:''This event should not be confused with the

Powder River Expedition (1865) :''This event should not be confused with the Big Horn Expedition during the Black Hills War.'' The Powder River Expedition of 1865 also known as the Powder River War or Powder River Invasion, was a large and far-flung military operation of the U ...

.'' The Big Horn Expedition, or Bighorn Expedition, was a military operation of the

United States Army The United States Army (USA) is the land service branch of the United States Armed Forces. It is one of the eight U.S. uniformed services, and is designated as the Army of the United States in the U.S. Constitution.Article II, section 2, cla ...

against the

Sioux The Sioux or Oceti Sakowin (; Dakota language, Dakota: Help:IPA, /otʃʰeːtʰi ʃakoːwĩ/) are groups of Native Americans in the United States, Native American tribes and First Nations in Canada, First Nations peoples in North America. The ...

, and

Cheyenne The Cheyenne ( ) are an Indigenous people of the Great Plains. Their Cheyenne language belongs to the Algonquian language family. Today, the Cheyenne people are split into two federally recognized nations: the Southern Cheyenne, who are enroll ...

Indians in

Wyoming Territory The Territory of Wyoming was an organized incorporated territory of the United States that existed from July 25, 1868, until July 10, 1890, when it was admitted to the Union as the State of Wyoming. Cheyenne was the territorial capital. The bou ...

and

Montana Territory The Territory of Montana was an organized incorporated territory of the United States that existed from May 26, 1864, until November 8, 1889, when it was admitted as the 41st state in the Union as the state of Montana. Original boundaries T ...

. Although soldiers destroyed one Cheyenne and Oglala Sioux village, the expedition solidified

Lakota Lakota may refer to: * Lakota people, a confederation of seven related Native American tribes *Lakota language, the language of the Lakota peoples Place names In the United States: * Lakota, Iowa * Lakota, North Dakota, seat of Nelson County * La ...

Sioux and northern Cheyenne resistance against the United States attempt to force them to sell the

Black Hills The Black Hills ( lkt, Ȟe Sápa; chy, Moʼȯhta-voʼhonáaeva; hid, awaxaawi shiibisha) is an isolated mountain range rising from the Great Plains of North America in western South Dakota and extending into Wyoming, United States. Black Elk P ...

and live on a reservation, beginning the

Great Sioux War of 1876 The Great Sioux War of 1876, also known as the Black Hills War, was a series of battles and negotiations that occurred in 1876 and 1877 in an alliance of Lakota Sioux and Northern Cheyenne against the United States. The cause of the war was the ...

Background

The

Treaty of Fort Laramie (1868) The Treaty of Fort Laramie (also the Sioux Treaty of 1868) is an agreement between the United States and the Oglala, Miniconjou, and Brulé bands of Lakota people, Yanktonai Dakota and Arapaho Nation, following the failure of the first F ...

granted the Lakota Sioux and their northern Cheyenne allies a reservation, including the

, in

Dakota Territory The Territory of Dakota was an organized incorporated territory of the United States that existed from March 2, 1861, until November 2, 1889, when the final extent of the reduced territory was split and admitted to the Union as the states of No ...

and a large area of "unceded territory" in what became

Montana Montana () is a state in the Mountain West division of the Western United States. It is bordered by Idaho to the west, North Dakota and South Dakota to the east, Wyoming to the south, and the Canadian provinces of Alberta, British Columbi ...

and

Wyoming Wyoming () is a U.S. state, state in the Mountain states, Mountain West subregion of the Western United States. It is bordered by Montana to the north and northwest, South Dakota and Nebraska to the east, Idaho to the west, Utah to the south ...

. Both areas were for the exclusive use of the Indians, and whites except for government officials, were forbidden to trespass. In August, 1874, soldiers of the Black Hills Expedition under

Lieutenant Colonel Lieutenant colonel ( , ) is a rank of commissioned officers in the armies, most marine forces and some air forces of the world, above a major and below a colonel. Several police forces in the United States use the rank of lieutenant colone ...

