Near Burwell in Garfield County, Nebraska — The American Midwest (Upper Plains)

The Pebble Creek Fight

Photographed By Cosmos Mariner, August 6, 2021

1. The Pebble Creek Fight Marker

Inscription.
In 1872-73 white settlers were moving into the North Loup Valley. Their presence sparked occasional conflicts with Lakota Sioux wandering down from the north to hunt or raid the Pawnee Reservation near Genoa. On January 18, 1874, Sioux passing through this area with stolen Pawnee horses purportedly took food, furs, and a cow from the homes of settlers and trappers, including the Colby and McClimans families.

Early the next morning about a dozen men led by Charles (“Buckskin Charley”) White went in pursuit, determined to recover the property or fight the Indians. The men found the Lakota camped on Pebble Creek. During a parley, the Indians refused to surrender anything of value and prepared to resist the whites, who fled to the shelter of the stream bank. In the half-hour fight that followed, Marion Littlefield was shot and killed. Indian casualties were estimated as three dead and several wounded.

The settlers feared further confrontations and petitioned Congress for military protection. After receiving an appropriation, the army established Fort Hartsuff in the North Loup Valley on September 5, 1874.

Erected by Garfield County Historical Society; and Nebraska State Historical Society. (Marker Number 373.)

Topics and series. This historical marker is listed in these

Paid Advertisement

Click on the ad for more information.
Please report objectionable advertising to the Editor.

Click or scan to see
this page online

topic lists: Forts and Castles • Native Americans • Settlements & Settlers • Wars, US Indian. In addition, it is included in the Nebraska State Historical Society series list. A significant historical date for this entry is January 18, 1874.

Location. 41° 47.235′ N, 99° 7.233′ W. Marker is near Burwell, Nebraska, in Garfield County. Marker is on Nebraska Route 91/11, 0.3 miles east of Windy Hill Road, on the right when traveling east. This is the rightmost of two markers located in a pull-out on the south side of the highway. Touch for map. Marker is in this post office area: Burwell NE 68823, United States of America. Touch for directions.

Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within 13 miles of this marker, measured as the crow flies. The Easter Blizzard of 1873 (here, next to this marker); First Settlers in Garfield (approx. 0.9 miles away); Garfield County (approx. 0.9 miles away); Railroad Turntable (approx. 1.2 miles away); Kamp Kaleo (approx. 1½ miles away); The North Loup Project (approx. 5.7 miles away); The Calamus Valley (approx. 5.7 miles away); Valleyview (approx. 12.4 miles away). Touch for a list and map of all markers in Burwell.

Regarding The Pebble Creek Fight.

Photographed By Cosmos Mariner, August 6, 2021

2. The Pebble Creek Fight Marker

(looking west • rightmost of two markers at this location)

About forty Sioux Indians were accosted by a band of twelve to sixteen frontiersmen. As the battle raged on, one of the young trappers named Marion Littlefield raised from concealment to fire a shot with his .50-70 caliber rifle, and was immediately shot dead with a bullet through the head, marking the end of the battle. It took this battle to provide the essential impetus to get regular troops stationed here in a permanent post. Within two or three months, a temporary camp was established, soon to be superseded by the construction of a permanent military post. Thus Fort Hartsuff was built.

Also see . . . Fort Hartsuff State Historical Park. The fort was a frontier military post from 1874 to 1881, and was built to protect local settlers and the Pawnee Tribe from the perceived threat of hostile Native American incursions. However, the soldiers at the fort saw only one minor skirmish during its seven year existence. The presence of the fort did reassure the local settlers. The fort’s most important role was as an employer for construction projects and other odd jobs, and a market for the local farmers to sell their crops. [Source: History Nebraska website] (Submitted on September 16, 2021, by Cosmos Mariner of Cape Canaveral, Florida.)

Credits. This page was last revised on April 27, 2024. It was originally submitted on September 15, 2021, by Cosmos Mariner of Cape Canaveral, Florida. This page has been viewed 325 times since then and 87 times this year. Photos: 1, 2. submitted on September 16, 2021, by Cosmos Mariner of Cape Canaveral, Florida.