The Horsemeat March of 1876, also known as the Starvation March, was a military expedition led by General George Crook

George Crook

George R. Crook was a career United States Army officer, most noted for his distinguished service during the American Civil War and the Indian Wars.-Early life:...

 in pursuit of a band of Sioux

Sioux

The Sioux are Native American and First Nations people in North America. The term can refer to any ethnic group within the Great Sioux Nation or any of the nation's many language dialects...

 fleeing General Custer's defeat at the Battle of Little Big Horn. In September, after the battle of Slim Buttes, the Sioux burned the grass behind them, and the American cavalry traveled with reduced rations to allow faster pursuit. As a result, the cavalry had no food for men or horses, and the soldiers eventually had to shoot and eat their horses as they became lame or injured. The Horsemeat March ended in Deadwood, South Dakota

Deadwood, South Dakota

Deadwood is a city in South Dakota, United States, and the county seat of Lawrence County. It is named for the dead trees found in its gulch. The population was 1,270 according to a 2010 census...

. Many of the cavalrymen were said to have gone insane as a result of the march.

The contract surgeon, who was on the Horsemeat March and documented his experiences, was Dr. Valentine McGillycuddy.