The Sawyers Fight was part of a surveying expedition in late 1865 to improve the emigrant trails from Nebraska to Montana.

Sawyers was ambushed at Bone Pile Creek near Gillette, Wyoming and was forced to seek refuge at Fort Connor.

Colonel James H. Kidd, commander at Fort Connor, detached a portion of the 6th Michigan Volunteer Cavalry Regiment as a new escort for Sawyers to continue his expedition.

Sawyers left the fort and followed the military road recently blazed by General Connor's troops until it intersected with the Bozeman Trail.

Unbeknownst to Sawyers, just a few miles from the ford, Connor had attacked the Arapaho of Chief Black Bear just 4 days prior.

The Arapaho had been part of the group recently attacked by General Connor and believed Sawyers’ expedition was military reinforcements.