Redig in Harding County, South Dakota — The American Midwest (Upper Plains)
Crow Buttes
Photographed by Cosmos Mariner, August 21, 2023
1. Crow Buttes Marker
Crow Buttes, located in Harding County, was the scene of a bizarre battle between the Crow and Sioux Indians in the summer of 1822. Sioux men ravaged a Crow camp, destroying it and raping the squaws. Warfare ensued, Crow warriors left their women and children and old folks at Sand Creek, north of the Buttes, fleeing for a better vantage point on top of the Crow Buttes, with Sioux fighters chasing them. The Crows had no water with them and being sultry weather no rain fell. The Sioux encircled the Crow Buttes and waited patiently until the trapped Crows died from thirst. Subsequently, the nearby canyon of skulls, to the northwest, was filled with skeletons of Sioux who had died like flies after contracting a fever from the Crows.
Erected by Butte County Historical Society; and Game, Fish & Parks Commission.
Topics. This historical marker is listed in this topic list: Indigenous Peoples and Communities. A significant historical year for this entry is 1822.
Location. 45° 13.887′ N, 103° 32.95′ W. Marker is in Redig, South Dakota, in Harding County. It is on Theodore Roosevelt Expressway (U.S. 85) 2.6 miles south of Redig
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Regionally, this marker is in West River. It is also in the American Lewis & Clark Corridor, on the prairies, and on the Northern Plains. Globally, it is in North America, the Western Hemisphere, the Western World, and the Anglosphere. Historically, it finds itself in what was once Ruperts Land and also the Louisiana Purchase.
More about this marker. The Butte County Historical Society sponsored this marker, but the marker is placed near the Crow Buttes, about 2 miles north of the Butte County line in Harding County.
Related markers. Click here for a list of markers that are related to this marker. The Battle of Crow Buttes
Also see . . . Crow Buttes (The Warrior Trail).
Excerpt: The struggles began centuries ago with the native people and their intra-tribal and territorial battles. Early in the(Submitted on June 23, 2026, by Cosmos Mariner of Cape Canaveral, Florida.)1800s, the Crow were chased out of western South Dakota by the Sioux who left Minnesota and eastern South Dakota because of the encroachment of the white man from the east.Photographed by Cosmos Mariner, August 21, 20232. Crow Buttes Marker(looking west from US Highway 85 pull-out • Crow Buttes in background) One such notable battle happened in what is now called Crow Buttes located in Harding County, South Dakota. In the summer of 1822, the Sioux ravaged a Crow Camp near Crow Buttes and warfare soon ensued. Wanting revenge against the Sioux after the attack, a Crow war party hastily left their women and children and old folks at Sand Creek north of the Buttes, looking for a better vantage point on top of the Crow Buttes. Because of their hasty departure, the Crow had no water with them and there was no chance of rain in sight in the arid high plains of South Dakota. The Sioux encircled the Crow war party atop the Crow Buttes and waited patiently until the trapped warriors died from thirst.
Credits. This page was last revised on June 23, 2026. It was originally submitted on August 21, 2023, by Cosmos Mariner of Cape Canaveral, Florida. This page has been viewed 2,841 times since then and 229 times this year. Photos: 1, 2. submitted on August 23, 2023, by Cosmos Mariner of Cape Canaveral, Florida.
