“Of the many Indian raids in Kansas, none was ever characterized with such brutal and ferocious crimes, and none ever excited such horror and indignation as the Cheyenne raid of 1878.” — Clara Hazelrigg, A New History of Kansas, 1895, discussing the Last Indian Raid in Kansas.
Cheyenne leaders: Leave civilians alone
A trail of murders and rapes was not what the Northern Cheyenne Exodus leaders wished. They wanted to go home with as little trouble as possible.
Chiefs Dull Knife and Little Wolf had urged their group to leave civilians alone. After Punished Woman’s Fork, Little Wolf had said, “My friends, we must try to get through here without so much fighting or we may all get killed. We must go faster.” Kill soldiers, he said, because they are trying to kill us. Don’t bother civilians. The warriors paid them no attention.
“They did not tell me what they did,” Little Wolf said, “because they knew I would not like it.”
As the Cheyenne headed north, they fanned out along the plains. The warriors searched for places to raid. Many times, they approached the settlers in friendly fashion, lulling people into trusting them. Trusting them until it was too late to escape. The violence began in Sheridan County.
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