Red Cloud (1822-1909) was one of the greatest warriors and chiefs of the Oglala, a band of the Teton Sioux . During the 1860’s, Red Cloud and his followers fought to keep the whites out of Sioux territory in what are now Montana, South Dakota, and Wyoming. Some historians have called this struggle Red Cloud’s War.
Red Cloud was born in 1822, near what is now North Platte, Nebraska. His Sioux name was Mahpiua Luta. During the 1860’s, white settlers began to travel the Bozeman Trail to gold fields in Montana (see Bozeman Trail ). This trail crossed northeastern Wyoming, a main hunting area of the Sioux. Red Cloud’s band continually attacked travelers on the trail. In 1866, to keep the route open, the U.S. Army built Fort Phil Kearny and Fort Reno in Wyoming and Fort C. F. Smith in Montana. Red Cloud and his allies kept these forts under siege for almost two years.
In 1868, the United States government agreed to abandon the three forts and not build any more roads through Sioux territory. Because of this victory, Red Cloud has been called the only Native American who ever won a war against the U.S. government. He later became an important mediator between his people and white officials. He died on Dec. 9, 1909.
