Battle of the Badlands

Overview

The Battle of the Badlands was fought in Dakota Territory, in what is now western North Dakota, between the United States army led by General Alfred Sully and the Lakota, Yanktonai, and the Dakota Indian tribes. The battle was fought August 7–9, 1864 between what are now Medora and Sentinel Butte, North Dakota. It was an extension of the conflict begun in the Dakota War of 1862. Sully successfully marched through the badlands encountering only moderate resistance from the Sioux.

Overview adapted from Wikipedia, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.

Significance

The Battle of the Badlands was fought in August 1864 in Dakota Territory, in the area between present-day Medora and Sentinel Butte in western North Dakota. The engagement was an extension of the broader conflict ignited by the Dakota War of 1862, as U.S. forces sought to press operations against Lakota, Yanktonai, and Dakota tribes across the northern plains. General Alfred Sully led a force of approximately 2,200 troops against roughly 1,000 Hunkpapa and allied warriors. Sully's column successfully traversed the badlands terrain, meeting only moderate resistance, which demonstrated the U.S. Army's capacity to project force through difficult interior country and maintain operational momentum against Sioux bands in Dakota Territory.

Forces & casualties

Commanders (2)