George A. Custer George Armstrong Custer (December 5, 1839 – June 25, 1876) was a United States Army officer and cavalry commander in the American Civil War and the American Indian Wars. Custer graduated from West Point in 1861 at the bottom of his class, b ...

confirmed the discovery of gold in the Black Hills. This caused the United States to attempt to buy the Hills from the Sioux. The U.S. ordered all bands of Lakota and Cheyenne to come to the Indian agencies on the reservation by January 31, 1876 to negotiate the sale. Some of the bands did not comply and when the deadline of January 31 passed, the

Commissioner of Indian Affairs The Bureau of Indian Affairs (BIA), also known as Indian Affairs (IA), is a United States federal agency within the Department of the Interior. It is responsible for implementing federal laws and policies related to American Indians and ...

, John Q. Smith, wrote that "without the receipt of any news of

Sitting Bull Sitting Bull ( lkt, Tȟatȟáŋka Íyotake ; December 15, 1890) was a Hunkpapa Lakota leader who led his people during years of resistance against United States government policies. He was killed by Indian agency police on the Standing Rock I ...

's submission, I see no reason why...military operations against him should not commence at once." On February 8, 1876, General Phillip Sheridan telegraphed Generals George R. Crook and

Alfred H. Terry Alfred Howe Terry (November 10, 1827 – December 16, 1890) was a Union army, Union Major general (United States), general in the American Civil War and the military commander of the Dakota Territory from 1866 to 1869, and again from 1872 to 18 ...

, ordering them to undertake winter campaigns against the "hostiles".

March 1-3

In bitterly cold weather,

Brigadier General Brigadier general or Brigade general is a military rank used in many countries. It is the lowest ranking general officer in some countries. The rank is usually above a colonel, and below a major general or divisional general. When appointed ...

George Crook George R. Crook (September 8, 1828 – March 21, 1890) was a career United States Army officer, most noted for his distinguished service during the American Civil War and the Indian Wars. During the 1880s, the Apache nicknamed Crook ''Nantan ...

, commander of the

Department of the Platte The Department of the Platte was a military administrative district established by the U.S. Army on March 5, 1866, with boundaries encompassing Iowa, Nebraska, Dakota Territory, Utah Territory and a small portion of Idaho. With headquarters in Om ...

, marched north from Fort Fetterman near Douglas, Wyoming on March 1, 1876. General Crook's objective was to strike against the Indians while they were at their most vulnerable in their winter camps.

Crazy Horse Crazy Horse ( lkt, Tȟašúŋke Witkó, italic=no, , ; 1840 – September 5, 1877) was a Lakota war leader of the Oglala band in the 19th century. He took up arms against the United States federal government to fight against encroachment by wh ...

, and their followers were thought to be on the

Powder A powder is a dry, bulk solid composed of many very fine particles that may flow freely when shaken or tilted. Powders are a special sub-class of granular materials, although the terms ''powder'' and ''granular'' are sometimes used to distin ...

Tongue The tongue is a muscular organ (anatomy), organ in the mouth of a typical tetrapod. It manipulates food for mastication and swallowing as part of the digestive system, digestive process, and is the primary organ of taste. The tongue's upper surfa ...

, or Rosebud rivers. Crook's force consisted of 883 men, including ten companies of United States

cavalry Historically, cavalry (from the French word ''cavalerie'', itself derived from "cheval" meaning "horse") are soldiers or warriors who fight mounted on horseback. Cavalry were the most mobile of the combat arms, operating as light cavalry ...

, and two companies of

infantry Infantry is a military specialization which engages in ground combat on foot. Infantry generally consists of light infantry, mountain infantry, motorized infantry & mechanized infantry, airborne infantry, air assault infantry, and marine i ...

