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Attack on Heavy Runner's Camp

When: January 23, 1870
Where: Marias River, Montana, USA
Part of: Marias Massacre: U.S. soldiers attack Piegan Blackfeet camp on the Marias River

U.S. soldiers attacked a peaceful Piegan camp led by Chief Heavy Runner on the Marias River, killing approximately 200 people, mostly women, children, and older men.

Baker's command located a camp of 32 lodges along the Marias River on January 22. Scout Joe Kipp recognized the camp belonged to Heavy Runner, who was considered peaceful. Baker ordered the attack anyway, stating all Piegans were targets. Heavy Runner was shot and killed while waving a safe conduct paper.

Sources

Marias Massacre Wikipedia, revision of 2026-09-11

Machine-drafted from the cited Wikipedia passages and checked by a reviewing model, not by a human editor. Every passage cites the revision it was written from; dates and places follow those passages.