you are currently viewing: Discussion Forum
 
 

 
 

The Rorke's Drift VC Discussion Forum
(View Discussion Rules)

** IMPORTANT MESSAGE TO ALL USERS **

PLEASE NOTE: This forum is now inactive and is provided for reference purposes only. The live forum is available at www.rorkesdriftvc.com/forum


(Back To Topic List)

DateOriginal Topic
4th May 2002Wagon Box Fight & Rorke's Drift
By Alun
The parallel between the US Cavalry defence of a small corral against Sioux warriors, known as the Wagon Box Fight, is pretty striking.....(NOTE: Alternative estimates of Sioux numbers are 3,000 warriors in the fight, with losses of 1100!). Anyway, here is the story - what do you think?

The Wagon Box Fight;
A remarkable battle in the early days in Wyoming. One of the most unusual battles in the history of the west was fought August 2, 1867 about five miles west of Fort Phil Kearny. Here an estimated 1,000 Indians under Chief Red Cloud, attacked a handful of soldiers and civilians and suffered a defeat.During initial stages of the battle, twenty-six soldiers and six civilians took cover inside an oval of wagon boxes used as a stock corral. Armed with new rapid-fire breech loading rifles the soldiers and civilians commanded by Captain James Powell held off the massed warriors until a relief force arrived from the fort. Three men were killed and two wounded inside of the corral, while Indian casualties were estimated at from five to sixty or more killed and five to one-hundred-and-twenty more wounded.

source
http://philkearny.vcn.com/fpk-wagonboxfight.htm