The Combatants: Soldiers

The average age of an enlisted man in the United States Army was twenty-three years old. Although Fetterman’s command included veterans of the Civil War, many of the men were inexperienced in Indian warfare, had limited training with their weapons, and were unfamiliar with the western terrain, where the clear air often visually distorts the depth and distance of valleys and ridges. Captain William Judd Fetterman was a 31 year old Brevet Lieutenant Colonel with Civil War combat experience who wrote in a letter that “the Indians annoy us.” He probably disobeyed Colonel Carrington’s orders when he crossed over Lodge Trail Ridge, and his body was found near the monument. Lieutenant George W. Grummond was a 32 year old leader of Company C, 2nd U.S. Cavalry who had risen to the rank of Lieutenant Colonel during the Civil War; after narrowly escaping death on December 6, 1866, he died on December 21 while covering the retreat of his comrades. Captain Frederick Brown was the post quartermaster and was not assigned to Fetterman’s command, but he went along for one more chance at fighting Indians before leaving on assignment the next day, riding Calico, a horse borrowed from Carrington’s son, and his body was found with Fetterman.

Wyoming · United States