The Drexel Mission Fight was an armed confrontation between Lakota warriors and the United States Army that took place on the Pine Ridge Indian Reservation in South Dakota on December 30, 1890, the day after the Wounded Knee Massacre. The fight occurred on White Clay Creek approximately 15 miles (24 km) north of Pine Ridge where Lakota were purported to have burned the Catholic Mission.
Seventh Cavalry under the command of Col. James W. Forsyth with eight troops and a battery of artillery (Battery E, 1st Artillery), the same elements engaged at Wounded Knee the previous day, became engaged by Brulé Lakota from the Rosebud Indian Reservation after reconnoitering to determine if the Catholic mission had been torched. These Indians were purported to be the same Brulé Lakota under Chief Two Strike that had attacked the 9th Cavalry's supply train earlier that morning. The Seventh Cavalry was hotly engaged in a valley by the combined Lakota forces while trying to break contact and withdraw.[2] A battalion of the Ninth Cavalry, a Buffalo Soldier regiment under the command of Maj. Guy V. Henry and nicknamed the Henry's Brunettes, responded to Forsyth's request for assistance, and the combined cavalry forces drove the Lakota from commanding positions on the heights.[3]
In an investigation of the Drexel Mission fight, Maj. Gen. Nelson A. Miles, the commanding general of the Pine Ridge Campaign, severely criticized Forsyth for allowing his command to be pinned down in a valley. He submitted his findings as a supplement to his investigation of Forsyth's conduct at Wounded Knee. Secretary of War Redfield Proctor set aside the Drexel Mission investigation after exonerating Forsyth of any wrongdoing at Wounded Knee.[2]
^ abCressey, Charles Herbert; Copenharve, Charles H.; O'Brien, Edward A. (2016). Sting of the Bee: A Day-by-day Account of Wounded Knee and the Sioux Outbreak of 1890–1891 as Recorded in the Omaha Bee. Russell Martial Research. ISBN978-0692691113.
^ abcRobert M. Utley: The Last Days of the Sioux Nation. Yale University Press, New Haven, CT (1963), po. 231–250, ISBN0300103166.
^Jeffrey Ostler: The Plains Sioux and U.S. colonialism from Lewis and Clark to Wounded Knee pp. 357–358, Cambridge University Press (2004) ISBN0521605903
drexel, mission, fight, armed, confrontation, between, lakota, warriors, united, states, army, that, took, place, pine, ridge, indian, reservation, south, dakota, december, 1890, after, wounded, knee, massacre, fight, occurred, white, clay, creek, approximatel. The Drexel Mission Fight was an armed confrontation between Lakota warriors and the United States Army that took place on the Pine Ridge Indian Reservation in South Dakota on December 30 1890 the day after the Wounded Knee Massacre The fight occurred on White Clay Creek approximately 15 miles 24 km north of Pine Ridge where Lakota were purported to have burned the Catholic Mission Drexel Mission FightPart of the Ghost Dance War Sioux WarsThe Bloody Pocket location of the Drexel Mission FightDateDecember 30 1890LocationPine Ridge South DakotaResultU S victoryBelligerents United StatesLakota Sioux Brule SiouxCommanders and leadersJames W Forsyth Guy V HenryChief Two StrikeStrength7th U S Cavalry9th U S CavalryCasualties and losses1 dead 1 7 wounded 1 Unknown Seventh Cavalry under the command of Col James W Forsyth with eight troops and a battery of artillery Battery E 1st Artillery the same elements engaged at Wounded Knee the previous day became engaged by Brule Lakota from the Rosebud Indian Reservation after reconnoitering to determine if the Catholic mission had been torched These Indians were purported to be the same Brule Lakota under Chief Two Strike that had attacked the 9th Cavalry s supply train earlier that morning The Seventh Cavalry was hotly engaged in a valley by the combined Lakota forces while trying to break contact and withdraw 2 A battalion of the Ninth Cavalry a Buffalo Soldier regiment under the command of Maj Guy V Henry and nicknamed the Henry s Brunettes responded to Forsyth s request for assistance and the combined cavalry forces drove the Lakota from commanding positions on the heights 3 In an investigation of the Drexel Mission fight Maj Gen Nelson A Miles the commanding general of the Pine Ridge Campaign severely criticized Forsyth for allowing his command to be pinned down in a valley He submitted his findings as a supplement to his investigation of Forsyth s conduct at Wounded Knee Secretary of War Redfield Proctor set aside the Drexel Mission investigation after exonerating Forsyth of any wrongdoing at Wounded Knee 2 Three soldiers were awarded the Medal of Honor for actions at White Clay Creek including Captain Charles A Varnum First Sergeant Theodore Ragnar and Farrier Richard J Nolan Almost three decades later Second Lieutenant Sedgwick Rice was awarded a Distinguished Service Medal 2 See also editHistory of South Dakota Plains Indians Wars List of battles fought in South DakotaNotes edit a b Cressey Charles Herbert Copenharve Charles H O Brien Edward A 2016 Sting of the Bee A Day by day Account of Wounded Knee and the Sioux Outbreak of 1890 1891 as Recorded in the Omaha Bee Russell Martial Research ISBN 978 0692691113 a b c Robert M Utley The Last Days of the Sioux Nation Yale University Press New Haven CT 1963 po 231 250 ISBN 0300103166 Jeffrey Ostler The Plains Sioux and U S colonialism from Lewis and Clark to Wounded Knee pp 357 358 Cambridge University Press 2004 ISBN 0521605903 nbsp This article relating to the Indigenous peoples of North America is a stub You can help Wikipedia by expanding it vte Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title Drexel Mission Fight amp oldid 1192728491, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,
