Project Description

Legends of the Old West | Season 4 — Red Cloud’s War

Red Cloud was the most feared and respected war chief on the northern plains in the 1860s. He watched the Lakota way of life crumble as the American nation expanded west. He built an unprecedented Native coalition. In 1865, he began to fight back. In 1866, he declared war.

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RedCloud
S4 | E5: RED CLOUD’S WAR — “Endgame”

3/3/19

The army is shocked by Fetterman’s Fight. The following spring, Red Cloud resumes his attacks and politicians in the east are stunned by his ability to keep a multi-tribal coalition in place for two fighting seasons in a row.
They see no end to the bloodshed, so they finally agree to Red Cloud’s demands. A Native American army forces the United States to sue for peace for the first and only time in its history.
S4 | E4: RED CLOUD’S WAR — “Fetterman’s Fight”

2/24/19

After months of continuous attacks by Red Cloud’s forces, the besieged soldiers in Fort Phil Kearny reach their lowest point. Crazy Horse argues that the time is right for an all-out assault. It’s winter 1866 and the small army outpost is virtually isolated on the High Plains.
Red Cloud runs a series of tests to see how the army soldiers will react to battle with his warriors. The results are encouraging and he agrees the time is right to destroy the fort. On December 21, 1866, Crazy Horse lures American soldiers into a trap and Red Cloud unleashes his war party…
S4 | E3: RED CLOUD’S WAR — “Warning Signs”

2/17/19

In the summer of 1866, an untested colonel leads a battalion of infantry onto the High Plains. His mission is to open the Bozeman Trail and build a series of forts in the Powder River Country. Red Cloud issues a declaration of war to protect his cherished hunting grounds and begins a campaign of harassment that takes a heavy toll on on the soldiers.
S4 | E2: RED CLOUD’S WAR — “Fighting Season”

2/10/19

After hearing the story of the Sand Creek Massacre, Red Cloud makes his first coordinated attacks on army outposts on the High Plains. In response, the U.S. Army sends thousands of troopers in pursuit of Red Cloud. They surprise him in his camp, but then the soldiers learn the hard lessons of a fighting season on the frontier.
S4 | E1: RED CLOUD’S WAR — “The Road to Sand Creek”

2/3/19

Red Cloud rises from an obscure child with an alcoholic father to war chief of the Oglala band of the Lakota. As white civilization begins to destroy the Lakota way of life, he calls for war. But older chiefs urge patience. Then the Sand Creek Massacre happens and the march toward war begins.
Season Four: RED CLOUD’S WAR

1/27/19

Red Cloud was the most feared and respected war chief on the northern plains in the 1860s. He watched the Lakota way of life crumble as the American nation expanded west. He built an unprecedented Native coalition. In 1865, he began to fight back. In 1866, he declared war.
Legends of the Old West | Red Cloud’s War — Sources and Music

 

Sources

 

“The Heart Of Everything That Is,” Bob Drury and Tom Clavin. Simon & Schuster, 2013.

“Autobiography of Red Cloud, War Leader of the Oglalas,” edited by R. Eli Paul. Montana Historical Society Press, 1997.
“Crazy Horse and Custer,” Stephen E. Ambrose. Penguin Random House, 1975.
“The Earth Is Weeping: The Epic Story of the Indian Wars for the American West,” Peter Cozzens. Penguin Random House, 2016.
”The Lakota Sioux Indians: A History of the Siouan People,” Robert D. Bolen. Fort Boise Publishing, 2012.
Sand Creek Massacre: National Park Service
Sand Creek Massacre: Timeline
Bozeman Trail: Wyoming.org
Fetterman Fight: Wyoming.org
Fetterman Fight: Exploring Off The Beaten Path

Music

Music from Robb Vallier and Pond5.com

Sound FX from Pond5.com and Free SFX

Select promo video footage from Storyblocks.com and Pond5.com

Promo video music by Sergei Cheremisinov