Have you ever made the stop at Ft. Phil Kearney to visit the site and the battlefields of the Fetterman and Wagonbox fights? That’s another interesting part of the Plains Indian Wars that’ right in that particular backyard. It’s just off the Interstate near Story, WY. In fact, the Fetterman fight occurred right on the Bozeman Trail, within sight of the Interstate.
We have been in that area, but didn’t go to Wagonbox, but saw the Fort Kearney site and Fetterman’s plight. Fetterman was a little over anxious fell for the same tactic as Forsythe at Beecher’s Island. Indians would leave an escape route open for the Army, when in reality they were baiting them to go that way and run into hidden forces. That’s how Forsythe ended up in the middle of the Arickeree River. I like the idea of calling these “fights” rather than battles. Beecher was about 300 against 50, while Fetterman had 80 men against 2000. The repeating rifles were the Indians big problem at Wagon box, new weapons that Red Cloud was not expecting. The technology was too much for them. Wagon box was portrayed many times in the movies, John Wayne etc...”circle the wagons”, when it really was the weapons not the circle the wagons strategy!
Notice on your map that Ft. Kearny, WY has no “e”, while Kearney, Nebraska does. Named for the same guy!