Today in 1890, near Wounded Knee Creek, South Dakota

The U.S. 7th Cavalry Regiment, the same regiment that had been commanded by George Custer years before, massacred about 300 captive Native American men, women and children.

U.S. Cavalry officers during the "Indian Wars"

The preceding day, a detachment of the U.S. 7th Cavalry Regiment commanded by Major Samuel M. Whitside intercepted Spotted Elk's band of Miniconjou Lakota and 38 Hunkpapa Lakota near Porcupine Butte and escorted them five miles westward (8 km) to Wounded Knee Creek, where they made camp on the Lakota Pine Ridge Indian Reservation.  Shortly thereafter, the remainder of the 7th Cavalry Regiment arrived, led by Colonel James W. Forsyth and surrounded the encampment supported by four Hotchkiss guns.

Aftermath of the massacre.

Joined by other Indian tribes, the Lakotas had been participating in a series of “Ghost Dance” rituals which they believed would raise their own dead and lead them to new hunting grounds.  Unfortunately, this concerned European settlers in the area and they had asked for protection from U.S. forces.

Lakota elders consecrating their hunting grounds

On the morning of December 29, the troops went into the camp to disarm the Lakota and to take their leaders into custody, but events quickly got out of control.  According to a popular version of what led to the tragedy, a deaf Lakota named Black Coyote was reluctant to give up his rifle, claiming he had paid a lot for it.  A scuffle over Black Coyote's rifle escalated and a shot was fired which resulted in the 7th Cavalry's opening fire indiscriminately from all sides, killing men, women, and children, as well as some of their own fellow soldiers. The Lakota warriors who still had weapons began shooting back at the attacking soldiers, who quickly suppressed the Lakota fire. The surviving Lakota fled, but U.S. cavalrymen pursued and killed many who were unarmed.

By the time it was over, more than 200 men, women, and children of the Lakota had been killed and 51 were wounded (4 men, 47 women and children, some of whom died later); Twenty-five soldiers also died, and 39 were wounded (6 of the wounded would later die).  This massacre marked the last showdown between Native Americans and the United States Army.

The site of the battlefield has been designated a National Historic Landmark.

[December 29, 1890]