The strike was hailed at the time by the military and many civilians as a significant victory aimed at reducing Indian raids on frontier settlements as it forced the Cheyenne back to the reservation set aside for them.

The landmarked area encompasses the entire battlefield, which extends for some 6 miles (9.7 km) through the city of Cheyenne.

[3] The Washita Battlefield National Historic Site is located just a few miles west of the town of Cheyenne, on the north side of Oklahoma State Highway 47.

It is completely surrounded by the Black Kettle National Grassland, and consists mainly of open prairie, with strips of trees in the riparian area of the river.

The area that the historic site encompasses is part of a 315.2-acre memorial[4] associated with the 1868 Battle of Washita River.