, along with civilian packers, scouts, guides, and a newspaper reporter, Robert Edmund Strahorn of

Denver Denver () is a consolidated city and county, the capital, and most populous city of the U.S. state of Colorado. Its population was 715,522 at the 2020 census, a 19.22% increase since 2010. It is the 19th-most populous city in the Unit ...

Rocky Mountain News The ''Rocky Mountain News'' (nicknamed the ''Rocky'') was a daily newspaper published in Denver, Colorado, United States, from April 23, 1859, until February 27, 2009. It was owned by the E. W. Scripps Company from 1926 until its closing. As ...

. Crook's highly valued chief scout was

Frank Grouard Frank Benjamin Grouard (also known as Frank Gruard and Benjamin Franklin Grouard) (September 20, 1850 – August 15, 1905) was a Scout and interpreter for General George Crook during the American Indian War of 1876. For the better part of ...

, who had lived among the Lakota and spoke their language.

Cattle herd skirmish

In the early morning hours of March 3, 1876 north of Fort Fetterman, Indian warriors attacked the Big Horn Expedition's

Cattle Cattle (''Bos taurus'') are large, domesticated, cloven-hooved, herbivores. They are a prominent modern member of the subfamily Bovinae and the most widespread species of the genus ''Bos''. Adult females are referred to as cows and adult mal ...

herd, numbering over 200 animals. The two herders fired at the warriors, and the Indians fired back. One of the government civilian employees, cattle herder John Wright was severely wounded by a bullet. The warriors then drove off and captured most of the cattle. Wright died of wounds received in the fight on March 28, 1876.

March 4-5

The soldiers had to heat their forks in the coals of fires to prevent the tines from freezing to their tongues. A

blizzard A blizzard is a severe snowstorm characterized by strong sustained winds and low visibility, lasting for a prolonged period of time—typically at least three or four hours. A ground blizzard is a weather condition where snow is not falling b ...

on March 5 deposited over a foot of snow and significantly delayed Crook's progress. Temperatures fell so low that the

thermometers A thermometer is a device that measures temperature or a temperature gradient (the degree of hotness or coldness of an object). A thermometer has two important elements: (1) a temperature sensor (e.g. the bulb of a mercury-in-glass thermomete ...

could not record the cold. Crook's column slowly followed the

Bozeman Trail The Bozeman Trail was an overland route in the western United States, connecting the gold rush territory of southern Montana to the Oregon Trail in eastern Wyoming. Its most important period was from 1863–68. Despite the fact that the major pa ...

north to Old Fort Reno, reaching it on March 5. The fort had been abandoned by the army eight years earlier. The expedition establish its supply base near the abandoned post and Crook ordered that the wagons be left at the depot. The Infantry accompanying the column, Companies C and I of the 4th U.S. Infantry, under the command of Captain Edwin M. Coates would serve as the station's guard. That evening, the expedition camped on the east bank of the Powder River opposite the site of the fort.

Fort Reno skirmish

By 8:00 p.m. on March 5, 1876, the soldiers' pickets were on duty and the camp was asleep, when Native American warriors hiding near the east end of the camp suddenly fired on the infantry picket lines. The soldiers on guard answered their fire, but being a dark night, all either side could see were the flashes of gunfire. The sleeping camp quickly awoke and many of the soldiers went toward the picket lines. In the firefight that ensued, Private James M. Slavey of Company I, 4th Infantry was wounded in the cheek by a bullet. The skirmish lasted for less than an hour. One aspect that made the engagement rare was that it was a night battle, which was not a common event during the

American Indian Wars The American Indian Wars, also known as the American Frontier Wars, and the Indian Wars, were fought by European governments and colonists in North America, and later by the United States and Canadian governments and American and Canadian settle ...

