Final answer:
The 7th Cavalry suffered twenty-five fatalities during the Wounded Knee Massacre, where between 150 and 300 Lakota were killed. This tragic event marked the end of the Indian Wars and exemplified the violence faced by Native Americans during westward expansion.
Step-by-step explanation:
The 7th Cavalry faced significant casualties during the Wounded Knee Massacre, which took place on December 29, 1890. In an attempt to disarm a group of Lakota people, a tense situation escalated after an accidental discharge of a rifle.
The U.S. soldiers began firing indiscriminately, leading to the massacre of between 150 and 300 Lakota men, women, and children. The 7th Cavalry itself suffered twenty-five fatalities, with some of these resulting from their own crossfire.
Captain Edward Godfrey later described the chaotic scene, indicating that the firing by the troops was unaimed and was over in a matter of seconds, leaving a devastating number of casualties among the Lakota people.
Despite the tragic events, twenty of the soldiers were awarded the Congressional Medal of Honor, reflecting the mixed perceptions of the incident at that time. The Wounded Knee Massacre marked the end of the Indian Wars, leaving a lasting impact on Native American history and relations with the U.S. government.