Rawlins County, Kansas: History
=== Early history ===
For many millennia, the Great Plains of North America were inhabited by nomadic Native Americans. From the 16th century to 18th century, the Kingdom of France claimed ownership of large parts of North America. In 1762, after the French and Indian War, France secretly ceded New France to Spain, per the Treaty of Fontainebleau.
In 1802, Spain returned most of the land to France, but keeping title to about 7,500 square miles. In 1803, most of the land for modern day Kansas was acquired by the United States from France as part of the 828,000 square mile Louisiana Purchase for 2.83 cents per acre.
In 1854, the Kansas Territory was organized, then in 1861 Kansas became the 34th U.S. state. In 1873, Rawlins County was established.
The Battle of Sappa Creek, Battle at Sappa Creek also known as the Massacre at Cheyenne Hole, was fought on April 23, 1875, between Company H of the Sixth United States Cavalry under the command of Second lieutenant Austin Henley and a group of Cheyenne Indians led by Little Bull. The conflict took place in modern-day Rawlins County, Kansas, and was both the final and the deadliest battle in the Red River War.
While camped on the banks of the Sappa Creek, 40 men of the Sixth U.S. Cavalry from Fort Wallace, accompanied by several buffalo hunters, attacked a group of Cheyenne Indians. The battle turned into a massacre. Henley reported two soldiers were killed, along with Indian casualties of 19 warriors, eight women, and eight children. However, hunters who visited the site days later said they found approximately 70 dead Indians with at least 27 being partially buried, as if to hide the bodies.
After the battle, the soldiers burned the camp and captured 134 horses. Only two Cheyenne reportedly survived. One had no family in the camp, but the other did. When safely out of rifle range, the one with the family told the other to go on while he went back to die with his family.
Other accounts shed more doubt on Henley's report. Henley said only three buffalo hunters were at the battle. However, other accounts suggest three groups of between 20 and 30 hunters per group were there. Historian E.S. Sutton suggested the buffalo hunters started the battle, shooting down several Indians under a flag of truce. Sutton said 30 to 40 Indians escaped, and Henley was demoted for his handling.
The Last Indian Raid in Kansas, a part of the Northern Cheyenne Exodus, also called Dull Knife's Raid, the Cheyenne War, or the Cheyenne Campaign, occurred on September 30 through October 1, 1878, when Northern Cheyenne warriors, led by Little Wolf and Dull Knife, killed around 30 settlers along the Beaver Creek in Rawlins County and the Sappa Creek in Decatur County over a two‑day period. …