  the grattan massacre, also known as the grattan fight, was the opening engagement of the first sioux war, fought between united states army and lakota sioux warriors on august 19, 1854. it occurred east of fort laramie, nebraska territory, in present-day goshen county, wyoming. a small detachment of soldiers entered a large sioux encampment to arrest a man accused of taking a migrant's cow, although such matters by treaty were to be handled by the us indian agent. after one of the soldiers shot chief conquering bear and killed him, the brulÃ© lakotas returned fire and killed a total of 29 soldiers, lieutenant john grattan, and a civilian interpreter. the massacre, as it was called by the american press, is considered an early, significant event in the plains indian wars. ==background== in the late summer of 1854, about 4,000 brulÃ© and oglala were camped near fort laramie in accordance with the terms of the treaty of 1851. on august 17, a cow belonging to a mormon traveling on the nearby oregon trail strayed and was killed by a visiting miniconjou named high forehead. lt. hugh fleming, the senior officer of the small garrison, consulted with the chief, conquering bear, to discuss the loss of livestock. lt. fleming was evidently unaware, or chose to ignore, that such matters were, by the terms of the treaty of 1851, to be handled by the local indian agent, in this case john whitfield, who was due to arrive within days with annuities with which restitution could be made. aware that the matter did not really concern the military, conquering bear attempted to negotiate, offering a horse from his personal herd or a cow from the tribe's herd. the cow's owner persisted in demanding $25 instead. lt. fleming asked the sioux to arrest high forehead and deliver him to the fort, which conquering bear refused; he had no authority over the miniconjou and did not want to violate their tradition of hospitality.[http://books.google.com/books?id=nqcng_ytoxqc&a
1854_in_the_United_States American_Old_West Battles_involving_the_Sioux Battles_involving_the_United_States Conflicts_in_1854 Native_American_history_of_Nebraska Nebraska_Territory Pre-statehood_history_of_Wyoming Sioux_Wars