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Lieutenant Casper Collins: Fighting the Odds at Platte BridgeWild West | 8 comments | Print This Post | Email This Post
Major Anderson rejected Bretney’s idea by turning over in bed and going back to sleep. Bretney, however, was not so eager to sleep. He kept his horses saddled in the square of the courtyard, to be ready at a moment’s notice. Subscribe Today
The arrivals of Caspar Collins and the mail ambulance and Henry Clay Bretney and his men gave Platte Bridge Station a fighting force of 119 men. Already there were four men of Company G, 11th Ohio, with the howitzer; three men split off from Custard’s group; 14 men of the 3rd U.S. Infantry (’Galvanized Yankees’); 70 men of Company I, 11th Kansas; and five commissioned officers of the 11th Kansas (Major Anderson, Captain Greer, Lieutenant Clancy, Lieutenant William Drew and Lieutenant George M. Walker).
Daybreak on the 26th found Custard pushing his wagon train eastward along the telegraph road. The Indian war party had advanced during the night to the hills north of the station. Some Cheyenne Dog Soldiers, hiding behind the low bluffs to the west, and a large party of Sioux, waiting east of the fort on both sides of the river, were ready to spring the trap.
That morning after breakfast, the vacillating Major Anderson called his officers together for a council of war. All agreed that the Indians would likely attack the wagon train as soon as it appeared. Help must be sent. The question was, who should lead the force? Anderson was out; he had to command the post. Captain Greer had led the troops in the skirmish the day before. Captain Lybe and his infantry had only old Springfield muskets. Lieutenants Walker, Drew and Clancy were on sick call or otherwise unavailable. Perhaps they were motivated by a powerful desire to keep their scalps intact.
At 7 a.m., Anderson ordered Lieutenant Collins, Sergeants Adolph Hankhammer and Isaac Pennock and Corporal Henry Grimm of the 11th Ohio Cavalry to take 25 11th Kansas Cavalrymen, carrying seven-shot Spencers, to relieve the train. Still stung by General Connor’s remark questioning his courage, the red-haired lieutenant dressed in his new uniform bought at Fort Laramie and borrowed two revolvers from his friend Bretney.
‘You must not go, Caspar,’ Bretney said to Collins. ‘The hills are alive with Indians–the relief should have been sent out during the night–I warned Major Anderson…it means certain death now.’
‘It is not your place to go,’ said another comrade, John Friend.
‘I’m not a coward, John,’ Collins said.
‘It’s not that; it isn’t always brave for a man to attempt something that is plain foolhardy.’
‘I know what it means to go out…but I’ve never disobeyed an order. I’m a soldier’s son.’
Bretney and Friend failed to persuade him. While Collins prepared to leave, Bretney, who had already fallen from Anderson’s grace, tried to reason with the major. In a heated argument, Bretney protested that the men should be led against this ‘vast horde’ by an officer they knew. But Anderson would not change his mind.
Collins, with no horse of his own, accepted a high-strung gray horse from a soldier. With Bretney’s revolvers in the top of each boot, Collins presented his cap to a friend to ‘remember him by,’ and moved the detail out at about 7:30 a.m. in what was described as a ‘jaunty and debonair’ manner.
‘He bade his two friends at the fort…a last farewell,’ wrote historian Alfred Mokler. ‘He seemed to have a premonition that he was about to ride into the valley of death, but he did not falter. He was deeply impressed with the thought that after he crossed the Platte River bridge, the next bridge he should cross would lead him into that ‘undiscovered country from whose bourne no traveler returns,’ but he went bravely forward.’ Anderson apparently gave no order for a rear guard. Bretney took it upon himself to borrow a Spencer carbine from Sergeant Merwin of the artillery and follow along behind Collins across the bridge with his 10 troopers. Bretney marched to the bluff on the north, and the infantry troops under Captain Lybe formed a skirmish line west of Bretney to prevent the Indians from cutting off a retreat. 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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8 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
I think that Major Anderson was coward and stupid. He should have gone out at night to rescue my Great Great GrandGrandunlce Commissary Sgt. Amos Jefferson Custard. Lt Collins should have ignored the orders of Maj. Anderson and make the Major order one of his own officer’s to lead the doomed rescue attempt.
By Doug Custard on Nov 8, 2009 at 9:03 pm