Washita Battlefield National Historic Site
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| Washita Battlefield National Historic Site | |
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| IUCN Category V (Protected Landscape/Seascape) | |
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| Location: | Oklahoma, U.S. |
| Nearest city: | OK |
| Coordinates: | |
| Area: | 315 acres (1.27 km²) |
| Established: | 1965 |
| Total Visitation: | 14,215 (in 2004) |
| Governing body: | National Park Service |
Washita Battlefield National Historic Site protects and interprets the site of the Southern Cheyenne village of Peace Chief Black Kettle. The site is located about 150 miles west of Oklahoma City, Oklahoma near Cheyenne, Oklahoma.
Just before dawn on November 27, 1868, the village was attacked by the 7th U.S. Cavalry under Lt. Col. George Custer.
The strike was hailed at the time by the military and many civilians as a significant victory aimed at reducing Indian raids on frontier settlements as it forced the Cheyenne back to the reservation set aside for them.
However, Washita remains controversial because many Indians and whites labeled Custer's attack a massacre. Black Kettle is still honored as a prominent leader who never ceased striving for peace even though it cost him his life.
The site was listed on the National Register of Historic Places on October 15, 1966.
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