John Daw
Encyclopedia
John Daw was the last surviving U.S. Army
Indian Scout
veteran that had served in the Indian Wars
at the time of his death. He was a Navajo Indian given the Navajo name at birth. His parents, grandparents, as well as other close relatives were part of the Long Walk of the Navajo
to Fort Sumner
, and were confined with the other Navajo at Fort Sumner in the 1860s.
He enlisted in the U.S. Army on May 7, 1891, with the name John Daw. He was assigned to the U.S. Army 2nd Cavalry
, which was posted at Fort Wingate
in the New Mexico Territory
. After being issued uniforms, guns, ammunition, and horses, he felt the cavalry soldiers' training was very thorough. He stated that the target practice and other military training was continued until they were very highly trained soldiers. He worked as a tracker, specifically looking for Apache Indians
, and he served in this capacity until he left the service on December 5, 1894.
In the last years of his life he lived in a hogan
with his wife at the Red Lake Trading Post near Tonalea, Arizona
on Navajo Nation land. At that time, he was a sheep herder, drove his own wagon, and claimed he could hear an approaching automobile from 10 miles away, although his eyesight was no longer good. Interestingly, his wife Susie's eyesight was good, but her hearing was poor.
He died in 1965, and he was buried on Navajo Nation land in Coconino County, Arizona
. His grave site is in Red Lake, and it is listed as a historic grave site in the county. There is also a mountain summit named after him called John Daw Mesa, which is located just east of Red Lake.
United States Army
The United States Army is the main branch of the United States Armed Forces responsible for land-based military operations. It is the largest and oldest established branch of the U.S. military, and is one of seven U.S. uniformed services...
Indian Scout
Navajo Scouts
The Navajo Scouts were part of the United States Army Indian Scouts between 1873 and 1895. Generally, the scouts were signed up at Fort Wingate for six month enlistments. In the period 1873 to 1885, there were usually ten to twenty-five scouts attached to units...
veteran that had served in the Indian Wars
Indian Wars
American Indian Wars is the name used in the United States to describe a series of conflicts between American settlers or the federal government and the native peoples of North America before and after the American Revolutionary War. The wars resulted from the arrival of European colonizers who...
at the time of his death. He was a Navajo Indian given the Navajo name at birth. His parents, grandparents, as well as other close relatives were part of the Long Walk of the Navajo
Long Walk of the Navajo
The Long Walk of the Navajo, also called the Long Walk to Bosque Redondo , refers to the 1864 deportation of the Navajo people by the U.S. Government. Navajos were forced to walk at gunpoint from their reservation in what is now Arizona to eastern New Mexico. The trip lasted about 18 days...
to Fort Sumner
Fort Sumner
Fort Sumner was a military fort in De Baca County in southeastern New Mexico charged with the internment of Navajo and Mescalero Apache populations from 1863-1868 at nearby Bosque Redondo.-History:...
, and were confined with the other Navajo at Fort Sumner in the 1860s.
He enlisted in the U.S. Army on May 7, 1891, with the name John Daw. He was assigned to the U.S. Army 2nd Cavalry
U.S. 2nd Cavalry Regiment
The 2nd Cavalry Regiment , also known as the Second Dragoons, is an active mechanized infantry and cavalry regiment of the United States Army. The Second Dragoons is a component of V Corps and United States Army Europe, with its garrison at the Rose Barracks in Vilseck, Germany...
, which was posted at Fort Wingate
Fort Wingate
Fort Wingate is near Gallup, New Mexico. There were two locations in New Mexico that had this name. The first one was located near San Rafael. The current fort was established on the southern edge of the Navajo territory in 1862. The initial purpose of the fort was to control the large Navajo...
in the New Mexico Territory
New Mexico Territory
thumb|right|240px|Proposed boundaries for State of New Mexico, 1850The Territory of New Mexico was an organized incorporated territory of the United States that existed from September 9, 1850, until January 6, 1912, when the final extent of the territory was admitted to the Union as the State of...
. After being issued uniforms, guns, ammunition, and horses, he felt the cavalry soldiers' training was very thorough. He stated that the target practice and other military training was continued until they were very highly trained soldiers. He worked as a tracker, specifically looking for Apache Indians
Apache
Apache is the collective term for several culturally related groups of Native Americans in the United States originally from the Southwest United States. These indigenous peoples of North America speak a Southern Athabaskan language, which is related linguistically to the languages of Athabaskan...
, and he served in this capacity until he left the service on December 5, 1894.
In the last years of his life he lived in a hogan
Hogan
A hogan is the primary traditional home of the Navajo people. Other traditional structures include the summer shelter, the underground home, and the sweat house...
with his wife at the Red Lake Trading Post near Tonalea, Arizona
Tonalea, Arizona
Tonalea is a census-designated place in Coconino County, Arizona, United States. The population was 562 at the 2000 census.-Geography:Tonalea is located at , along U.S...
on Navajo Nation land. At that time, he was a sheep herder, drove his own wagon, and claimed he could hear an approaching automobile from 10 miles away, although his eyesight was no longer good. Interestingly, his wife Susie's eyesight was good, but her hearing was poor.
He died in 1965, and he was buried on Navajo Nation land in Coconino County, Arizona
Coconino County, Arizona
-2010:Whereas according to the 2010 U.S. Census Bureau:*61.7% White*1.2% Black*27.3% Native American*1.4% Asian*0.1% Native Hawaiian or Pacific Islander*3.1% Two or more races*5.2% Other races*13.5% Hispanic or Latino -2000:...
. His grave site is in Red Lake, and it is listed as a historic grave site in the county. There is also a mountain summit named after him called John Daw Mesa, which is located just east of Red Lake.