Mohave War
Encyclopedia
The Mohave War was an armed conflict between the Mohave people against the United States
from 1858 to 1859. With the California Gold Rush
of 1849, thousands of American settlers headed west through Mohave country and into California
. The influx of migrants passing through, combined with simple misunderstandings, led to conflict. Fort Mohave on the Arizona
side of the Colorado River
was built for operations against the hostile natives and was the second American military post established on the river after Fort Yuma
. Eventually advanced weaponry and tactics forced the Mohave and their allies to surrender. After the signing of a peace treaty in 1859, the Mohave never again opposed the United States through warfare. The peace also ended a long guerilla war between the Mohave and the Maricopa of south central Arizona.
James Buchanan
appointed Edward Fitzgerald Beale
to survey and build a 1,000 mile (1,600 km) road from Fort Defiance
in northern New Mexico Territory
, to the Colorado River. The road was meant for immigrants, traveling to the California gold fields and crossed the Colorado at Beale's Crossing within Mohave territory. Beale's Crossing in 1857 was little more than a shallow point in the river until a party of migrants known as the Rose Party arrived. The wagon train set out from Santa Fe
and when they got to the Colorado, they made camp and built a dock for the construction of raft
s to ferry the heavier wagon equipment across. The Rose Party was followed by the Bailey Party which was a few days behind and both groups knew they were in Indian country
. Chiefs
Arateve, Cairook and Sickahot approached the American settlers and in a pow wow
the Mohave asked the party's leader, L. R. Rose if they intended to build a town along the river. Rose responded with no and informed the chiefs that they were headed for California and would only be staying for a short while.
Tension arose when the Mohave learned that the Bailey Party would be coming through just after the Rose Party, so they began stealing cattle to eat it. The Americans noticed that some of their herd had gone missing and when they caught the Mohaves in the act L. R. Rose confronted them but the Mohave ressponded as though it was a joke. Also, near the American camp was a patch of cottonwood trees that belonged to the Mohave who used it for buildings and clothing. Rose and his men did not realize that the trees were Mohave property so they were cut down and used to build the rafts. When the Mohave discovered that their valuable cottonwoods had been disturbed, they responded by attacking the settlers with their Walapai allies. The Rose Party included dozens of women and children with only twenty-five men at arms fighting against hundreds of Mohave warrior
s. The Walapai with a small bunch of Mohaves focused on attacking four women and children held up in a cabin built in the mountains outside of the camp while the main Mohave force attacked the camp itself. In the end seventeen warriors were killed and left on the battlefield while the Americans lost one killed and eleven wounded. The settlers won the day by repulsing the Mohave attack but they lost most of their livestock and instead of crossing the border into California, they turned around and went back to New Mexico.
Arateve and his band of Mohaves, who had been key in establishing peace at the end of the Yuma War
, were against conflict with the United States and later Arateve became a high ranking leader among his people after helping end the Mohave War. The war with the Maricopa was also ongoing and this was a major reason why Arateve was for cooperating with the Americans. Arateve's opinion was not accepted in 1858 though, other important chiefs were for war with the United States, including Cairook and Sickahot. The other chiefs were highly popular among their warriors so Arateve was powerless to stop them.
Newman S. Clarke
in Los Angeles
. Clarke sent Lieutenant Colonel
William Hoffman
of the 6th Cavalry on an expedition to Beale's Crossing to build a post for protecting settlers crossing the Colorado. Hoffman set out from a ranch in Cajon Canyon on December 28, 1858, hoping to make it across the Mohave Desert along the Mohave Road
before the heat of summer could set in.
In January 1859, Hoffman was encamped with his fifty men near Beaver Lake
. Chief Cairook was in the area with about 300 men and the two sides encountered one another in a typical Indian war skirmish. The American camp was surrounded but accurate musket fire proved deadly for the Mohaves and ten to twelve were seen to fall according to Hoffman's account. The Americans went back to base after this fight without establishing a post on the Colorado. On March 1, Lieutenant Samuel A. Bishop was sent from Los Angeles to deliver fresh supplies to Lieutenant Edward Beale who was working on his road in northern Arizona. With thirty-eight men on camel
s and several wagons and mules, the column was met at Cave Canyon in the Mohave Desert by employees of the Central Overland Mail
company and soon after by 1,500 warriors. The Mohaves opened fire on the small troop of Americans but they reportedly missed their targets intentionally but later moved in closer for a deliberate attack. In the ensuing skirmish, two natives were wounded by musketry, one of whom died later on. Lieutenant Bishop decided it would be best to send the wagons back to the coast while he successfully proceeded to Beale's camp.
, cavalry
and artillery
. The second expedition reached Beale's Crossing and Camp Colorado was officially established on April 19 and nine days later it was renamed Fort Mohave by Captain Lewis Addison Armistead
. On April 23, Lieutenant Colonel Hoffman arrived at the Mohave Villages and discussed peace with the inhabitants. Hoffman told the chiefs that if they would agree to not attack immigrants traveling trough their land and to not oppose the government's building of roads and forts in Mohave territory, than they would be destroyed. Reluctantly the Mohave agreed and Chief Cairook surrendered himself and was taken down the Colorado to Fort Yuma with eight others. Hoffman then went to San Bernardino
and left Captain Armistead of the 6th Infantry in charge of Fort Mohave with fifty men and a few artillery pieces. Meanwhile, troops and two river steamers were waiting at Fort Yuma to reinforce Fort Mohave if necessary.
