Wagnus massacre

The Wagnus Massacre was an incident that occurred on the Deadwood – Bismarck Trail on July 17, 1877.

Victims[]

Three members of the Wagnus family, consisting of two brothers, accompanied by one of their wives, were killed.

Incident[]

The party had left, and was headed north towards Bismarck to catch an outgoing wagon train.^[1] They were found the next day by the Bismarck Stagecoach,^[2] two miles north of Bear Butte, a sacred Plains Indian site located in South Dakota.^[3] The three passengers were found scalped and shot. Their oxen were also killed. Bear Butte may have been used as a lookout site by the attackers.

References[]

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[1] ttps://sddigitalarchives.contentdm.oclc.org/digital/collection/photos/id/5840/

[2] ttps://www.history.nd.gov/historicsites/bdst/index.html

[3] ttps://www.blackhillsbadlands.com/parks-monuments/bear-butte-state-park

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