Banner in Sheridan County, Wyoming — The American West (Mountains)
Weapons of the Fetterman Fight
Officers generally carried Models 1860 Colt or 1858 Remington .44 caliber revolvers. They also carried M-1860 Light Cavalry sabers, like the cavalry.
An Infantry Soldier carried a Springfield Model 1863 rifle-musket, .58 caliber. He was issued 40 rounds for his cartridge box and carried a bayonet or a Noncommissioned Officer’s sword.
A Cavalry Trooper carried a Spencer Model 1860 .52 caliber or Model 1865 .50 caliber, seven shot repeating carbine. He was issued 28 rounds to be carried in his cartridge box and pockets. The standard cartridge box carried 20 rounds.
Civilians Fisher and Wheatley were armed with Henry Model 1860 .44 caliber, 15 shot repeating rifles.
A Warrior’s main weapon was the bow and arrow. The bow was approximately 48” long and the 25” arrows were tipped with 2” to 3.5” Indian or commercial made iron points. They also carried an assortment of other weapons including a stone war club, steel (metal) Tomahawk, a scalping/skinning trade knife, a lance and a shield.
The Indians used a limited number of firearms, including Colt and Remington .36 and .44 caliber revolvers and single shot flintlock/percussion trade rifles, .40 to .54 caliber, all firing crude cast round balls. By the end of the battle, the Indians had captured most of the soldiers’ weapons and used them to kill survivors or count coups on the dead.
Topics. This historical marker is listed in these topic lists: Native Americans • Wars, US Indian. A significant historical year for this entry is 1860.
Location. 44° 34.51′ N, 106° 50.488′ W. Marker is in Banner, Wyoming, in Sheridan County. Marker can be reached from Piney Creek Road. Touch for map. Marker is in this post office area: Banner WY 82832, United States of America. Touch for directions.
Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within walking distance of this marker. Two Scenarios: Fetterman Fight, December 21, 1866 (within shouting distance of this marker); The Combatants: Warriors (about 500 feet away, measured in a direct line); The Bozeman Trail 1863 – 1868 (about 600 feet away); The Combatants: Soldiers (about 600 feet away); As an Infantryman . . . (approx. 0.2 miles away); The Discoveries (approx. 0.2 miles away); During Your Advance . . . (approx. 0.2 miles away); As a Cavalryman . . . (approx. ¼ mile away). Touch for a list and map of all markers in Banner.
More about this marker. Pictures and descriptions of weapons used by the soldiers and Indians during the Fetterman Fight appear on the marker.
Related markers. Click here for a list of markers that are related to this marker. See all of the markers on the Fetterman Fight Interpretive Trail.
Credits. This page was last revised on September 4, 2020. It was originally submitted on August 21, 2015, by Bill Coughlin of Woodland Park, New Jersey. This page has been viewed 1,779 times since then and 89 times this year. Photos: 1, 2, 3. submitted on August 21, 2015, by Bill Coughlin of Woodland Park, New Jersey.