Battle of Powder River: US Army Attacked Native Village in 1876

The first battle of the Great Sioux War set the stage for the Battle of the Little Bighorn

Mar. 17, 2026 at 11:00am

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In March 1876, a village of Northern Cheyenne and Oglala Lakota in the Powder River Valley was attacked by U.S. Army cavalry troops under the command of Col. Joseph Reynolds. This first battle of the Great Sioux War, which preceded the more famous Battle of the Little Bighorn, was part of the U.S. government's efforts to force Native Americans in the region onto reservations in order to seize the Black Hills for gold mining.

Why it matters

The Battle of Powder River is often overlooked, but it 'set the tone' for the 20 conflicts that made up the Great Sioux War, according to historian Dakota Good House. The attack on the Native village marked the U.S. Army's shift to treating all Indigenous people as combatants, even women and children, and set the stage for the eventual defeat of Lt. Col. George Custer at the Battle of the Little Bighorn.

The details

On the morning of March 17, 1876, the U.S. Army attacked the Northern Cheyenne and Oglala Lakota village in the Powder River Valley. The cavalry, led by Col. Joseph Reynolds under the orders of Gen. George Crook, stole around 1,000 horses and burned the village, including food, clothing, and shelter. The Cheyenne were forced to flee on foot up the Powder River, leaving them without essential supplies in the middle of winter. Warriors later recaptured about 500 horses, but the attack left the Cheyenne and Lakota tribes severely weakened.

  • On March 17, 1876, the U.S. Army attacked the Native village in the Powder River Valley.
  • In late 1875, the U.S. government ordered Lakota and Northern Cheyenne tribes in the Black Hills region to report to the nearest Indian Agency.
  • On January 31, 1876, all off-reservation Native Americans were considered hostile and targets of the U.S. Army.

The players

Col. Joseph Reynolds

The U.S. Army cavalry officer who led the attack on the Native village in the Powder River Valley.

Gen. George Crook

The U.S. Army general who ordered the attack on the Native village in the Powder River Valley.

Wooden Leg

A Northern Cheyenne warrior who was 18 years old at the time of the Battle of Powder River and later recounted the events.

Crazy Horse

An Oglala Lakota leader whose camp the fleeing Cheyenne from Powder River came across, and who later helped defeat Crook at the Battle of the Rosebud and win the Battle of the Little Bighorn.

Dakota Good House

A citizen of the Standing Rock Sioux Tribe and history professor at United Tribes Technical College who provided historical context on the Battle of Powder River.

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What they’re saying

“This campaign led by Reynolds, it was entirely to treat every person as if they're an able-bodied warrior. That meant treating elders, women, children, infants as if they're capable warriors. That's redefining a conflict.”

— Dakota Good House, Historian

“These people were attacked without ever having heard the word that they should have reported to their nearest agency.”

— Dakota Good House, Historian

“We weren't waiting for history to happen. We're actively engaged in the narrative.”

— Dakota Good House, Historian

What’s next

The 150th commemoration of the Battle of the Little Bighorn, the last battle of the Great Sioux War, will take place in June, with more than a dozen tribes gathering to celebrate the victory for the Lakota, Northern Cheyenne and Northern Arapaho.

The takeaway

The Battle of Powder River, often overlooked in history, was a pivotal moment that set the stage for the Great Sioux War and the eventual defeat of Lt. Col. George Custer at the Battle of the Little Bighorn. It highlights the U.S. government's aggressive tactics to force Native Americans onto reservations, even if it meant treating women, children, and elders as combatants.