Powder River Expedition (1865)

Powder River Expedition
Part of the Sioux Wars, American Indian Wars
The Powder River in southeastern Montana where Cole's and Walker's columns passed in 1865.
Date July 1 to October 4, 1865 Location Powder River Country, Montana, Wyoming, South Dakota, and Nebraska, United States Result Stalemate
Belligerents
United States	Sioux Cheyenne Arapaho
Commanders and leaders
Patrick E. Connor Nelson D. Cole Samuel Walker Frank North	Red Cloud Sitting Bull Roman Nose Little Wolf George Bent
Strength
2,300 soldiers 179 Indian scouts 195 civilians	~2,000 warriors
Casualties and losses
31 killed 19 wounded	68-96+ killed 14+ wounded 18 captured (including women and children)

This event should not be confused with the Big Horn Expedition during the Black Hills War.

The Powder River Expedition of 1865 also known as the Powder River War or Powder River Invasion, was a large and far-flung military operation of the United States Army against the Lakota Sioux, Cheyenne, and Arapaho Indians in Montana Territory and Dakota Territory. Although soldiers destroyed one Arapaho village and established Fort Connor to protect gold miners on the Bozeman Trail, the expedition is considered a failure because it failed to defeat or intimidate the Indians.