Cheyenne Warriors: August–September 1856

This chapter delves into Captain George Hume Steuart’s attack on the Cheyenne at their campsite on Grand Island in late August of 1856. Here I scrutinize artifacts, cultural practices, and meaningful remnants of a moment-in-time—August-through-September of 1856 in and near the Platte River Road—with an eye toward producing a nuanced portrait of one particular Cheyenne raiding party in 1856. By carefully examining aspects and events surrounding the raiding party, such as a precursory sun dance, the Cheyenne’s relationship with the Platte-located Pawnee, and the aftermath of Steuart’s onslaught, I shed light on 1850s Cheyenne beliefs, social structures, and interactions with other Indigenous nations, Platte River Road traffic, and military personnel stationed at Fort Kearny.