Near Clark in Park County, Wyoming — The American West (Mountains)
Bennet Buttes and the Bannock War of 1878
Photographed by Barry Swackhamer, September 17, 2020
1. Bennet Buttes and the Bannock War of 1878 Marker
Captions: (upper left) Bennett Buttes are located approximately three miles from this spot and are named for Captain Andrew Bennett.; (lower right) Bennett Buttes Cemetery with Bennett Buttes in the background.
Several area landmarks, including Bennett Buttes, Bennett Creek, and Little Rock Creek, are now named for Captain Andrew S. Bennett and Little Rock, a Crow interpreter for the U.S. Army, who lost their lives when the Army attacked a camp of Bannock Indians on 4 September 1878.
After ten years on the Fort Hall Reservation in Idaho, the Bannock Indians rose up and retaliated because of famine on the reservation, the destruction of the significant camas plants- a staple food- and other injustices; this conflict was known as the Bannock War of 1878. This short-lived uprising had ended by the time a band of about 80 Bannocks fled the reservation, attempting to join Chief Sitting Bull in Canada. Under the command of Colonel Nelson A. Miles, the Army pursued the band to a site along the shallow banks of the Clarks Fork in this vicinity and silently assembled for a surprise attack. During the early morning skirmish, Captain Bennett, and Crow allies Little Rock and Two Crows were killed. The Bannock losses included 11 killed and 32 captured, while the rest scattered and escaped.
Erected by Wyoming State Parks & Cultural Resources.
this page online
Topics. This historical marker is listed in these topic lists: Natural Features • Wars, US Indian.
Location. 44° 52.568′ N, 109° 7.694′ W. Marker is near Clark, Wyoming, in Park County. It is on Belfry Highway (State Highway 120) near State Highway 292, on the right when traveling south. Touch for map. Marker is in this post office area: Powell WY 82435, United States of America. Touch for directions.
Regionally, this marker is in the Bighorn Basin and in Greater Yellowstone. It is also in the American Mountain West and in the Lewis & Clark Corridor. Globally, it is in North America, the Rocky Mountains, the Western Hemisphere, the Western World, and the Anglosphere.
Other nearby markers. At least 3 other markers are within 2 miles of this marker, measured as the crow flies: Red Lodge Freight Road (here, next to this marker); Nez Perce Trail (approx. 1½ miles away); The Nez Perce Conflict of 1877 (approx. 1½ miles away).
Also see . . .
1. Bannock War. Wikipedia entry (Submitted on July 30, 2024, by Larry Gertner of New York, New York.)
2. The Bannock War: A Struggle for Land and Liberty.
Photographed by Barry Swackhamer, September 17, 2020
2. Bennet Buttes and the Bannock War of 1878 Marker
The markers is on the left.
Credits. This page was last revised on August 5, 2025. It was originally submitted on February 19, 2021, by Barry Swackhamer of Brentwood, California. This page has been viewed 1,246 times since then and 98 times this year. Photos: 1, 2. submitted on February 19, 2021, by Barry Swackhamer of Brentwood, California.
