Editing Cheyenne (section)

==== Sand Creek Massacre ====
{{Further|Sand Creek Massacre}}
On November 29, 1864, the Colorado Militia attacked a Cheyenne and Arapaho encampment under [[Chief Black Kettle]], although it flew a [[White flag|flag of truce]] and indicated its allegiance to the US government. The [[Sand Creek massacre]], as it came to be known, resulted in the death of between 150 and 200 Cheyenne, mostly unarmed women and children. The survivors fled northeast and joined the camps of the Cheyenne on the [[Smoky Hill River|Smoky Hill]] and [[Republican River|Republican]] rivers. There warriors smoked the war pipe, passing it from camp to camp among the Sioux, Cheyenne and Arapaho.<ref name="Hyde, pp. 168 to 195">Hyde, pp. 168 to 195</ref>

In January 1865, they planned and carried out a retaliatory [[Battle of Julesburg|attack]] with about 1000 warriors on Camp Rankin, a stage station and fort at [[Julesburg, Colorado|Julesburg]]. The Indians made numerous raids along the South Platte, both east and west of Julesburg, and raided the fort again in early February. They captured much [[Looting|loot]] and killed many European Americans. Most of the Indians moved north into Nebraska on their way to the Black Hills and the Powder River.<ref name="Hyde, pp. 168 to 195"/> (See [[Battle of Julesburg]], [[Battle of Mud Springs]], [[Battle of Rush Creek]], [[Powder River Expedition]], [[Battle of Platte Bridge]])

Black Kettle continued to desire peace and did not join in the second raid or in the plan to go north to the Powder River country. He left the large camp and returned with 80 lodges of his tribesmen to the Arkansas River, where he intended to seek peace with the US.<ref>Grinnell, ''The Fighting Cheyenne'', p. 188</ref>