Chronology of American Indian History

September 4

Victorio’s men attack a cavalry camp.
Led by Victorio (see entry for SEPTEMBER 2, 1877),
60 Apache warriors set upon the camp of cavalry-
men outside the Indians’ former reservation at
Ojo Caliente. They kill eight soldiers and steal the
troops’ horses. The incident sparks an all-out war
between Victorio’s followers and the U.S. Army.
Joined by other renegade Apache, Victorio’s
forces will soon grow to 150 warriors. For more
than a year, these fighters will inflict a reign of ter-
ror on American and Mexican settlements in Texas,
northern Mexico, and what is now New Mexico
and Arizona, all the while pursued by soldiers intent

on capturing the runaway Apache. (See also entry

for OCTOBER 15 TO 16, 1880.)

October 31

Big Snake is murdered at the Ponca

Indian Agency.

In Standing Bear v. Crook (see entry for APRIL 18,

1879), a federal judge ruled that the army cannot

forcibly relocate Standing Bear and his band to the

Ponca’s reservation. Believing this ruling also ap-

plies to him, Big Snake, Standing Bear’s brother,

moves to a Cheyenne reservation about 100 miles

away from the Ponca’s assigned land. Troops ar-

rest Big Snake and return him to his reservation.

Carlisle Indian school students, photographed before and after their arrival at the institution. The photograph

with the students wearing Indian dress shows, left to right, Richard Yellow Robe, Henry Standing Bear, and

Chauncey Yellow Robe. In the photograph with them wearing uniforms, Chauncey is to the left and Richard is to

the right. (Cumberland County Historical Society, Carlisle, PA)