March 6–16

On March 6, the Bighorn expedition continued north, and on March 7 the five cavalry battalions set out toward the confluence of Prairie Dog Creek and the Tongue River. After reaching that point on March 12, the ten cavalry companies rode first down the Tongue, then to the headwaters of Otter Creek, reaching it on March 16. On the 16th, scout Frank Grouard spotted two

Oglala Lakota The Oglala (pronounced , meaning "to scatter one's own" in Lakota language) are one of the seven subtribes of the Lakota people who, along with the Dakota people, Dakota, make up the Sioux, Očhéthi Šakówiŋ (Seven Council Fires). A majority ...

warriors observing the soldiers. Because of this, Grouard believed that the

camp of the war chief

might be nearby. This was reported to Crook, and at 5 p.m. on March 16, he divided his command and sent

Colonel Colonel (abbreviated as Col., Col or COL) is a senior military officer rank used in many countries. It is also used in some police forces and paramilitary organizations. In the 17th, 18th and 19th centuries, a colonel was typically in charge of ...

Joseph J. Reynolds Joseph Jones Reynolds (January 4, 1822 – February 25, 1899) was an American engineer, educator, and military officer who fought in the American Civil War and the postbellum Indian Wars. Early life and career Reynolds was born in Fleming ...

West Point The United States Military Academy (USMA), also known Metonymy, metonymically as West Point or simply as Army, is a United States service academies, United States service academy in West Point, New York. It was originally established as a f ...

classmate of President

Ulysses S. Grant Ulysses S. Grant (born Hiram Ulysses Grant ; April 27, 1822July 23, 1885) was an American military officer and politician who served as the 18th president of the United States from 1869 to 1877. As Commanding General, he led the Union Ar ...

, and a combat veteran of both the

Mexican–American War The Mexican–American War, also known in the United States as the Mexican War and in Mexico as the (''United States intervention in Mexico''), was an armed conflict between the United States and Mexico from 1846 to 1848. It followed the 1 ...

, and

Civil War A civil war or intrastate war is a war between organized groups within the same state (or country). The aim of one side may be to take control of the country or a region, to achieve independence for a region, or to change government policies ...

) on a night march with about 379 men, supplying them with rations for one day, and following the trail of the two Oglala's southeast toward the Powder River. General Crook kept with him about 300 of the expedition's men and the pack train, with which he planned to rendezvous with Reynolds at the mouth of Lodge Pole Creek on the 17th. During the night Frank Grouard and the other scouts led Reynolds's advance and followed the two warriors's trail in the snow. It led to what they were looking for, a Cheyenne and Lakota Sioux Indian village, which they described as containing more than 100 lodges on the west bank of Powder River. The scouts immediately reported this information back to Colonel Reynolds.

Battle of Powder River

The village, however, was somewhat further north than anticipated, with the result that initially only Captain James Egan's 2nd Cavalry Company K, of 47 men, including Second Lieutenant John G. Bourke, charged into the village from the south, while the other companies were delayed by the distance and rough terrain. The soldiers were under fire for approximately five hours when, at about 2:30 p.m., with the destruction of the village complete, Reynolds ordered his soldiers to withdraw. Over 700 Indian ponies had been captured. In his premature haste to withdraw, the command left behind the bodies of its three dead soldiers, with one in the village, and two at a field hospital as well as Private Lorenzo E. Ayers, who was badly wounded and subsequently killed by vengeful Indians. The men made their way across to the east side of the frozen Powder River, withdrawing south. Reynolds's command withdrew about south that afternoon and evening, crossing and recrossing the frozen Powder River when necessary, up the river to the confluence of the Powder and Lodge Pole Creek, arriving there after 9:00 p.m. in an exhausted condition. However, General Crook was not there as he had camped over to the northeast and had failed to inform Reynolds of his new location. Although the Indians suffered only two to three killed and one to three wounded during the battle, they lost most of their property and, in the words of the Cheyenne warrior Wooden Leg, were "rendered very poor." The people walked several days to reach the Oglala Sioux village of

farther north near the Little Powder River, where they were given shelter and food. On the way, several Cheyenne froze to death. The army stated that the village consisted of about 104 lodges, including tipis and wikiups, while Cheyenne accounts said the village had about 40-65 tipis, and about 50 other structures. Therefore, around a hundred total structures made up the Indian village that day. The number of warriors involved in the battle numbered between 100 and 250, while there were about 379 U. S. soldiers and civilians present.

