User blog:Elgb333/Americana Pt 1: Lakota Sioux vs Johnson County



''In this two-part mini series we will be going back in time in American history. A time before the World Wars and the Space Age. A time known as the Gilded Age and Westward Expansion. A time where American myths and legends were born in the frontier. Americana!'' And what better way to start by putting two of the most legendary Old West rebels born from the most iconic Western setting of them all: Powder River County! Lakota Tribe: A band of Sioux warriors who decimated the U.S. Cavalry in the Dakotas! vs Johnson County: A mixed bag of cowboys and farmers who fought off invasions in Wyoming!  It's a classic tale of Cowboys vs Indians! Who is deadliest?!

Lakota Tribe
The Lakota people, also known as Teton Sioux, are one of the three Sioux Tribes from the Great American Plains. They originated mostly from North and South Dakota. The Lakota Tribe is one of the most iconic Native Americans in Old West history, and is considered to be one of the most successful. Two of the U.S. Military's greatest defeats in the American Indian Wars, the Fetterman Fight and the Battle of Little Big Horn, were won by the Lakotas. Red Cloud, a prominent Lakota chief in the 1860s, dealt one of the only Native American victories in the history of the American Indian Wars. Other prominent Lakota leaders are the legendary Sitting Bull and Crazy Horse. Their war against the U.S. Government ended after a large number of their people were massacred in what would become known as the Wounded Knee Massacre. The massacre itself signified the end of any major Indian War in America.

Weapons
Melee=Stone War Club
 * A common weapon for Plains Indians. The club consist of an oval smooth stone attached on a long stick and wrapped with rawhide and sinew. Lakota use it as a sign of authority as well.
 * The length of the stick varies but generally are 2 to 2.5 feet in length.
 * Can be used on both foot and on horseback.


 * -|Sidearm=Osage Orange Bow
 * Generally 3 feet in length. Made up of osage wood and sinew.
 * Uses bone or metal arrows.
 * Fires at a range of 200-210 yards maximum.
 * Has a rate of 15 arrows per minute.
 * Can be used on foot and horseback.
 * Lakota use a variety of arrows. In war, they used lethal barbed arrows against human enemies that are hard to pull out, and as seen in the Battle of Ulm and Raid at Godfrey Ranch the Lakotas also used flaming arrows to try and burn down houses.


 * -|Rifle= Henry Rifle
 * Lever action rifle
 * .44 Henry rimfire
 * Has a 15+1-round tubular magazine.
 * Reloaded through a tube near the gun's muzzle, making it difficult to reload on horseback.


 * -|Battefield Tactics= Hit and Run Tactics
 * The Lakotas were one of the few Indian tribes to be able to fight the U.S. in both guerrilla warfare and direct pitched battles. However, they became legendary for their hit and run tactics. Like many Native American tribes, the Lakotas depend on speed to conduct their raids. They would creep and scout near a target, attack them in surprise, and ride off as their enemies try to regroup and fight back. Another objective of this tactic is to try and draw enemy units away from their positions and straight into your trap ala Feigned Retreat.


 * A clear example of this was the Battle at Fort Kearny between July to September 1866. The Lakota Sioux on horseback led by Red Cloud harassed Fort Kearny fifteen times. When the men at the Fort tried to retaliate, they would then risk themselves chasing the Lakotas in the open. When the Fort tried to strengthen their defenses, the Lakotas would then attack from a different position. By the end of the battle, 6 soldiers and 28 civilians were killed and the loss of several hundred horses, mules, cattle, and machines.

Johnson County
Johnson County, Wyoming was the sight of one of the most popular and recognizable range war in American history, the Johnson County War fought in 1889–1893 (bulk 1892). The war was fought between large cattle barons and corporations against small ranchers, cowboys and other homesteaders who competed for the open range in the county. In the late 19th century, harsh weather forced the large cattle industries to take control of the land, water and roving cattle in the region to keep their businesses afloat. This monopoly was challenged by the smaller independent groups who also want to make a living in the region. Tensions soon worsen when the cattle barons started to imprison, lynch and outright murder civilians who they suspected of rustling or going up against them. A war soon erupted which climaxed in the death of cowboy Nate Champion and Sheriff William Angus mustering the residents to retaliate. The war even involved the state lawmen, two cavalry units and even the national government.

