Their testimony was specific, detailed, and damning.

The congressional investigations of 1865 produced a record that made the massacre undeniable in the eyes of any fair observer.

And yet the political consequences for the perpetrators were minimal.

Chivington emerged from the investigations damaged but not prosecuted.

Evans lost his governorship but retained his business interests and eventually helped found Northwestern University.

The basic political structure that had made Sand Creek possible — a territorial government and military command committed to removing the Cheyenne by whatever means necessary — continued to operate.

Black Kettle After Sand Creek: The Path He Chose