
Lawrence Bauer (?-1864) was a US Army sergeant who served in the Colorado War. He was stationed at Fort Sedgwick in Colorado in 1864, and he abused the captured deserter John Dunbar, who had become friendly with the Lakota Sioux and planned to relocate with them. Bauer and Private Anthony Spivey were cruel towards Dunbar, shooting his wolf friend "Two Socks" while escorting Dunbar back to Fort Hays to be hanged for desertion. While crossing a river, however, the detachment was ambushed by the Lakota, and Bauer cowardly attempted to flee by playing dead in the water and sneaking into the brushes. He attempted to steal one of the Sioux horses from the brave Smiles a Lot, whom he pistol-whipped in the face, only to be tomahawked in the chest while distracted by the approach of another Indian warrior.