Red Cloud
Red Cloud (Lakota: Maȟpíya Lúta; 1822 – December 10, 1909) was a leader of the Oglala Lakota from 1865 to 1909. He was one of the most capable Native American opponents whom the United States Army faced in the western territories. He defeated the United States during Red Cloud's War, which was a fight over control of the Powder River Country in northeastern Wyoming and southern Montana. The largest action of the war was the 1866 Fetterman Fight, with 81 US soldiers killed; it was the worst military defeat suffered by the US Army on the Great Plains until the Battle of the Little Bighorn 10 years later.
Red Cloud | |
|---|---|
Maȟpíya Lúta | |
Red Cloud in 1880 | |
| Born | 1822 |
| Died | December 10, 1909 (aged 86–87) |
| Burial place | Red Cloud Cemetery, Pine Ridge 43°4′38″N 102°35′1″W |
| Nationality | Oglala Lakota |
| Known for | Red Cloud's War Most photographed American Indian of the nineteenth century |
| Title | Tribal chief |
| Successor | Jack Red Cloud |
| Spouse | Pretty Owl (Mary Good Road) |
| Children | 6 |
After signing the Treaty of Fort Laramie (1868), Red Cloud led his people in the transition to reservation life. Some of his opponents mistakenly thought of him as the overall leader of the Sioux groups (Dakota, Lakota, and Nakota), but the large tribe had several major divisions and was highly decentralized. Bands among the Oglala and other divisions operated independently, though some individual leaders were renowned as warriors and highly respected as leaders, such as Red Cloud.