On 21 December 1866, the US Army suffered its worst defeat in the western Indian Wars up to that time. (Custer's defeat at Little Bighorn would later surpass it) Fetterman, a junior officer at Fort Phil Kearney, was given the mission to relieve a wood cutting party who had been attacked by Indians led by Crazy Horse and Red Cloud. In fact, the attack on the woodcutters was a diversion and Fetterman and his 80 man unit were led into an ambush. All 81 were killed.* Traditional history, gives the idea that Fetterman was out to make a name for himself and had said, "With 80 men, I could ride through the entire Sioux nation." For a deeper and somewhat contrarian view to the traditional, click here.

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Motorcycle Ride

Try the Cloud Peak Skyway from Ten Sleep to Buffalo through the Bighorn National Forest.

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*Indians massacre Fetterman and eighty soldiers, http://www.history.com/tdih.do?action=tdihArticleCategory&id=4374 (last visited Dec 21, 2006).