March 18–26

Early in the morning of March 18, the Cheyenne recaptured over 500 of their ponies, but Colonel Reynolds ordered his men not to pursue. At approximately 1:30 p.m. that day, Crook's command rejoined Reynolds with the pack train, and the six companies were finally able to collect their rations and blankets. The reunited column returned to the supply base at Old Fort Reno, where the wounded soldiers were placed in wagons, and Captain Coates's companies of the 4th Infantry rejoined the Big Horn Expedition after two weeks of separation. On March 26, 1876, the entire command, except for the four soldiers killed on March 17, returned to Fort Fetterman,

, ending the 26-day campaign.

Aftermath

The Big Horn Expedition's path covered over across five present-day counties in two states. The command suffered more than 79 casualties from various causes, including 4 killed, 8 wounded, 1 injured in an accident, and over 66 frostbitten. Colonel Reynolds was accused of dereliction of duty for failing to properly support the first charge at Powder River with his entire command; for burning the captured supplies, food, blankets, buffalo robes, and ammunition instead of keeping them for army use; and most of all, for losing hundreds of the captured horses. In January, 1877, his

court-martial A court-martial or court martial (plural ''courts-martial'' or ''courts martial'', as "martial" is a postpositive adjective) is a military court or a trial conducted in such a court. A court-martial is empowered to determine the guilt of memb ...

at Cheyenne, Wyoming Territory found Reynolds guilty of all three charges. He was sentenced to suspension from rank and command for one year. Reynolds's friend and West Point classmate, President Ulysses S. Grant, remitted the sentence, but he never served again. Joseph J. Reynolds retired on disability leave on June 25, 1877, exactly one year after the culminating battle of the Great Sioux War at the Little Bighorn. Crook's and Reynolds's failed expedition and their inability to seriously damage the Lakota and Cheyenne probably encouraged Indian resistance to the demands of the United States.

Casualties

Native Americans Killed in action- * Eagle Chief,

Northern Cheyenne The Northern Cheyenne Tribe of the Northern Cheyenne Indian Reservation ( chy, Tsėhéstáno; formerly named the Tongue River) is the federally recognized Northern Cheyenne tribe. Located in southeastern Montana, the reservation is approximately ...

, March 17. * Whirlwind,

, March 17. Wounded in action- * Braided Locks,

, March 17, "one cheek furrowed by a bullet". * unknown warrior,

, March 17 "forearm badly shattered". United States Army Killed in action- * Private Peter Dowdy, Company E, 3rd Cavalry, March 17. * Private George Schneider, Company K, 2nd Cavalry, March 17. * Private Michael I. McCannon, Company F, 3rd Cavalry, March 17. * Private Lorenzo E. Ayers, Company M, 3rd Cavalry, March 17. Mortally wounded- * Cattle Herder John Wright, mortally wounded March 3, died of wounds March 28. Wounded in action- * Private James M. Slavey, Company I, 4th Infantry, March 5. * First Lieutenant William C. Rawolle, Company E, 2nd Cavalry, March 17. * Sergeant Charles Kaminski, Company M, 3rd Cavalry, March 17. * Corporal John Lang, Company E, 2nd Cavalry, March 17. * Farrier Patrick Goings, Company K, 2nd Cavalry, March 17. * Private John Droege. Company K, 2nd Cavalry, March 17. * Private Edward Eagan, Company K, 2nd Cavalry, March 17. Injured- * Corporal John H. Moore, Company D, 3rd Cavalry, March 9, crushed by horse and severely injured Frostbitten- * Second Lieutenant John G. Bourke, Company L, 3rd Cavalry * 65 additional soldiers

Orders of battle

Native Americans, Chief's

Two Moon Two Moons (1847–1917), or ''Ishaynishus'' (Cheyenne: ''Éše'he Ôhnéšesêstse''), was one of the Cheyenne chiefs who took part in the Battle of the Little Bighorn and other battles against the United States Army. Life Two Moons was the son o ...

