Attacked by the 7th U.S. Cavalry under Lt. Col. George A. Custer just before dawn on November 27, 1868, The controversial strike was hailed at the time by the military and many civilians as a significant victory aimed at reducing Native American raids on frontier settlements. Washita remains controversial because many Cheyenne and whites labeled Custer's attack a massacre. Black Kettle is still honored as a prominent leader who never ceased striving for peace even though it cost him his life.
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