Chief Black Kettle, who had devoted his life to peaceful co-existence with the whites, led his band of 600 Southern Cheyennes, plus a contingent of Southern Arapaho, to Sand Creek, near Fort Lyon. As instructed, he reported to Fort Lyon that they were camped nearby, and that they had come there for peace. Shortly after their arrival, Chivington rode into Fort Lyon with the Third Cavalry. The post commander told him that Black Kettle and his people had surrendered, and were camped at Sand Creek. Chivington ignored the information he had been given and determined to carry out his own policy of total extermination of all Natives.
Nits breed lice.
The following massacre at Sand Creek is among the cruelist in Native American history. When word of the Sand Creek atrocity was spread by survivors who had escaped, the Nations of the Great Plains Culture joined together for survival, with former enemies fighting shoulder to shoulder against the greater enemy. No territory escaped these mighty wars which raged across the plains for 13 years, and which ended at Wounded Knee. The Cheyenne conflicts finally ended with the surrender of Dull Knife, a Northern Cheyenne who, with his band of 300, had been chased by 13,000 cavalry for 6 weeks. After extensive negotiations, the Cheyenne who had taken refuge on other reservations, and who had hidden out across the territory, were granted reservation rights.