John Chivington was a 19th-century American military officer and politician, best known for his role in the Sand Creek Massacre of 1864. Born in 1821, he served as a Methodist minister before joining the Union Army during the American Civil War. Chivington gained notoriety for leading a volunteer cavalry unit in a surprise attack on a peaceful Cheyenne and Arapaho village in Colorado. The Sand Creek Massacre resulted in the deaths of many Native Americans, including women and children, and sparked outrage across the nation. Chivington's actions were widely condemned, and he faced significant criticism for his role in the event, which remains a controversial chapter in American history.