Wolf Mountains Battlefield

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Wolf Mountains Battlefield, also known as Where Big Crow Walked Back and Forth, is the site of the Battle of Wolf Mountain, the last major fight in the Great Sioux War of 1876–77. It was named a National Historic Landmark in 2008 and added to the National Register of Historic Places in 2001.

Location and battle details:
The battlefield is in the Tongue River Valley near Birney, Montana. The Tongue River winds through the valley, which is flanked by tall bluffs. The battle took place on January 8, 1877, after a U.S. Army encampment formed west of the river on January 7. Crazy Horse and his Oglala Lakota, joined by Lakota and Cheyenne warriors, fought from a canyon wall on the east side of the river. They were eventually driven from this position. Crazy Horse’s ally, the Cheyenne medicine man Big Crow, died in the fighting. The harsh winter and food shortages weakened the Native coalition, and Crazy Horse surrendered on May 6, 1877, ending the conflict.

Today and why it matters:
The site covers about 2,756 acres (approximately 1,115 hectares). The battlefield runs about two miles along the river and across roughly two-and-a-half miles of the valley. A rifle pit built by F Company, 22nd Infantry on January 9 remains visible and is the only contributing structure. Despite modern roads, utilities, farming, and some tree growth, the landscape retains much of its historic feel. Potential archaeological work is sometimes hindered by relic hunting with metal detectors. The site faces threats from development, including coal bed methane production.