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Lieutenant Casper Collins: Fighting the Odds at Platte Bridge| Wild West | 7 comments | Print This Post | Email This Post
By this time, Lieutenant Collins had finished his errand at Fort Laramie but was in no rush to return to Sweetwater. The Indians had burned some buildings at Rocky Ridge Station (near South Pass) and had left some scalped and mutilated bodies staked out here and there. Setting out alone seemed foolish, so he planned to wait until he could hook up with some patrol passing through. Subscribe Today
Collins’ plans did not meet with General Patrick Connor’s approval. In fact, the Fort Laramie commander became downright agitated.
‘Why have you not returned to your post?’ Connor asked sternly.
Collins started to explain.
‘Are you a coward?’ the general interrupted.
‘No, sir!’
‘Then report to your command without further delay.’
The general’s words must have stung young Caspar Collins. For many months he had been helping to guard the overland routes. According to one author, ‘He had ridden through blizzards on the desert; had forded treacherous mountain streams, and had soldiered under dangerous and adverse conditions….Never had he shirked his duty.’
The men at Fort Laramie apparently did not see things Connor’s way. According to one account, they persuaded Collins, who was hurriedly preparing for the 179-mile trip to Sweetwater, to wait a while longer. Collins waited until July 20, when he accompanied Corporal Paul Grimm and 11 men of the 11th Kansas Cavalry with the mail ambulance.
All was excitement when Collins, Grimm and the others arrived at Platte Bridge Station about 4 p.m. on July 25. Just across the river, Indians had gathered to taunt the soldiers with obscene words and gestures. The soldiers fired the mountain howitzer but refused to be lured away from the station by Indian decoys. Some of the Indians swam their horses across the river below the bridge in an attempt to run off some stock. In the skirmish that followed, the soldiers, led by Captain Greer, killed a Cheyenne chief, High-Backed Wolf. Private John Friend of the 11th Ohio later wrote, ‘The first day in the afternoon the Kansas men killed an Indian, scalped him and hung the scalp on a stick on top of the quarters.’
The Indians withdrew from the south side of the river, and an eerie silence settled over the station as night fell on the 25th. The soldiers expected the Indians to come back looking for revenge. Ammunition was low, and the soldiers ‘ran bullets’ and loaded cartridges. Sentries were on the alert. The Indians did not return that night, but Major Anderson did receive a surprise visitor–Lieutenant Bretney.
Bretney–last seen being escorted to Sweetwater by Sergeant Custard–and a detachment of 10 men of the 11th Ohio and Captain A. Smyth Lybe of the 6th U.S. Infantry had left Sweetwater for Fort Laramie, where they intended to draw pay for their companies. Supper time had found them at Lower Willow Springs, again in the company of Custard, who was on his way back to Platte Bridge Station with the three empty mule-drawn wagons. Bretney had wanted to spend the night in the relative safety of the station and had urged Custard to do the same. The sergeant had declined, saying the animals were too tired to continue that night.
As soon as he arrived at the Platte Bridge Station, Bretney hurried to Major Anderson’s quarters. His urgent knocking awakened the major.
‘Major,’ said Bretney, ‘a rescue party should be sent at once to your wagon train at Willow Springs Creek….The men…are camped about 25 miles from here….I did my best to persuade the sergeant…but he said his horses were too fatigued.’
‘They are well armed,’ was Major Anderson’s brief response.
‘I know that, but there is danger of the Indians surrounding them and cutting them off,’ continued Bretney. ‘Help should be sent at once. There is no time to lose.’ Pages: 1 2 3 4 5 6Help HistoryNet by bookmarking to
            Tags: 19th Century, American Indian Wars, Historical Conflicts, Native American History, Wild West
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7 Comments to “Lieutenant Casper Collins: Fighting the Odds at Platte Bridge”
Why is that they call a white guy brave for killing indians but when indians kill the whites they are savages????
