Wyoming is a state known for its natural beauty, wildlife, and national parks. But there is also a darker side to this place, where legends of ghosts, curses, and evil spirits abound. One of the most notorious locations in Wyoming is the Fetterman Battlefield, where a bloody massacre took place in 1866.
The Fetterman Massacre
The Fetterman Battlefield is located near Fort Phil Kearny, a military outpost that was established to protect the Bozeman Trail, a route used by settlers and miners to reach the gold fields of Montana. The trail crossed the lands of the Lakota, Cheyenne, and Arapaho tribes, who fiercely resisted the invasion of their territory.
On December 21, 1866, a group of about 80 soldiers and civilians, led by Captain William J. Fetterman, left the fort to pursue a small band of Native American warriors who had attacked a wagon train. Fetterman was confident that he could defeat any enemy force, and reportedly said that he could “ride through the whole Sioux nation” with his men.
However, Fetterman and his men fell into a trap, as they were lured into a valley where thousands of Native American warriors, led by Red Cloud, Crazy Horse, and other chiefs, were waiting. The battle lasted less than an hour, and resulted in the death of all 81 soldiers and civilians, including Fetterman. The Native Americans suffered only a few casualties, and celebrated their victory as the largest defeat of the US Army by Native Americans until the Battle of Little Bighorn in 1876.
The Haunted Battlefield
The Fetterman Battlefield is now a National Historic Landmark, and a memorial site for both the US Army and the Native American tribes. Visitors can see the graves of the fallen soldiers, the monuments erected by the tribes, and the markers that indicate where the battle took place.
However, some visitors also report experiencing paranormal phenomena at the site, such as hearing gunshots, screams, and war cries, seeing apparitions of soldiers and Native Americans, feeling cold spots and touches, and smelling smoke and blood. Some people believe that the spirits of the dead still haunt the battlefield, and that the place is cursed by the anger and sorrow of the past.
Conclusion
The Fetterman Battlefield is a place of historical significance, but also of horror and mystery. It is a reminder of the violent and tragic clash of cultures that occurred in the American West, and of the lives that were lost in the process. It is also a place where the supernatural and the natural seem to merge, and where the past and the present collide. It is, indeed, one of the scariest places in America.