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Murder trial of seven Cheyenne (1879)

SOLVED1879Dodge City and Lawrence, Kansas (trial); killings in Decatur County, Kansas3 SOURCESUPDATED JUL 2026
Cheyenne-prisoners-Kansas
Cheyenne-prisoners-Kansas — Credit: Leonard & Martin (Life time: unknown) · Public domain

In September 1878, 353 Northern Cheyenne men, women, and children fled the Cheyenne and Arapaho Indian Reservation in Indian Territory, seeking to return to their homeland on the northern Great Plains after being relocated there from Fort Robinson, Nebraska, the previous year. During the flight, the group fought several engagements with the U.S. Army and civilian volunteers, including the Battle of Punished Woman's Fork. Needing horses and supplies, Cheyenne warriors raided the Sappa Creek valley in northern Kansas. Despite orders from Cheyenne leaders to avoid harming non-combatants, warriors killed approximately 40 civilians and raped nine women in Decatur County.

After a roughly 900-kilometer flight, 150 of the Cheyenne surrendered at Fort Robinson in October 1878. When imprisoned and ordered back to Oklahoma, they broke out of the fort in January 1879; many were killed or recaptured. Seven surviving men — Old Crow, Wild Hog, Strong Left Hand, Porcupine, Tangle Hair, Noisy Walker, and Blacksmith — were arrested for the Kansas killings. They and 21 family members were sent to Fort Leavenworth. Kansas Governor George T. Anthony insisted the seven be tried in civilian court, and lawman Bat Masterson escorted them by rail to Dodge City, arriving 17 February 1879 amid large, sometimes hostile crowds; several Cheyenne were injured during the journey.

The seven were jailed in the damp basement of the Dodge City courthouse for five months, drawing visits from journalists and others. Sheriff Masterson provided food and medical care and later allowed the prisoners outdoor time and bathing privileges. Attorney J.G. Mohler represented them, arguing Kansas lacked jurisdiction, and the prosecution struggled to produce eyewitnesses. Indian agent John DeBras Miles secured the release of Old Crow, a former Army scout, who returned to Indian Territory. The remaining six were transferred to Lawrence, Kansas, arriving 25 June 1879, where they became local celebrities, attending a circus and staging a mock battle with local cowboys. Poet Walt Whitman visited them in jail, and a U.S. Senate committee interviewed them on 12 August 1879, with Wild Hog describing mistreatment on the Oklahoma reservation.

On 13 October 1879, the prosecuting attorney failed to appear in court, and the presiding judge dismissed all murder charges against the six remaining defendants. Still classified as prisoners of war, they were returned to the Cheyenne reservation in Indian Territory. Four years later, most received permission to relocate to the newly created Northern Cheyenne Indian Reservation in the north.

While imprisoned, several of the men created ledger art depicting scenes of Plains life, notably avoiding war imagery. Four small ledgers and four loose drawings survive, attributed variously to Wild Hog, Porcupine, and others; two are held by the Kansas State Historical Society and two are in Norway.

Key facts

Victims
On file
Date
1879
Location
Dodge City and Lawrence, Kansas (trial); killings in Decatur County, Kansas
Case status
solved

Case timeline

  1. 1877

    Nearly 1,000 Northern Cheyenne surrender at Fort Robinson, Nebraska, and are relocated to the Cheyenne and Arapaho Indian Reservation in Indian Territory.

  2. 1878-09

    353 Cheyenne men, women, and children flee the reservation, beginning the Northern Cheyenne Exodus.

  3. 1878-10

    After fighting several engagements including the Battle of Punished Woman's Fork and raiding the Sappa Creek valley (where about 40 civilians were killed and nine women raped), 150 Cheyenne surrender at Fort Robinson.

  4. 1879-01

    Imprisoned Cheyenne escape Fort Robinson in the Fort Robinson breakout; many are killed or recaptured. Seven surviving men are arrested for the Kansas killings.

  5. 1879-02-17

    Bat Masterson escorts the seven Cheyenne by rail from Fort Leavenworth to Dodge City, Kansas, for trial.

  6. 1879-06-25

    Six of the seven Cheyenne (Old Crow having been released) arrive in Lawrence, Kansas, for a more impartial trial venue.

  7. 1879-08-12

    A U.S. Senate committee interviews the imprisoned Cheyenne in Lawrence; Wild Hog testifies about mistreatment on the reservation.

  8. 1879-10-13

    The prosecuting attorney fails to appear in court; the presiding judge dismisses all murder charges against the remaining Cheyenne defendants.

  9. 1883

    Most of the Cheyenne receive permission to relocate to the newly created Northern Cheyenne Indian Reservation in the north.

Best coverage

No approved coverage links are attached yet.

People

  • Old Crow

    CHARGED

    Cheyenne leader charged with the Decatur County, Kansas killings; released before trial by Indian agent John DeBras Miles due to prior service as a U.S. Army scout.

  • Porcupine

    CHARGED

    One of seven Cheyenne men charged with the 1878 Decatur County killings; created ledger art while imprisoned; charges later dismissed.

  • Strong Left Hand

    CHARGED

    One of seven Cheyenne men charged with the 1878 Decatur County killings; charges later dismissed.

  • Wild Hog

    CHARGED

    Cheyenne leader charged with murder; tried in Lawrence, Kansas; charges dismissed on 13 October 1879 when the prosecutor failed to appear.

  • Tangle Hair

    CHARGED

    One of seven Cheyenne men charged with the 1878 Decatur County killings; charges later dismissed.

  • Noisy Walker

    CHARGED

    One of seven Cheyenne men charged with the 1878 Decatur County killings; charges later dismissed.

  • Blacksmith

    CHARGED

    One of seven Cheyenne men charged with the 1878 Decatur County killings; charges later dismissed.

Roles reflect public records and court outcomes at the time of writing — supporting citations are on file under Sources.

Archival records

  • Cheyenne-prisoners-Kansas

    other document

    Cheyenne-prisoners-Kansas

    Credit: Leonard & Martin (Life time: unknown) · Public domain · Source

Places

Dodge City and Lawrence, Kansas (trial); killings in Decatur County, Kansas

37.7528, -100.0170

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Common questions

What happened to the victim?
In 1879, seven Northern Cheyenne men were tried in Dodge City and Lawrence, Kansas, on murder charges stemming from the killing of about 40 civilians in Decatur County during the 1878 Northern Cheyenne Exodus. After an eight-month, highly publicized proceeding, a judge dismissed all charges when the prosecutor failed to appear.
Where did the murder happen?
Dodge City and Lawrence, Kansas (trial); killings in Decatur County, Kansas.
What is the current status of the case?
Status: solved. Last verified July 2026.
More cases in Kansas

Sources

  1. ENCYCLOPEDICMurder trial of seven Cheyenne (1879)Wikipedia · 2026-07-07
  2. PRESSContemporaneous coverage — muse.jhu.edumuse.jhu.edu · 2026-07-07
  3. PRESSContemporaneous coverage — wyohisotry.orgwyohisotry.org · 2026-07-07

Record history

First published
JUL 07, 2026
Last verified against sources
JUL 07, 2026