The Battle of Rosebud Creek took place on June 17, 1876 in Big Horn County (Montana Territory) in the United States and opposed 1,300 soldiers of the American army, led by General George Crook, to 750 Lakota Indian warriors and Cheyennes, commanded by Crazy Horse, as part of the Black Hills War. The fight is indecisive but prevents Crook, who returns to his camp, from making his connection with the troops of General George Armstrong Custer before the battle of Little Big Horn.
Fort Laramie Treaty
In 1868, the Sioux, having emerged victorious from their war on the trail of the Bozeman (organized by Red Cloud), signed the Treaty of Fort Laramie of 1868. This treaty promised the Sioux possession of their sacred territories of the Black Hills, the prohibition whites to enter the reserve without permission; but resulted in the loss of most of the Sioux hunting grounds. However, following the discovery of gold deposits in the Black Hills, an armed troop commanded by General Custer violated the treaty by entering the Black Hills; thus opening the gold rush (in 1874). Subsequently, the U.S. government unsuccessfully attempted to purchase the Black Hills from the Sioux.
The Sitting Bull rally and the campaign of 1876
Following this event, a huge gathering of Native Americans took place, commanded by Chiefs Crazy Horse and Sitting Bull. This gathering took place on the Little Bighorn, bringing together 6,000 to 8,000 Sioux, Cheyenne and Arapaho Indians. They posed a great threat to the US government. In order to exterminate and bring back the "hostiles" to the reserves, General Sheridan drew up a plan to take the Indians in a pincer movement:3 columns of soldiers were to join the camp of the "hostiles", take them in a pincer movement and not let them no chance. One column was to set out from Wyoming under General Crook, another under Lt. Col. Custer, and the last under Generals Gibbon and Terry.
On June 17, 1876, General Crook's column, 1,000 strong and 300 Crow and Shoshone scouts, arrived in the Rosebud Creek valley.
The attack
Faced with this threat, 750 warriors from the Indian camp, led by the war chief Crazy Horse, attacked General Crook's camp near the Rosebud. Crazy Horse directed the warriors by making them attack together and in successive waves. The fight lasted all day. During the fight, a Cheyenne was surrounded and was about to be killed when a horseman arrived and rescued him, took him behind him and led him away from the battlefield. This rider was his sister, and the Cheyenne call the battle ever since:The-Fight-Where-The-Sister-Saved-The-Brother. The Indians lost about 30 to 50 men, the Americans . The battle forced Crook to retreat, preventing him from linking up with the troops of Custer, who was himself defeated and killed at the Battle of Little Bighorn.