Battle of Washita River

Significance

The Battle of the Washita River on November 27, 1868, saw Lt. Col. George Armstrong Custer lead the 7th U.S. Cavalry in an attack on Black Kettle's Southern Cheyenne camp on the Washita River. The engagement occurred within the broader American Indian Wars and represented a direct application of the U.S. Army's winter campaign strategy against Plains Indian villages. Black Kettle, the Cheyenne leader present at the camp, was a prominent figure in the Southern Cheyenne. The attack on his camp marked a significant moment in the military pressure the United States was exerting on Southern Plains tribes during this period of the conflict.

Commanders (3)