This battle occurred three days into the Northern Cheyenne Exodus, in which 353 Cheyenne people escaped Darlington Agency Oklahoma where they had been forcibly relocated from their homelands in Montana, where they were subject to starvation, measels and malaria outbreaks. Of the 353 Cheyenne, only ~90 were warriors. Anticipating US Army pursuit after their escape, warriors set up an ambush at Turkey Springs. On September 13th, Capt. Joseph Rendlebrock spotted the Cheyenne and set up a skirmish line. Fighting continued all day with 3 US Army soldiers killed and 3 more wounded. Overnight, the Cheyenne completely surrounded the Army who retreated 9 miles in the morning under Cheyenne fire. After this win, the Cheyenne continued their return northwards, eventually splitting into two groups led by Ó'kôhómôxháahketa (Little Coyote) and Vóóhéhéve (Dull Knife). Ó'kôhómôxháahketa successfully returned to Montana and Vóóhéhéve's group was captured and imprisoned at Fort Robinson from which they would make another daring escape in January 1879. This battle was also the last fight between Natives and the US Army in Oklahoma.

During the Nimíipuu long journey away from their homelands to avoid forced imprisonment on reservations, this battle was fought shortly after the Nez Perce successful exited Yellowstone National Park, despite being completely surrounded by US Army troops. Specifically, they had fooled Samuel Sturgis and his command of the 7th Cavalry into abandoning the trap they laid at the Clark Fork River, to go south to the Shoshone River. The Nez Perce then doubled back to the Clark Fork via a steep pass and slipped passed the 7th Cavalry to the plains. Sturgis and the 7th Cavalry we deeply embarrassed at letting them escape. At the point the flight of the Nez Perce was a highly publicized affair with many laughing at the Army's incompetence and cheering on the righteous campaign of the Nimíipuu. Additionally, this was only one year after the 7th Cavalry's defeat at the Battle of Greasy Grass (Little Bighorn) where Custer famously was killed but also Sturgis' son had died. Hoping to make up for his embarrasment and regain respect for the 7th Cavalry, Sturgis urged his troops to pursue the Nimíipuu. They caught up to them along the Yellowstone River near a steep canyon which led up to the plains. Outnumbering the Nimíipuu more than 2 to 1, the 7th Cavalry was also not traveling with their women, children, and elderly. They engaged the warriors, hoping to head them off before they reached the canyon. The Nimíipuu staged a brave response, holding off the cavalry from strategic points and allowing their people to escape into the steep canyon and the plains above. According to Himiin Maaqs maqs (Yellow Wolf), a single Nimíipuu warrior named Teeto Hoonod, held up the advance for a crucial ten minutes, firing 40 well-aimed shots at the cavalry from behind a rock. US Army losses were 4 killed and 11 wounded, while the Nimíipuu lost horses to Crow scouts and had 3 wounded. Importantly they were able to continue their flight northward.

On this day in 1859, John Price, who had recently escaped enslavement, was kidnapped by a US Marshall (Federal Police) who sought to return him to his enslavers under the Fugitive Slave Act in Oberlin, Ohio. Oberlin was a known stronghold of abolitionism, having freed other recaptured fugitive slaves in the 1840's with one newspaper describing those involved as "fanatical abolition anarchists". Knowning this, the Marshall took Price south to Wellington where he planned to board a train to Kentucky. A group of abolitionists found out and followed him to Wellington where they rescued Price by force and he escaped to Canada. While there are many instances of rescues happening, this rescue in particular is notable because it is considered a key event in the lead up to the Civil War. The rescue got widespread news coverage and kept the debate about slavery in the public mind. It is also notable because two men involved went on to take part in John Brown's raid on Harper's Ferry. John Anthony Copeland Jr. and Lewis Sheridan Leary were two Black freedom fighters involved in both this incident and the raid on Harper's Ferry. Leary died from wounds sustained during the raid and Copeland was executed. Their actions led not only to the freedom of the individuals they helped but to the eventual abolition of slavery in the United States.