Trails Center Presentation Examines The Battle of Red Buttes Near Casper

The battle happened more than 150 years ago, but the final resting place of the soldiers who died near Casper remains a mystery.

It was known as the Battle of Red Buttes, between 20 United States soldiers and two to three thousand Sioux, Cheyenne and Arapaho warriors in June of 1865, and you can learn about this piece of local history with a special presentation, “The Continuing Search to Preserve a Lost Indian Wars Mass Grave in Central Wyoming", at the National Historic Trails Interpretive Center Saturday, April 13th.

The search for the location of the Battle began in the 1920's, according to the NHTIC.

"A revaluation of the battle including additional archaeological field and archive research has been ongoing since 2005, but has not located the mass grave of the 20 soldiers killed. While a four-hour battle may have a short-lived footprint, it is still visible magnetically because of the battle activities (i.e., artifact distributions, burned wagon parts). Field studies in 2016 found the best evidence to date for the battle location. In 2018, the landscape became part of America’s public lands," according to a release from the NHTIC.

“This presentation will bring to life the archaeological side of the Battle of Red Buttes and all the historical findings which has accompanied it throughout the years”, said Trails Center Director Chris Wilkinson. “We are very excited and honored to have Danny Walker here at the NHTIC to share his discoveries and stories with everyone.”

“The Continuing Search to Preserve a Lost Indian Wars Mass Grave in Central Wyoming":

• Saturday, April 13th at 1:00 p.m.
• at the Trails Center at 1501 N. Poplar Street in Casper
• For more information, you can call the Front Information Desk at (307) 261-7780.