E.C. Watkins report on Sioux and Cheyenne hostility

Background. By late 1875, tensions over the Black Hills had escalated. In May 1875, Sioux delegations headed by Spotted Tail, Red Cloud, and Lone Horn traveled to Washington, D.C. in an attempt to reach President Ulysses S. Grant. In early November 1875, Lieutenant General Philip Sheridan and Brigadier General George Crook were called to Washington, D.C. to meet with Grant and cabinet members to discuss the Black Hills issue. An Indian agent noted that Indians in unceded areas numbered a few hundred warriors, while General Crook estimated he might face up to 2,000.

Reported Hostility Assessment. In November 1875, an Indian agent stated that Indians living in the unceded areas numbered "a few hundred warriors." The retrieved passages do not name the agent as E.C. Watkins, do not state that a formal report was issued in Washington, D.C., and do not record the agent characterizing the warriors as hostile; the framing of hundreds of hostile Sioux and Cheyenne associated with Sitting Bull and Crazy Horse comes from the legacy row, not the supplied passages. The passages do confirm that Indian Inspector E.C. Watkins supported a military option during the November 1875 deliberations.

Political Context. The government was concerned about launching war without provocation. Instructions were issued to Indian agents to notify Lakota and Sioux to return to reservations by January 31, 1876, or face military action. This policy shift followed the November 1875 meetings in Washington, D.C., involving Sheridan, Crook, and cabinet members.