Chronology of American Indian History

P

with the U.S. government. Twenty years later, Lee
will later be executed for his part in the Mountain
Meadows Massacre.

“[T]he original plan was for the

Indians to do all the work, and

the whites to do nothing, only

to stay back and plan for them,

and encourage them to do the

work. Now we knew the Indi-

ans could not do the work, and

we were in a sad fix.”

—John D. Lee on the Mormons’

role in the Mountain

Meadows Massacre

1858

The Mojave battle whites in their
territory.
Mojave warriors attack a wagon train of California-
bound settlers crossing the Colorado River and force
them to turn back to Albuquerque, in present-day
New Mexico. To protect white travelers, troops from
California establish an outpost at the crossing. Their
arrival sets off a series of skirmishes later called the
Mojave War. The fighting largely comes to an end
when 700 more troops are sent to the area, where they
construct Fort Mojave.

January 19

The Third Seminole War ends.
Exhausted by constant fighting, the Florida Semi-
nole bring an end to the Third Seminole War (see
entry for NOVEMBER 1855) by surrendering to the
United States. Seminole leader Billy Bowlegs and
162 of his followers agree to join their kin in Indian
Territory. The majority, however, continue to refuse

to leave Florida and retreat to the swamplands of

the Everglades.

May 17

An intertribal force drives troops off the

Colville Indian Reservation.

A force of 158 troops led by Lieutenant Colonel

Edward J. Steptoe descends on the Colville Indian

Reservation, in what is now Washington State, to

intimidate Indians angered by plans to build a road

through their lands. Encountering about 100,000

Palouse, Spokane, and Coeur d’Alene warriors, Step-

toe’s soldiers begin to leave when the Indians attack,

killing two officers. That night the troops flee and

return to Fort Walla Walla. (See also entry for SEP-

TEMBER 1 TO 5, 1858.)

July to October

The Navajo (Dineh) clash with soldiers at

Fort Defiance.

Manuelito, a wealthy Navajo (Dineh) leader, is out-

raged when American soldiers kill 60 of his cattle

as they graze on lands claimed by the U.S. Army.

The troops are stationed at Fort Defiance, a fort es-

tablished in Navajo territory in 1851 to protect the

tribe from Mexican slave raiding parties.

To retaliate, the Navajo shoot arrows at the fort,

and a warrior kills the African-American servant of

the fort’s commander. When the Navajo refuse to

surrender the guilty party, the soldiers burn the vil-

lage of leader Zarcillas Largos, which they mistake

for Manuelito’s. The incident increases the growing

animosity between the Navajo and the army, which

will soon lead the Indians to attack their fort (see

entry for APRIL 30, 1860).

September 1 to 5

The army defeats an Indian force at Battles

of Spokane Plains and Four Lakes.

Troops under Colonel George Wright are sent

to punish the Colville Reservation Indians responsible

for humiliating Lieutenant Colonel Edward J.