Weapons
Melee=Bowie Knife
 * Single edged with clip point.
 * Various length but the largest were up to 12 inches long.
 * Throwable
 * Leader Nate Champion was said to fight with a pistol and a knife during his last stand at KC Ranch.


 * -|Sidearm=Short-Barreled Colt Peacemaker
 * .45 LC
 * 6-round cylinder magazine (though it's mostly loaded with 5 for safety reasons).
 * Has a range between 25-50 yards.
 * Takes 7 minutes to fully reload, but can generally be reloaded and fired one or two chambers at a time.
 * Civilians generally use a short-barrel revolver since it is easier to carry and conceal when one is walking or riding in civilization.


 * -|Long= Winchester Model 1876
 * Basically an upgraded version of the classic Winchester Model 1873 that can fire more powerful rifle cartridges.
 * .40-60 Winchester
 * 15-round tubular magazine


 * -|Battlefield Tactics= Ambush at a Defensive Position
 * Johnson County was always on the defensive during the war. They never went on any preemptive offensives since their goal was to protect their county from invasion from Texas and the U.S. Cavalry. Their strategy was to wait the opponents to ride into their territory, and attack them in the safety of their homes and land. Sometimes they would use these areas to hide and ambush anyone invading their territory.
 * A good example of this was the Battle of Suggs that happened on June 17, 1892. A small argument broke down between Buffalo Soldiers and Johnson County Residents that resulted in a small gunfight and the former retreating. When a unit of Buffalo Soldiers both on foot and on horseback came in to arrest the locals, the residents took cover and hid in their buildings and homes. As the Buffalo Soldiers rode in shooting at the town, the locals suddenly sprang up and shot back at them from their windows, balcony and walls. One Buffalo soldier was killed, many more wounded and the rest fled back to their camps. The event saw the 9th Cavalry of Buffalo Soldiers pulled back from Johnson County.

X-Factors
Training The Lakotas have an old military tradition that spanned generations, in which young Lakotas are trained at an early age to be horse archers. But contrary to popular belief, they are less of a warrior cultured people but rather part-time soldiers. They are first and foremost hunters, and only wage war in seasons that is agreeable to their horses or in times of real crisis. Johnson County on the other hand, does have people with more modern and professional training such as Civil War and Indian Wars veterans, as well as sheriffs and deputies. Many are also trained cowboys and bandits (depending on your perspective). However, a large majority of them are still untrained homesteaders and townsfolk.

Experience

Throughout its history, the Lakota tribe have faced a whole gallery of enemies. They defeated fellow American Indian tribes like the Cheyenne, the Southern Apaches and the Crows (who are the Lakota's archenemy), but most importantly they are one of the most successful Indians to resist the U.S. military. The Red Cloud War was one of the few instances where Native Americans actually won over the American government. The Johnson County War however, was mostly a civilian conflict fought between feudists and law enforcements. The homesteaders did have to go up against ruthless mercenaries, corrupt U.S. Marshals and even against two cavalry detachments, but their war was short-lived compared to the Lakotas. The Sioux tribe definitely killed way more men than the people of Johnson County.

Logistics

The near extinction of the buffalo and the constant retreating led the Lakota Sioux to starvation. Besides food, they have to constantly recycle and loot their firearms and weapons. The Johnson County rebels didn't have that kind of problem. They were armed with the best weapons their money can buy, and during the Texan invasion, many of them were gun sellers who gave out new fresh weapons to their comrades for free. So there is no doubt that Johnson County would have been better fed and better armed than the Lakota tribe.

Strategy

The Lakotas fought wars against the US for over decades, and while they won a few, they ultimately lost in the end. Like many Native Americans, they fought their war through attrition. While they were special from all the rest since they were capable of guerrilla warfare and pitched battles, their strategy failed them in the long run against a better armed enemy. Johnson County had to face against large odds as well, but they were more successful. They forbid fighting battles that they could never win and opted to be on the defensive. And when they do decide to attack, they think smart and targeted leaders and key people first, like stock detective George Henderson and U.S. Marshall George Wellman.