He Dog He or HE may refer to: Language * He (pronoun), an English pronoun * He (kana), the romanization of the Japanese kana へ * He (letter), the fifth letter of many Semitic alphabets * He (Cyrillic), a letter of the Cyrillic script called ''He'' ...

, Little Coyote (Little Wolf), and Old Bear. Between 100 and 250 warriors. United States Army Big Horn Expedition, March 1–26, 1876, Brigadier General George R. Crook and Colonel

, commanding. United States Army, Colonel

, 3rd United States Cavalry Regiment, in command. Brigadier General

following as an observer. * 2nd United States Cavalry Regiment. ** Company A, First Lieutenant Daniel C. Pearson. ** Company B, Captain James T. Peale. ** Company E, 53 men, First Lieutenant William C. Rawolle. ** Company I, 56 men, Captain Henry E. Noyes. ** Company K, 47 men, Captain James Egan. * 3rd United States Cavalry Regiment. ** Company A, First Lieutenant Joseph Lawson ** Company D, First Lieutenant William W. Robinson. ** Company E, 69 men, First Lieutenant John B. Johnson. ** Company F, 68 men, Captain Alexander Moore. ** Company H, 1 man, Second Lieutenant William W. Robinson, Jr. ** Company L, 1 man, Second Lieutenant John G. Bourke. ** Company M, 68 men, Captain

Anson Mills Anson Mills (August 31, 1834 – November 5, 1924) was a United States Army officer, surveyor, inventor, and entrepreneur. Engaged in south Texas as a land surveyor and civil engineer, he both named and laid out the city of El Paso, Texas. Mills a ...

. * 4th United States Infantry Regiment. ** Company C, Captain Edwin M. Coates ** Company I, Captain Samuel P. Ferris * Scouts, Guides, Herders, Packers, Wagoners, Ambulance Employees, Unattached Soldiers, and Civilians, 191 men. * Commissioned Officers......................................30 * Enlisted Soldiers..............................................662 * Scouts, Guides, Herders...................................35 * 5 Pack Trains, Chief Packer and employees....62 * Wagon Train employees...................................89 * Ambulance employees........................................5 * Aggregate......................................................883 men

Officers of the expedition

George R. Crook, Commander, Department of the Platte *

Joseph Jones Reynolds, Field and Staff, 3rd Cavalry *

Major Major (commandant in certain jurisdictions) is a military rank of commissioned officer status, with corresponding ranks existing in many military forces throughout the world. When used unhyphenated and in conjunction with no other indicators ...

Thaddeus Harlan Stanton Thaddeus H. Stanton (1835–1900), was Paymaster-General of the United States Army 1895–1899. Stevens began his active life as a Republican newspaperman and politician in Iowa. During the Civil War he joined the Union Army, serving as Paymaste ...

, Paymaster, Chief of Scouts *

Assistant Surgeon A surgeon's mate was a rank in the Royal Navy for a medically trained assistant to the ship's surgeon. The rank was renamed assistant surgeon in 1805, and was considered equivalent to the rank of master's mate/mate. In 1807, first-rate would ...

Curtis E. Munn, Medical Service, Department of the Platte * Acting Assistant Surgeon Charles R. Stephens, Medical Service, Department of the Platte * Acting Assistant Surgeon John Ridgely, Medical Service, Department of the Platte *

Captain Captain is a title, an appellative for the commanding officer of a military unit; the supreme leader of a navy ship, merchant ship, aeroplane, spacecraft, or other vessel; or the commander of a port, fire or police department, election precinct, e ...

