Battle of Dry Creek (1865)

The Battle of Dry Creek, also known as the Battle of Dry Ford, and called Roman Nose's Fight by the Cheyenne's,^[1] part of the Powder River Expedition, was fought on September 8, 1865, by United States soldiers, and civilians, against Sioux, Cheyenne, and Arapaho warriors. The Battle occurred near the confluence of Dry (now called Pilgrim) Creek, and the Powder River, in present day Powder River County, Montana.^[2]

The Battle

On September 8, 1865, the over 2,000 United States soldiers and civilians, of Colonel Nelson D. Cole's and Lieutenant Colonel Samuel Walker's column's of the Powder River Expedition were marching South, up the Powder River, in Montana Territory. Unbeknownst to them, a village of Over 2,500 Cheyenne, Sioux, and Arapaho, containing over 1000 lodges, were camped less than ten miles away. When discovering this, the Cheyenne, Sioux, and Arapaho Warriors, not wanting the soldiers to attack their village, attacked the soldiers' column first. The soldiers' lead guard, of about 25 men, of the 16th Kansas Cavalry under the command of Second Lieutenant Charles Balance (Company F), was marching about one quarter of a mile ahead of the main column. This command was hit first. Out of the 25 men of the lead guard, two men became casualties: Private William P. Long, Company E, 16th Kansas Volunteer Cavalry, was Killed in action, and Corporal John Price of Company G, 16th Kansas Regiment was wounded. Lieutenant Balance sent one of his 24 remaining men back to Lieutenant Colonel Samuel Walker, who was now viewing the action unfold from a hill one mile back. Walker then sent a courier back to inform Colonel Nelson D. Cole of the attack. At the time, Cole was about two miles behind Colonel Walker, overseeing the crossing of his 100 wagon train over from the west to the east and right bank of the Powder River. In his words Cole ordered the train, "out of the timber and corralled", and he ordered the 12th Missouri Volunteer Cavalry "to skirmish through the woods along the river bank to drive out a body of Indians who were posted in the woods". A German immigrant, First Lieutenant Charles H. Springer, of Company B, in the 12th Missouri Cavalry, said that this took place at about 1:00 p.m. Springer, who was with the 12th Missouri clearing out the woods, described the seen in front of the command: "The whole bottom and hills in advance were covered full of Indians, or to use a soldiers expression, they were thicker than fiddlers in hell". The 12th Missouri Cavalry Regiment, 16th Kansas Cavalry Regiment, and one battalion of the 2nd Missouri Light Artillery Regiment with a section of two Rodman 3 inch. Ordnance Rifled Cannon advanced simultaneously, towards the Warriors. The cannon were unlimbered and began firing at Native American warriors gathered in some Woods located in a bend of the Powder River. George Bent, a Cheyenne participant said that the soldiers formed in a square around their wagons, and also mentioned Roman Nose performing several bravery rides all along the front of the soldiers' skirmish line, before his white pony was killed, throwing him off. Lieutenant Springer of the 12th Missouri mentioned in his diary that day the very same incident stating that an Indian had been making gestures in front of his line before a volley brought down his horse and made him "bite the dust". George Bent stated that Black Whetstone, who was an elderly Cheyenne man, was killed by one of the soldier's artillery shells during the battle, while smoking a pipe behind a hill.^[3] As Colonel Cole committed more men to the battle, gradually the Sioux and Cheyenne pulled off from the engagement. The last action of the battle took place on bluffs overlooking the east side of the Powder River, just south of the confluence of what is now called Pilgrim Creek and the Powder, when Major Lyman G. Bennett of the 4th Arkansas Volunteer Cavalry led a handful of soldiers up a steep hill that was being held by a few warriors. The men charged the hill, driving away the remaining warriors. In the charge, a Private of the 16th Regiment Kansas Volunteer Cavalry, was wounded in the foot.^[2]

Casualties

Native Americans

Killed in action-

Black Whetstone, Northern Cheyenne^[3]

Wounded in action-

Unknown Warrior, Northern Cheyenne, or Oglala Lakota

United States Army

Killed in action-

Private James P. Long, Company E, 16th Kansas Cavalry

Wounded in action-

Corporal John Price, Company G, 16th Kansas Cavalry
Unknown Private, 16th Kansas Cavalry

The Battlefield

The Battlefield is located on private land, near the confluence of Big Pilgrim Creek, Little Pilgrim Creek, and the Powder River, in Powder River County, Montana, about 5 miles (8.0 km) northeast of present-day Broadus, Montana. The battlefield is accessible from Powderville Road on the East side of the Powder River, but there are no signs marking the site.^[2]

