Day 55: Sterling (Sat 19th July)

I stayed in Sterling today. I am tired but also there's a local museum that is to be highly recommended. I decided to stay and go along for a look. There was supposed stuff on the history and culture of the Indians as well as a history of the town. To be honest it was only ok. There were artifacts there but nothing to tell you about the history or way of life so I was just looking at 'things'. What I did find out about the locality was outside the museum!! Sterling is another town built by the railway. Originally a small township of 12 families was established in the 1870's about 4 miles away from the present town. In 1881 the railway induced these families to come down and settle in a new town built for them which would act as a stop for the railway. Its now a major junction town and the big processing plants are here too.

This region of Northeast Colorado became renowned for the Cheyenne dog soldiers, a military elite within the Cheyenne nation. It was they who stood in the vanguard of resistance to the new settlers and the U.S. cavalry as major fighting broke out in the 1860's.

In the 1830's during a period of hostilities with the Kiowa tribe. At a war gathering a drunken brawl broke out which resulted in a death at the hands of the leader of the Dog soldiers, Porcubine Bear. Under Cheyenne conventions the leader and his followers were expelled from the society. The dog soldiers were disgraced within their own society were made to camp apart and in effect formed their own tribe. Their feats in battle however restored their honour and by the 1850s were afforded their former respect.

Through the 1860's the Dog soldiers raided throughout northern Kansas, southern Nebaska and eastern Colorado. They struck fear into settlers refusing to sign treaties with the military. However by the late 1860's the cavalry began to exert pressure on the guerilla tactics of the Cheyenne. In response to a series of raids in to Kansas the 5th Cavalry under a General Carr along with Pawnee mercenaries acting as scouts located the village of Tall Bull, surrounded it and attacked, massacering many. While the Cheyenne continued to resist into the 1870's the power of the Dog Soldiers was smashed. Small bands roamed but eventually resistance petered out. I'll be thinking of those guys tomorrow as I make my way up to Cheyenne in Wyoming. There's a big rodeo and frontier show on all this week so I'm going up for a look.