The Battle of Julesburg
Date: January 7, 1865
Location: Julesburg, Colorado Territory
The Sand Creek Massacre earlier in November had resulted in the needless deaths of hundreds of Cheyenne and Arapaho, mostly women, children, and the elderly, and effectively destabilized their respective societies, with both tribes losing so many of their people and tribal leaders. As those killed at Sand Creek were bands seeking peace with the US, the massacre confirmed in the eyes of many that peace, harmony, and coexistence with the US was not possible, and never was. With those in the tribes who advocated for peace lying dead on the plains and banks surrounding Sand Creek, the factions favoring continued war with the US Army and the American colonizers got their mandate. This faction of the Cheyenne, the Dog Soldiers, along with factions of the Arapaho, Brulé, Oglala, and Lakota Sioux met, assembled a coalition of over 1,000 warriors, and vowed to make those responsible for the mass murder pay dearly.
Fort Rankin c. 1865, known as "Fort Hell", was later renamed Fort Sedgewick
In northeastern Colorado, Fort Rankin was established to guard the Overland Trail trading route, and was built one mile away from the town of Julesburg, an important hub and way station along the trail. The fort was guarded by roughly 60 US cavalry troopers, under the command of Captain Nicholas J. O'Brien, while the town itself was guarded by roughly 50 militiamen.
In the icy, early morning hours of January 7, 1865, Cheyenne Chief Big Crow led a small group of ten warriors crawling slowly and quietly towards the fort, the dense prairie grasses and sandy hills masking their approach. Nearing the walls, the group charged forward, opening fire and attacking the fort. The alarm was raised, and as the cavalry troopers scrambled for the gear and weapons, the group fled back into the hills on horseback. O’Brien and his entire troop mounted their horses and stormed through the gates of the fort and onto the surrounding prairie, determined to give chase.
Almost three miles into the pursuit, a shot rang out from the hills surrounding the troopers. Nearly a thousand warriors rose from their concealed positions and charged headlong at them.
The shot had been fired prematurely, and gave the troopers enough of a head start to avoid their fate being completely sealed. The chase lasted almost the entire 3 miles back to the fort, the warriors slowly gaining ground on the increasingly frantic cavalry unit. Approximately 300 yards from the gates of the fort, the warriors caught up with them and cut off of their escape. Surrounded, the troopers dismounted and fought desperately, some breaking though and making it to the safety of the fort. With the surviving cavalrymen and townspeople held up in the fort, the warriors rode into Julesburg, burning and pillaging the entire town.