He was a Civil War veteran who decided to stay in the Army after the war, with the rank of Captain. read more
The Fetterman Fight, also known as the Fetterman Massacre or Battle of the Hundred-in-the-Hands, was a battle during Red Cloud's War on December 21, 1866, between the Lakota, Cheyenne, and Arapaho Indians and soldiers of the United States Army, based at Fort Phil Kearny, Wyoming. read more
Fetterman was probably born in New London, Connecticut, although this is uncertain. His father was a career Army officer of Pennsylvania Dutch (German) descent. Military career. Fetterman enlisted in the Union Army on May 14, 1861, in Delaware, and was promptly commissioned a first lieutenant. read more