Battle of Warbonnet Creek was a Indian Wars and Frontier Conflicts engagement fought in Nebraska, 1876.
News of the Cheyenne breakout eventually made its way to Merritt as well, and with "Buffalo Bill" Cody leading the way, he managed to cut off the fleeing warriors.
An ambush took shape under Merritt's direction. The bulk of his 350 troopers stayed concealed inside covered wagons while marksmen took hidden positions close by. When six Cheyenne warriors caught sight of what looked like an undefended wagon train near Warbonnet Creek, they rushed straight into the ambush, hoping to pull attention away from the larger group of Cheyenne still approaching.
Troopers managed to wound a handful of the warriors, though the engagement's real drama unfolded as a personal showdown between Cody and a Cheyenne chief named Yellow Hair. Using his Winchester carbine, Cody brought the chief down, then drew a Bowie knife and took his scalp.
Seeing their comrades in danger, the larger group of warriors pushed forward to attempt a rescue, but once they grasped the full size of the American force facing them, they broke off and retreated in haste. Not one soldier was killed or wounded in the entire affair.
News of the Cheyenne breakout eventually made its way to Merritt as well, and with "Buffalo Bill" Cody leading the way, he managed to cut off the fleeing warriors.
An ambush took shape under Merritt's direction. The bulk of his 350 troopers stayed concealed inside covered wagons while marksmen took hidden positions close by. When six Cheyenne warriors caught sight of what looked like an undefended wagon train near Warbonnet Creek, they rushed straight into the ambush, hoping to pull attention away from the larger group of Cheyenne still approaching.
Troopers managed to wound a handful of the warriors, though the engagement's real drama unfolded as a personal showdown between Cody and a Cheyenne chief named Yellow Hair. Using his Winchester carbine, Cody brought the chief down, then drew a Bowie knife and took his scalp.
Seeing their comrades in danger, the larger group of warriors pushed forward to attempt a rescue, but once they grasped the full size of the American force facing them, they broke off and retreated in haste. Not one soldier was killed or wounded in the entire affair.
After this engagement Merritt's column made its way to Crook, and the two forces eventually combined with Gen. Alfred H. Terry's expedition, swelling the total number of American troops involved to roughly 4,000.
True to his flair for theatrics, Buffalo Bill was back performing on stage by October, and his production featured a dramatized reenactment of his confrontation with Yellow Hair. Among the items he showed audiences were the slain warrior's scalp, his feathered war bonnet, a knife, a saddle, and various other belongings taken from him. This moment became a recurring feature of his Wild West shows in later years, staged repeatedly under the title "The Red Right Hand, or, Buffalo Bill's First Scalp for Custer."
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