16. The Sand Creek Massacre created public outrage
After the fighting was over at Sand Creek, the Colorado troops looted the village, scalped and mutilated the victims, and burned the tents and other structures. Body parts were kept as souvenirs. With the village destroyed the troops moved back to Fort Lyon. Several reporters had accompanied them on the attack and eastern newspapers were soon describing the event in lurid detail in their news columns, while condemning them in their editorials. Public outcry was not 100% against the attack, especially in western newspapers. One, the Rocky Mountain News, ranked it, as “Among the brilliant feats of arms in Indian warfare”.
In December, the same newspaper responded to the announcement from Washington of a congressional investigation into the Sand Creek attack with outrage. “It is unquestioned and undenied that the site of the Sand Creek battle was the rendezvous of the thieving and marauding bands of savages who roamed over this country last summer and fall”, the News opined, ignoring the issues cited by the investigation announcement. Participants were to be called to give testimony to the investigators, among them Silas Soule, who had opposed the attack and resisted carrying it out.