Battle of Cedar Creek ( 1876 ) The Battle of Cedar Creek ( also called Big Dry Creek or Big Dry River ) occurred on October 21 , 1876 , in the Montana Territory between the United States Army and a force of Lakota Sioux native Americans during the Great Sioux War of 1876 . Col . Nelson A . Miles led the 5th Infantry in the summer of 1876 from Fort Leavenworth , Kansas , up the Missouri river via a paddlewheel boat from Yankton ( South Dakota ) to the Yellowstone River to help subdue the Sioux and Cheyenne , who had claimed a major victory in the summer at the Battle of Little Bighorn . Miles joined General Terry on the Rosebud in autumn and marched with him up the Rosebud river to join with General Crook . The two commanders together moved east and crossed Tongue river and reached the mouth of the Powder River . Here the two commands separated , with General Crook moving south and east toward the Black Hills and a detachment under Captain Anson Mills engaged and defeated a force of Indians in September at the Battle of Slim Buttes . Mills had been sent by Crook to obtain supplies from the Black Hills because their supplies were running perilously low , and at times , the men had to resort to eating horseflesh to survive . After separating from General Crook , General Terry with Col . Miles moved north up Dry Creek , east and then south again to eventually reached Glendive , Montana Territory , on the Yellowstone River where the troops established winter headquarters . Col . Miles equipped his troops with winter gear and established a temporary base at the mouth of the Tongue River . Troops under Col . Elwell S . Otis escorted a train of more than 100 supply wagons that had been dispatched from a post on Glendive Creek , Montana Territory , to supply Miles ' s troops . On October 11 , Sioux warriors ambushed the slow moving wagon train near Spring Creek , killing several mules and temporarily driving off the wagons . Undaunted , the wagon train tried again to reach Miles , but the Indians again attacked it along Spring Creek on October 15 . This time , the wagon crews and their escort managed to fend off their attackers and continue their passage . Soon afterwards , two Indian emissaries approached Colonel Otis and suggested that Miles meet with Sitting Bull , the long revered spiritual leader of the Hunkpapa Sioux . Miles accepted the offer , and set out for Cedar Creek , Montana Territory , north of the Yellowstone River . On October 20 , Miles met with the Indian leader to parley between the lines of the Indians and the soldiers , at Sitting Bull ' s request . Sitting Bull offered to trade for ammunition so his followers could hunt buffalo . He would not bother the soldiers , if they did not bother him . Miles informed Sitting Bull of the government ' s demands for a surrender . While neither leader was pleased , both agreed to meet on the morrow after consulting with their subordinates . Some of Sitting Bull ' s minor chiefs wanted to leave the warpath and return to the reservations , but many others wanted to fight . On October 21 , the conference resumed . Sitting Bull again demanded that Miles and his soldiers leave , and that no more wagon trains be allowed in Sioux territory . He threatened to kill any chief who still wanted to lead his band back to the reservations . The talks quickly broke down , and the leaders returned to their forces . Soon , gunfire erupted . After a sharp skirmish , Sitting Bull withdrew . The army claimed to have chased the Lakotas for up to , collecting large quantities of dried meat , lodge poles , camp equipage , ponies and broken down cavalry horses , and arms along the way . On October 27 , over 400 lodges ( with 2 , 000 men , women , and children ) formally surrendered to Miles and peacefully returned to their reservations . However , some of Sitting Bull ' s more ardent followers headed northward for Canada , and Miles made preparations to pursue them throughout the winter . References . The President of the United States of America , in the name of Congress , takes pleasure in presenting the Medal of Honor to Private James Spencer Calvert , United States Army , for gallantry in engagements at Cedar Creek , Montana and other campaigns during the period October 21 , 1876 to January 8 , 1877 , while serving with Company C , 5th U . S . Infantry . General Orders : Date of Issue : April 27 , 1877 Action Date : October 21 , 1876 to January 8 , 1877 Service : Army Rank : Private Company : Company C Division : 5th U . S . Infantry After the Custer Massacre A Winter Campaign