By Tia on Jan 21, 2009 at 12:52 pm
well i acctullay read the story of Crazy Horse a Indian leader was friends with him i think in about in the 1870’s
By Jack on Feb 4, 2009 at 2:40 pm
the indans were named savages by whites thats why
By Grant on Apr 7, 2009 at 7:30 pm
The story goes (and this has been repeated throughout the Collins family as well) that Caspar was very interested in the Native American cultures. His father was the commander of his unit (Lt. Col. William Collins) and allowed his son to visit friendly tribes in the area. The story goes that he and Crazy Horse, who was shy and a bit of an outsider, even though he was a great warrior, became friends. No on knows for sure what happened on that day, but he lead 20 soldiers out and according to some accounts, tried to stop hostilities. There’s even a story that Crazy Horse tried to warn him to get out of the area. But none of us were there and we don’t know for sure. A lot of truth has been replaced by (1870’s white) propaganda and legends. I don’t know why a white man would be called a hero for killing a Native American, nor do I know why Native Americans were called savages, other that ignorance, fear, greed, and racism.
By Liz on Apr 22, 2009 at 4:16 pm
love the info on casper collins. because my kids r related to the famous LT Collins, they r his cousin, by a few generations. their greatgrand mother was christina casper. who married dominico ziccardi. i was told by family relatives that christina casper was the little girl that ran/walk across the Brooklyn Bridge when it was built in 1880’s.
By phyllis nalick on May 15, 2009 at 8:42 pm
My great, great, great grandfather, Jonas Robinson was a trooper in the 11 th ohio vol cavalry, I believe company c of the 1 st battalion.
By Paul Robinson on Jul 1, 2009 at 2:20 pm
Bob Specht Native Casperite, Geologist, and historian of the west
Fort Caspar or Upper Platte River post was not a true Stockade post. Only The trading post had a stockade around it. The trading post was taken over by the army in about 1861 and was used as the Generals quarters. The telegraph shack was close to the south end of the bride where the howitzer was located to protect the bridge. The troopers at that time had tents outside the post on all sides. The restored post as you see today was based on Caspar Collins’ drawings that his father, Lt Colonial William Collins had instructed his son to do to beef up some of the existing old pony express stations along the trail.
After the battle of 1865, Fort Casper rivaled the size of Fort Laramie with a Garrison of about 360 men until the post was abandoned in 1868. The post extended out to the south and east to where the Fair grounds is located and to the water purification station is. I suggest you visit the Fort Caspar Museum in Casper if you get the chance.
As for the different in the name’s between Fort Caspar and the existing incorporated City of Casper, Wyoming, came about in 1889. At that time the town was part of Carbon County with the existing county seat at Rawlins, Wyoming along the Union Pacific Rail road line built in 1868. When taking down the information on the then towns name of Caspar, the clerk wrote it down as Casper, Wyoming.
If it had not been for his Father’s retirement from the military in March of 1863, the post may have been named Fort Collins. Collins father was given the honor first and the post on the Pouder River , where he conducted the operations along the Oregon trail, was given that name of Fort Collins, Colorado.
To help answer your question as to why white men call Indians savages comes from fear. Remember we came to the new world to spread the Gospel of the good news to all man kind. The early Puritans and pilgrims came to the world and had developed relationships with the native American’s. Over time when you have people colonizing that don’t believe in a God and don’t want to understand another man’s culture, they are different from us and are heathens or savages. Yes Caspar came to the west at age 14 or 15 to visit the west and his father and did have or had built relationships with the Natives as his father had build a good resolution with the Native Americans. I have also heard that Caspar may have be friend Crazy Horse as well. If you have questions you can also write me at rspecht@yahoo.com
Descendents of Lt Colonial William Collins’ brother moved in the State and have settled near North of Glendo Wyoming. This I have learned from Jay Collins, town council member of Glendo, Wyoming and a good friend of mine.Bob Specht
By Bob Specht on Aug 31, 2009 at 12:16 am