Pvt. Mullis, given name not given, bore my very rare surname, and was specifically mentioned in the Official Military report of the Piagan Massacre (also Marias Massacre) in 1870 Montana Territory, undertaken by units of the 2nd US Cavalry. Newspaper accounts stated Mullis singlehandedly killed approximately 20 mothers and papooses. One hundren and ninety seven old men, women and children were killed, the able men of the village were away hunting when the early morning surprise attack took place. Investigating this soldier, I found only one Mullis served in the 2nd US Cavalry: Charles Mullis, b. 1853 Clay County, MO,, father b. Penn. He enlisted at Ft. Walla Walla, Washington Territory and in 1885 was stationed at Ft. Custer, Montana Territory.
Shortly after the horrendous massacre, the Eastern Media, e.g., Boston and New York, denounced the vicious affair, but a newspaper in Macon, Ga. not only supported it, but openly celebrated it I believe that in its enormity, its barbarity, it surely ranks near the top alongside the Sand Creek Massacre in Colorado in 1865.
A fortunate result was that the Piagan Massacre ignited such outrage nationally that the Grant Administration removed the Military from formulating such policies in dealing with the western Indian Wars, and placed it under the supervision of a civilian Board which included Quakers. At least some glimmer of hope in the manner in which the on-going Indian War would be conducted, resulted from this unconscionable action carried out by the 2nd US Cavalry in which Pvt. Mullis participated. Fortunately, his Mullis family was not a part of mine.
