Bozeman Trail
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The Bozeman Trail was an overland route connecting the Oregon Trail to the gold rush territory of Montana. The flow of white settlers along the trail caused several military campaigns between the Indians and the U.S. army.
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[edit] Establishment of the Trail
In 1863 John Bozeman and John Jacobs scouted out a direct route from Virginia City, Montana into central Wyoming. This route provided a more direct route and was better watered than any previous trail into Montana. The only serious drawback was that it was a direct route through Indian territory.
[edit] First Travelers and Indian Campaigns
Bozeman, among others, led the first group of about 2,000 settlers up the trail in 1864. Indian raids on white settlers grew dramatically from 1864 to 1866. This prompted the U.S. army to carry out several military campaigns against the Indians. Patrick Edward Connor led several of the earliest campaigns. He defeated the Shoshoni at the Battle of Bear River then during the Powder River Expedition of 1865 he defeated the Arapaho at the Battle of the Tongue River.
[edit] Post Civil War Travel
In 1866 with the close of the American Civil War another 2,000 settlers traveled up the trail. When the Lakota defeated a detachment under William J. Fetterman at the Fetterman Fight the same year, Fort Phil Kearny and Fort C. F. Smith were established along the route. The U.S army called a council at Fort Laramie with the Indians, at which Red Cloud was present. The purpose of the meeting was to agree with the Indians over the use of the route. Red Cloud was outraged when he found out that a regiment of U.S. infantry was using the route without the Lakota consent and Red Cloud's War began. In 1867 Red Cloud was defeated by a handful of soldiers and civilians at the Wagon Box Fight and John Bozeman was killed along the route.
[edit] Ending Travel
The Indian raids along the trail continued and civilian travel along the trail ceased. Ulysses S. Grant ordered the forts along the trail abandoned and Red Cloud signed a treaty in 1868. The army continued to use the trail during later military campaigns and a telegraph line was eventually built along the trail.
