Battle of Punished Woman's Fork (Cheyenne)

Sept. 27, 1878

Battle of Punished Woman's Fork (Cheyenne) 145th Anniversary of Punished Woman’s Fork Battle, celebrated by fifty Northern Cheyenne who journeyed to Scott City to memorialize the battle. 2023. From an article by Clara Caufield, Northern Cheyenne Correspondent
After their forced removal from their homelands in Montana to Oklahoma, 353 Cheyenne made an escape starting September 10th to return to their homelands. Known as the Northern Cheyenne Exodus, this battle is a part of their story of return which led to the establishment of the Northern Cheyenne Indian Reservation in Montana. On September 27th, Col. William H. Lewis attacked the Cheyenne who were hidden in a ravine. The US Army had about 200 soldiers, mostly cavalry and the Cheyenne had ~90 warriors. Early on in the fight, Col. William H. Lewis was mortally wounded and his soldiers abandoned the battlefield. No Cheyenne were killed. The battle is remembered as the last battle between Native Americans and the United States Army in the state of Kansas. This win helped the Cheyenne escape farther north and they were not even spotted again until 120 miles north. In 1884 the Northern Cheyenne Indian Reservation was established and the Cheyenne were never forced to return south.