Last updated: July 9, 2021
Place
Stop Fourteen
NPS / Christian Schroll
Quick Facts
Location:
Washita Battlefield National Historic Site
Soldiers are trained to follow orders. Although the soldiers of the 7th US Cavalry acted out of duty to protect emigrants in the Southern plains, some of the tactics they were ordered to employ didn’t always sit well.
The Civil War strategy of “total war” - the use of force against an enemy’s resources and against non-combatants - when adopted in the Indian Wars often resulted in the death of women, children, and the elderly. These practices raised certain moral questions for some.
Have you ever been told to do something by someone in a position of authority that you did not believe was right for you? What did you do?
Should the trooper that saw Moving Behind have been court martialed for disobeying orders? Why or why not?