Officers in the Engagement

Powder River Expedition Right Column

Colonel Nelson D. Cole, Headquarters, 2nd Missouri Artillery.
Colonel Oliver Wells, Headquarters, 12th Missouri Cavalry.
Major Clemenz Landgraeber, Headquarters, 2nd Missouri Artillery.
Major Lyman G. Bennett, Chief Engineer, 4th Arkansas Cavalry.
Captain McMurray, Headquarters, 2nd Missouri Artillery.
Captain Samuel Flagg, Company B, 2nd Missouri Artillery.
Captain Jefferson Miller, Company E, 2nd Missouri Artillery.
Captain William C. F. Montgomery, Company H, 2nd Missouri Artillery.
Captain Edward S. Rowland, Company K, 2nd Missouri Artillery.
Captain Charles H. Thurber, Company L, 2nd Missouri Artillery.
Captain Napoleon Boardman, Company M, 2nd Missouri Artillery.
First Lieutenant Charles H. Springer, Company B, 12th Missouri Cavalry.
First Lieutenant William Rinne, Company C, 2nd Missouri Artillery.
Second Lieutenant Frederick J. Amsden, U.S. Signal Corps, Department of the Missouri.
Second Lieutenant George R. Thorne, Acting Assistant Quartermaster
Second Lieutenant William T. Shaver, Headquarters, 12th Missouri Cavalry.
Second Lieutenant Hiram L. Kelly, Company A, 2nd Missouri Artillery.
Second Lieutenant Philip Smiley, Company H, 2nd Missouri Artillery.
Second Lieutenant Abram S. Hoagland, Company K, 2nd Missouri Artillery.
Second Lieutenant James A. Ferren, Company K, 2nd Missouri Artillery.

Powder River Expedition Central Column

Lieutenant Colonel Samuel Walker, Headquarters, 16th Kansas Cavalry.
Major Clarkson Reynolds, Headquarters, 16th Kansas Cavalry.
Captain Oscar F. Dunlap, Company H, 15th Kansas Cavalry.
First Lieutenant R. M. Fisk, Company H, 15th Kansas Cavalry.
Second Lieutenant Francis E. Smith, Company H, 15th Kansas Cavalry.
Second Lieutenant Edward Gill, Company H, 15th Kansas Cavalry.
Second Lieutenant Charles Balance, Company F, 16th Kansas Cavalry.

Order of Battle

United States Army, Powder River Expedition, July 1,-October 4, 1865. Brigadier General Patrick E. Connor, commanding (not present). Colonel Nelson D. Cole, 2nd Missouri Light Artillery Regiment, in command.

2nd Missouri Light Artillery Regiment, (equipped as Cavalry), Seven Companies, (Batteries), (B, C, D, E, H, L, M).
12th Missouri Volunteer Cavalry Regiment, Twelve Companies, (A, B, C, D, E, F, G, H, I, K, L, M ).
15th Kansas Volunteer Cavalry Regiment, One Company, (H).
16th Kansas Volunteer Cavalry Regiment, Eight Companies, (A, B, C, D, E, F, G, H ).

Division	Column	Regiments and Others
Powder River Expedition, Brigadier General Patrick E. Connor, commanding (not present). Colonel Nelson D. Cole, acting commander.	Left, Western Column Colonel James H. Kidd (not present)	not present
	Central, Middle Column Lieutenant Colonel Samuel Walker	15th Kansas Volunteer Cavalry Regiment (Company H): Captain Oscar F. Dunlap, First Lieutenant R. M. Fisk, Second Lieutenant Francis E. Smith 16th Kansas Volunteer Cavalry Regiment (Companies A, B, C, D, E, F, G, H ): Lieutenant Colonel Samuel Walker Mountain Howitzer Section (2 Cannon), manned by men from Company H, 15th Kansas Volunteer Cavalry Regiment): Second Lieutenant Edward Gill.
	Right, Eastern Column Colonel Nelson D. Cole	2nd Missouri Volunteer Light Artillery Regiment, (Batteries B, C, D, E, H, L, M): Colonel Nelson D. Cole 12th Missouri Volunteer Cavalry Regiment, (Companies A, B, C, D, E, F, G, H, I, K, L, M ): Colonel Oliver Wells Ordinance Rifle Section (2 Cannon), (manned by men from 2nd Missouri Volunteer Light Artillery Regiment): United States Signal Corps, (Detachment, 7 men): Second Lieutenant Frederick J. Amsden

Native Americans, Roman Nose, George Bent, Charles Bent, Black Whetstone†.

Northern Cheyenne.
Southern Cheyenne.
Oglalla Sioux.
Brule Sioux.
Arapaho.^[2]

Native Americans	Tribe	Leaders
Native Americans	Sioux, Oglala and Brulé	Red Cloud Sitting Bull
	Northern and Southern Cheyenne	Dull Knife Roman Nose George Bent Charles Bent Black Whetstone†
	Arapaho	Unknown

References

1 2 Brown, Dee (1970). Bury My Heart at Wounded Knee. New York: Holt, Rinehart & Winston. p. 114.
1 2 3 4 Wagner, David E.; Bennett, Lyman G. (2009). Powder River Odyssey: Nelson Cole's Western Campaign of 1865, The Journals of Lyman G. Bennett and Other Eyewitness Accounts. Arthur H. Clark Co. ISBN 978-0-87062-370-7.
1 2 Grinnell, George Bird The Fighting Cheyennes Norman: U of OK Press, 1915, pp. 177

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