In the early summer of 1863 John Bozeman, a Georgian entrepreneur left Deer Creek, Wyoming territory with a small wagon train of prospectors and settlers and headed for Virginia City, Montana Territory where gold had recently been discovered. His vision was to establish a shorter route to the Montana gold fields capitalizing on the stampede of immigrants flooding the western frontier.
Nearing the site of present day Buffalo, Wyoming Bozeman was stopped by Indian warriors warning him to turn back or face annilation as they would not tolerate intrusion into the rich hunting grounds of the Powder River country. The small train elected to turn back but Bozeman and a few others pressed on eventually reaching their destination in July. |
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Realizing the enormous potential of his achievement, Bozeman enthusiastically promoted the new trail which would eventually take his name. As gold seekers inundated the trail, Sioux and Cheyenne warriors were enraged as a steady stream of invaders traversed across their most precious lands. War erupted and blood stained the ground.
On this excursion we will examine the U.S. Government's response to distress signals along the Bozeman Trail and the Indian's fierce resistance to white invasion into the Powder River country. We will visit historic sites such as Fort Laramie, Fort Reno, Fort Phil Kearny, Bannack and the restored Virginia City, Montana’s seat of vigilante justice. We will walk the battleground recounting the deadly confrontation of Captain William J. Fetterman and Crazy Horse. Through living history cavalry and infantry demonstrations, exhibits and activities we will backtrack to 1866 68 in an attempt to give participants far more than a textbook understanding of these times. We will examine Native American weapons, warfare and Indian lifestyles. Participants will be introduced to the major characters who orchestrated this drama in an attempt to understand the violent collision of cultures along the Bozeman Trail. |
