Draft:Platte River Raids

The Platte River Raids were a series of well-coordinated horse and mule robberies made by Northern Plains Indians on unsuspecting emigrants on the Oregon and Overland-California Trails from approximately July 12-14, 1864 in both Converse and Platte Counties of Wyoming.

According to the testimonies of nearly 70 survivors of these attacks, approximately 350 Plains Indian Men descended from the Powder River Basin near Douglas, Wyoming on July 12, 1864. This collective broke into smaller factions who dispersed on both sides of the North Platte River, down into the Laramie Mountain Range and Medicine Bow Forest. Emigrant diaries contain evidence of these factions remaining on high ground, spying on the emigrants below, and lighting small signal fires to communicate across a great distance.

Beginning in the late afternoon of July 12, these factions manipulated, held hostage, ambushed, or silently robbed wagon trains of their horses and mules. Some snuck into emigrant camp corrals and cut the animals loose from their tether/ropes and upon a startling noise, the animals stampeded away. Others surrounded emigrants by circling their horses around the corral while chanting, yelling, and otherwise intimidating them before chasing off any loose animals that became agitated and ran away in the process.

These robberies were made on traveling parties both large and small. In some cases, the Indian(s) cut loose three mules from one man's wagon cart. In another case, the Indians managed to steal from (and cripple) an entire company of the 11th Ohio Volunteer Cavalry who were heading from Fort Laramie to Deer Creek garrison.

On July 14, the last set of attacks occurred closer to the original turnoff onto the old Indian foot trail leading to the Powder River Village (which was now scarred by deep grooves from heavy-laden covered wagons).

Who Was Attacked
A list of known emigrants, miners, and freighters who were affected can be found in the book, Emigrant Tales of the Platte River Raids (M Press Publishing, 2023).

The most famous names involved in these attacks include:
 * Fanny Kelly (attacked July 12 on Little Box Elder Creek, then kidnapped for several months)
 * Sarah Larimer (attacked July 12 on Little Box Elder Creek, then kidnapped, but escaped within 2 days and returned to safety by July 16)
 * Salmon Brown (son of John Brown) and family (attacked on July 13 between Bixby Campground and the Bozeman Trailhead)
 * Nicholas Earp, Wyatt Earp, James Earp, and family (attacked July 12 near Orin on Shawnee Creek and July 14 south of the Bozeman Trailhead in Douglas, WY)
 * Sarah Rousseau (attacked July 12 near Orin on Shawnee Creek and July 14 south of the Bozeman Trailhead in Douglas, WY)

Military Response
The Union Army dispatched squads to track down the horse thieves and recover the one remaining kidnapped woman, starting on July 18.

On July 20, while on the way to Powder River Village, a 5-man squad led by 2nd Lt. John Brown, and accompanied by Fanny Kelly's husband Josiah, spotted a large group of Indian warriors with a collection of horses. The squad was outnumbered, but the 2nd Lt. instigated a skirmish. His four men retreated, leaving the 2nd Lt. to collect three arrows. When they returned to their company, they reported him to be dead. The following day, soldiers were sent to recover his body and found him still alive. He died of his wounds later that day. This event has been referred to in emigrant and soldier diaries as the Wind River Expedition or the Powder River Expedition.

On July 25, Captain Levi Marshall ordered a squad at the Platte Bridge Station (presently Fort Caspar) to pursue a local band of Indians who had just returned from a battle with the Utes. The squad leader, 1st Sargent Henry Merwin did not agree with this order, believing (or knowing) the war chief, Bill Grass, and knowing of his friendly relationship with the Army. Forced to act on the Captain's order, Merwin took a squad to meet Chief Bill Grass and demanded he surrender the stolen horses and prisoners. Chief Bill Grass denied participation in the Raids and fled the encounter, but the 11th OVC shot and killed at least ten of the chief's men and captured all of the women and children in the encampment to hold hostage until Fanny Kelly was returned to safety. This event has been referred to in emigrant and soldier diaries as the Battle of Platte Bridge (not to be confused with the same-titled event in 1865 that resulted in the death of Casper Collins).

As it turns out, Chief Bill Grass' son (and sub-chief) John Grass was a participant in the robberies and abduction of four women and children. Later in these exploits, he redeems himself by aiding Fanny Kelly's escape and return to her husband.

Preceding Factors
In early July of 1864, a miner and mountain man, John Bozeman, trespassed off the Overland-California Trail near Douglas, Wyoming and led a group of covered wagons north through the Powder River Basin towards Virginia City, MT and the city later named for him: Bozeman, MT. The wagon wheels carved deep grooves into the basin land where Buffalo herds roamed freely and local bands of Cheyenne, Northern Arapahoe, and Sioux-Dakota, Lakota, and Brule hunted. The travelers in Bozeman's Caravan celebrated the 4th of July by shooting 100 Buffalo and leaving their corpses where they fell.

Three days later, another collection of wagon trains led by Absolom Townsend and Raphael Gallegos attempted to come up this same "shortcut" to the gold mining towns. On July 7, a group of Plains Indian warriors confronted the Townsend wagon train about 30-40 miles above the North Platte River (near Kaycee, WY) and requested that they turn back to use the pre-existing trails to prevent any further damage to their land, animals, or people. Those in this wagon train pretended to retreat, then doubled back. When caught ignoring the warriors' request, the warriors set fire to the grasses around the train and urged them to retreat. The Townsend Train members chose to shoot instead, killing fourteen Indians in the process, then proceeded north to Virginia City.