom website, "The band of Cheyenne likely had been moving as one group with scouts flung out in all directions to screen their flanks and forage. They avoided the road from Camp Supply to Fort Reno, rather moving through the breaks of the Canadian watershed and over the divide to the Cimarron River country, crossing west of Eagle Chief Creek. While on scout, the Northern Cheyenne encountered two cowboy without he Comanche Pool Cattle co. These salt-haulers were killed for their guns and horses. The peaceful flight and ended. The exodus then was named the Last Indian Raid. More civilians would die as the band made their way through Kansas, especially along Sappa Creek in the northwest. The Cheyenne Band was comprised of 92 men, 120 women and 141 children. They did not want to fight their way north, but had pledged to do so in order to return home. The Cheyenne were determined to leave the land of their southern kin, and go home."   |  View or Add Comments (0 Comments)   |   Receive updates ( subscribers)  |   Unsubscribe

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