, Company M, 3rd Cavalry, Commander, 1st Battalion *

William Hawley, Company A, 3rd Cavalry, Commander, 2nd Battalion *

Henry Erastus Noyes, Company I, 2nd Cavalry, Commander, 3rd Battalion *

Thomas Bull Dewees, Company A, 2nd Cavalry, Commander, 4th Battalion *

Alexander Moore, Company F, 3rd Cavalry, Commander, 5th Battalion *

Edwin Mortimer Coates, Company C, 4th Infantry, Commander, 6th Battalion *

Samuel P. Ferris, Company I, 4th Infantry *

James T. Peale, Company B, 2nd Cavalry *

James "Teddy" Egan, Company K, 2nd Cavalry *

First Lieutenant First lieutenant is a commissioned officer military rank in many armed forces; in some forces, it is an appointment. The rank of lieutenant has different meanings in different military formations, but in most forces it is sub-divided into a s ...

William Charles Rawolle ( wounded), Company E, 2nd Cavalry *

Martin E. O'Brien, Company A, 2nd Cavalry *

Christopher T. Hall, Company I, 2nd Cavalry *

Joseph Lawson, Company A, 3rd Cavalry *

William Wallace Robinson, Company D, 3rd Cavalry *

John Burgess Johnson, Company E, 3rd Cavalry *

Augustus Choutea Paul, Company M, 3rd Cavalry *

Second Lieutenant Second lieutenant is a junior commissioned officer military rank in many armed forces, comparable to NATO OF-1 rank. Australia The rank of second lieutenant existed in the military forces of the Australian colonies and Australian Army until ...

John Gregory Bourke John Gregory Bourke (; June 23, 1846 – June 8, 1896) was a captain in the United States Army and a prolific diarist and postbellum author; he wrote several books about the American Old West, including ethnologies of its indigenous peoples. He ...

, Aide-de-camp to General George Crook, Company L, 3rd Cavalry *

Charles Morton, Acting Regimental Adjutant and Quartermaster of Cavalry, Company A, 3rd Cavalry *

Charles W. Mason, Company I, 4th Infantry *

Daniel Crosby Pearson, Company A, 2nd Cavalry *

Frank U. Robinson *

Frederick William Sibley, Company E, 2nd Cavalry *

Joseph Lawson, Company A, 3rd Cavalry *

Bainbridge Reynolds, Company F, 3rd Cavalry

In popular culture

In 1951, Hollywood produced a fictional movie loosely based upon the Battle of Powder River of the Big Horn Expedition, starring

Van Heflin Emmett Evan "Van" Heflin Jr. (December 13, 1908 – July 23, 1971) was an American theatre, radio and film actor. He played mostly character parts over the course of his film career, but during the 1940s had a string of roles as a leading man. H ...

, Yvonne De Carlo,

Jack Oakie Jack Oakie (born Lewis Delaney Offield; November 12, 1903 – January 23, 1978) was an American actor, starring mostly in films, but also working on Theatre, stage, radio and television. He portrayed Napaloni in Charlie Chaplin, Chaplin's ''T ...

, and

Rock Hudson Rock Hudson (born Roy Harold Scherer Jr.; November 17, 1925 – October 2, 1985) was an American actor. One of the most popular movie stars of his time, he had a screen career spanning more than three decades. A prominent heartthrob in the Golde ...

. The movie was released in the United States under the name ''Tomahawk,'' and entitled ''Battle of Powder River'' in the

United Kingdom The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, commonly known as the United Kingdom (UK) or Britain, is a country in Europe, off the north-western coast of the continental mainland. It comprises England, Scotland, Wales and North ...

, and elsewhere.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Big Horn Expedition 1876 in the United States Montana Territory

Background

March 1-3

Cattle herd skirmish

March 4-5

Fort Reno skirmish

March 6–16

Battle of Powder River

March 18–26

Aftermath

Casualties

Orders of battle

Officers of the expedition

In popular culture

Further reading

References