The American military would attack regardless.

And yet Black Kettle continued.

He continued to seek peace, to sign treaties, to comply with the terms he had agreed to, to report to military commanders as required, to try to get formal guarantees of protection.

The second attack, at the Washita, found him in exactly the position he should have been in: in the assigned reservation area, having just sought protection from American officials, compliant with the treaty he had signed.

The flags he had raised at Sand Creek were not forgotten.