Editing Cheyenne (section)

====Battle of Washita River====
{{Further|Battle of Washita River}}
Four years later, on November 27, 1868, [[George Armstrong Custer]] and his troops attacked Black Kettle's band at the [[Battle of Washita River]]. Although his band was camped on a defined reservation, complying with the government's orders, some of its members had been linked to raiding into [[Kansas]] by bands operating out of the [[Indian Territory]]. Custer claimed 103 Cheyenne "warriors" and an unspecified number of women and children killed whereas different Cheyenne informants named between 11 and 18 men (mostly 10 Cheyenne, 2 Arapaho, 1 Mexican trader) and between 17 and 25 women and children killed in the village.{{citation needed|date=August 2014}}

There are conflicting claims as to whether the band was hostile or friendly. Historians believe that Chief Black Kettle, head of the band, was not part of the war party but the peace party within the Cheyenne nation. But, he did not command absolute authority over members of his band and the European Americans did not understand this. When younger members of the band took part in raiding parties, European Americans blamed the entire band for the incidents and casualties.{{citation needed|date=August 2014}}