Red Cloud, the war chief of the Oglala Sioux clan, was a brave leader who led his people in a war against the U.S. Army, known as Red Cloud’s War, to take control of the Powder River Country. He was very important in the fight between Native Americans and the U.S. government over land. He was the first and last American Indian to win a war against the U.S. in the west. People thought he was one of the best Native American leaders, but he was also one of the most cruel. He was known as much for his cruelty as for his bravery. He was brave even when he was young, and he was very good at both fighting and hunting, which were important skills for a tribal person. He was also known for being smart and sneaky when dealing with rival clans. He led several successful raids against enemy clans. His tribe got along well with the white settlers until some of them found gold near the tribes’ land. The U.S. Army started building forts all over Lakota land. In a brave attempt to stop them, Red Cloud and other tribal leaders went to war with the white soldiers and forced the U.S. government to give up.
Early years and childhood
Red Cloud was born as Mahpiya Luta to Walks As She Thinks, an Oglala Lakota, and Lone Man, a Brule Lakota chief. His name means “Scarlet Cloud” in English, which comes from the strange shape of reddish clouds that were in the sky when he was born.
When he was young, his father died. In the Lakota tribe, the children belonged to the clan of their mother. This was called matrilineal hierarchy. So, his mom’s uncle, Old Chief Smoke, raised him.
As a young boy, he learned to fight and hunt, and he showed early signs of being a strong leader. He fought against the Pawnee and Crow clans, which were rivals and lived nearby.
A Years After
Up until the 1860s, the Oglala clan got along well with the white settlers. During that time, gold was found in Montana. White people could only get there by going through the tribes’ land, so the U.S. Army started building a road through the tribes’ land to get to the goldfields.
To protect the road that became known as the Bozeman Trail, the U.S. Army started building a series of forts across the Lakota hunting grounds. This trail let white miners, immigrants, and others go straight to where the tribes fed the buffalo. The tribes didn’t like this because it put their resources at risk.
Red Cloud and the other Lakota tribal chiefs were asked to sign a non-aggression treaty that would let people pass through their land to get from Fort Laramie to the goldfields in Montana. They all said no.
This caused the Red Cloud’s War, which was a fight between the Lakota, Northern Cheyenne, and Northern Arapaho and the U.S. Army. The war began in 1866 and lasted until 1868, two years.
In December 1866, Captain W. J. Fetterman led an attack on a group of Sioux warriors with 80 soldiers. All of the soldiers were killed, and the U.S. Army later found their bodies, which had been stripped and cut up. The Fetterman Fight was the worst military disaster the United States has ever had on the Great Plains.
The white soldiers who were trying to protect the Bozeman trail were attacked and killed by Red Cloud and his warriors. A group of people led by Captain James W. Powell was attacked by a group of Sioux and Cheyenne people.
The soldiers were able to kill several tribal warriors with only traditional weapons because they had Springfield rifles. Despite this victory, the U.S. Army could not protect the Bozeman Trail.
In 1868, the U.S. government asked for the war to end and asked Red Cloud and other chiefs to meet to talk about the problem. The clans of the Lakota, Northern Cheyenne, and Arapaho signed the Treaty of Fort Laramie to make peace with the U.S. In exchange, the U.S. agreed to leave the Lakota land completely.
Because of the treaty, which included parts of the West River, Nebraska, and South Dakota, the Great Sioux Reservation was made. But the treaty could not bring peace between the United States and the tribes.
In 1871, the Red Cloud Agency was set up by the U.S. government on the Platte River below Fort Laramie. As stated in the treaty, the Oglala were to be given rations, cash, and goods on a regular basis. Red Cloud took his people to the agency, where they got help getting used to a new way of life.
During the 1870s and 1880s, he tried to keep the Sioux and the U.S. from fighting. Even though Red Cloud was now against war, some of the younger Oglala still wanted to fight for their land. He went to Washington more than once to help his people and make life better for Native Americans.
His Major Fights
Red Cloud’s War is the name of the largest war he led. It was a war between the tribes and the U.S. government over who would control the Powder River Country. He was a big part of the Fetterman Fight, where 81 white soldiers died. It was the worst military loss the U.S. had ever had on the Great Plains up until that time.
Awards & Achievements
He was put into the Nebraska Hall of Fame after his death, in the year 2000.
Personal History and Legacies
He only had one wife during his whole life, while many other tribal leaders used to have more than one. His wife was named Pretty Owl, and they were married for more than 50 years. He loved his wife and all of the children they had together.
After he stopped being the leader of his tribe, he lived in South Dakota on the Pine Ridge Reservation. In his old age, he became a Christian and changed his name to John. He died in 1909 when he was 87 years old.
Estimated Net worth
Red Cloud is one of the most popular and wealthiest musicians. According to what we found on Wikipedia, Forbes, and Business Insider, Red Cloud is worth about $1.5 million.