- More
Captain William Fetterman: An Extremely Rare Signature of this Officer Killed with 80 of His Men by a Plains Indians War Party...
Click the image to load the highest resolution version.
Description
Captain William Fetterman: An Extremely Rare Signature of this Officer Killed with 80 of His Men by a Plains Indians War Party Reputed to Include Rain-in-the-Face. The battle occurred on December 21, 1866 during what came to be known as Red Cloud's War. Up to that time it was the worst Indian Wars military disaster, and led to the withdrawal of the Army and an eventual peace with Red Cloud.The Army had suffered numerous Indian raids during the construction of Fort Kearney, and upon arrival there Fetterman-who had no experience fighting Indians-contemptuously declared, "Give me 80 men and I can ride through the whole Sioux nation."
The Indians had tried on various occasions without success to lure a force of troopers into an ambush, but finally succeeded when Fetterman led a relief party to aid a group of workers sent several miles from the Fort to cut timber. A decoy force including a young Crazy Horse led Fetterman into a pursuit-in violation of strict orders-whereupon they were attacked by upwards of 1000 Sioux, Cheyenne and Arapaho warriors and massacred. The bodies were found naked, scalped, and mutilated.
The disaster soured the Army and the public on defending the Bozeman Trail, and Fort Kearney was abandoned in 1868. In December of that year a great treaty was signed with Red Cloud giving the Plains tribes dominion over the Powder River country. The peace would last but eight years before the treaty was broken by the Army.
Offered here is a Civil War court martial document boldly signed by Captain William Fetterman as a member of the court. Fetterman's autograph is among the most elusive of important figure of the Indian Wars era. 7.5" x 7.5" and in excellent condition.
Shipping, Taxes, Terms and Bidding
Calculate Standard Domestic Shipping
Sales Tax information | Terms and Conditions
Bidding Guidelines and Bid Increments
Glossary of Terms
Auction Info
Buyer's Premium per Lot:
25% on the first $100,000 (minimum $14), plus 20% of any amount between $100,000 and $1,000,000, plus 12% of any amount over $1,000,000 per lot.
Floor auctions
Open for bidding: (View All)Currency
Ends on 04/26/2018
Silver
Ends on 04/26/2018
US Coins
Ends on 04/26/2018
Currency
Ends on 04/26/2018
Jewelry & Timepieces
Ends on 05/01/2018
Fine Art
Ends on 05/04/2018
Nature & Science
Ends on 05/05/2018
Comics & Comic Art
Ends on 05/10/2018
Space
Ends on 05/11/2018
Western & Texas Art
Ends on 05/12/2018
Musical Instruments
Ends on 05/12/2018
Decorative Art
Ends on 05/16/2018
Sports Collectibles
Ends on 05/17/2018
Fine Art
Opens about 05/03/2018
Fine Art
Opens about 05/25/2018
Comics & Comic Art
Opens about 05/14/2018
Historical
Opens about 05/14/2018
Photography
Opens about 05/15/2018
Fine Art
Opens about 06/07/2018
Fine Art
Opens about 05/18/2018
Old West
Opens about 05/21/2018
Decorative Art
Opens about 05/18/2018
Arms & Armor
Opens about 05/22/2018
Luxury Accessories
Opens about 05/21/2018
Jewelry & Timepieces
Opens about 05/11/2018
US Coins
Opens about 05/25/2018
Comics & Comic Art
Opens about 05/29/2018
Fine Art
Opens about 05/28/2018
Fine Art
Opens about 05/29/2018
Fine & Rare Wine
Opens about 06/04/2018
Heritage membership
- Past Auction Values (prices, photos, full descriptions, etc.)
- Bid online
- Free Collector newsletter
- Want List with instant e-mail notifications
- Reduced auction commissions when you resell your
winnings
- Cash Advances
- More Bidders
- Trusted Experts
- Over 200,000 Satisfied Consignors Since 1976
Learn about consigning with us
The resulting auction of my property overwhelmed me. I want to thank Tom Slater and the Heritage team for a very satisfactory experience and profitable result with my historical consignment.View More Testimonials
HA.com receives more traffic than any other auction house website. (Source: Similarweb.com)
Recent auctions