Elisha Marshall
led fifty men in an attack on over 200 Mohaves twelve miles south of the fort along the Colorado River. The natives were routed, leaving twenty-three warriors on the field while only three Americans were wounded. Next the Mohave under the direction of Chief Espaniole sued for peace and the war was over. There was still a group among the Mohaves that wanted to continue fighting the United States though no renewed conflict came about. Arateve, with support of the United States Army became a prominent leader and was considered vital for maintaining the peace. When word of peace reached the Maricopa, they sent Chief Ahwantsevarih to Mohave territory to end their war which was little more than minor raiding, with the exception of one engagement at Pima Butte
in 1857. Arateve met with Ahwantsevarih and the two chiefs agreed to have peace and establish trade relations.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
from 1858 to 1859. With the California Gold Rush
California Gold Rush
The California Gold Rush began on January 24, 1848, when gold was found by James W. Marshall at Sutter's Mill in Coloma, California. The first to hear confirmed information of the gold rush were the people in Oregon, the Sandwich Islands , and Latin America, who were the first to start flocking to...
of 1849, thousands of American settlers headed west through Mohave country and into California
California
California is a state located on the West Coast of the United States. It is by far the most populous U.S. state, and the third-largest by land area...
. The influx of migrants passing through, combined with simple misunderstandings, led to conflict. Fort Mohave on the Arizona
Arizona
Arizona ; is a state located in the southwestern region of the United States. It is also part of the western United States and the mountain west. The capital and largest city is Phoenix...
side of the Colorado River
Colorado River
The Colorado River , is a river in the Southwestern United States and northwestern Mexico, approximately long, draining a part of the arid regions on the western slope of the Rocky Mountains. The watershed of the Colorado River covers in parts of seven U.S. states and two Mexican states...
was built for operations against the hostile natives and was the second American military post established on the river after Fort Yuma
Fort Yuma
Fort Yuma is a fort in California that is located in Imperial County, across the Colorado River from Yuma, Arizona. It was on the Butterfield Overland Mail route from 1858 until 1861 and was abandoned May 16, 1883, and transferred to the Department of the Interior. The Fort Yuma Indian School and a...
. Eventually advanced weaponry and tactics forced the Mohave and their allies to surrender. After the signing of a peace treaty in 1859, the Mohave never again opposed the United States through warfare. The peace also ended a long guerilla war between the Mohave and the Maricopa of south central Arizona.
Battle of Beale's Crossing
In 1857, PresidentPresident of the United States
The President of the United States of America is the head of state and head of government of the United States. The president leads the executive branch of the federal government and is the commander-in-chief of the United States Armed Forces....
James Buchanan
James Buchanan
James Buchanan, Jr. was the 15th President of the United States . He is the only president from Pennsylvania, the only president who remained a lifelong bachelor and the last to be born in the 18th century....
appointed Edward Fitzgerald Beale
Edward Fitzgerald Beale
Edward Fitzgerald "Ned" Beale was a national figure in 19th century America. He was naval officer, military general, explorer, frontiersman, Indian affairs superintendent, California rancher, diplomat, and friend of Kit Carson, Buffalo Bill Cody and Ulysses S. Grant...
to survey and build a 1,000 mile (1,600 km) road from Fort Defiance
Fort Defiance
Fort Defiance may refer to:Canada*Fort Defiance , winter quarters for American Captain Robert GrayUnited States* Fort Defiance, Arizona, an unincorporated community* Fort Defiance , formerly Roop's Fort, located in Susanville...
in northern 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...
, to the Colorado River. The road was meant for immigrants, traveling to the California gold fields and crossed the Colorado at Beale's Crossing within Mohave territory. Beale's Crossing in 1857 was little more than a shallow point in the river until a party of migrants known as the Rose Party arrived. The wagon train set out from Santa Fe
Santa Fe, New Mexico
Santa Fe is the capital of the U.S. state of New Mexico. It is the fourth-largest city in the state and is the seat of . Santa Fe had a population of 67,947 in the 2010 census...
and when they got to the Colorado, they made camp and built a dock for the construction of raft
Raft
A raft is any flat structure for support or transportation over water. It is the most basic of boat design, characterized by the absence of a hull...
s to ferry the heavier wagon equipment across. The Rose Party was followed by the Bailey Party which was a few days behind and both groups knew they were in Indian country
Indian Country
Indian country is a term used to describe the many self-governing Native American communities throughout the United States. This usage is reflected in many places, both legal and colloquial...
. Chiefs
Tribal chief
A tribal chief is the leader of a tribal society or chiefdom. Tribal societies with social stratification under a single leader emerged in the Neolithic period out of earlier tribal structures with little stratification, and they remained prevalent throughout the Iron Age.In the case of ...
Arateve, Cairook and Sickahot approached the American settlers and in a pow wow
Pow woW
Pow woW is French musical group. Their biggest hit was "Le Chat" in 1992. Their next single was the French version of song "The Lion Sleeps Tonight", titled "Le lion est mort ce soir".- Albums :* Regagner les plaines...
the Mohave asked the party's leader, L. R. Rose if they intended to build a town along the river. Rose responded with no and informed the chiefs that they were headed for California and would only be staying for a short while.
Tension arose when the Mohave learned that the Bailey Party would be coming through just after the Rose Party, so they began stealing cattle to eat it. The Americans noticed that some of their herd had gone missing and when they caught the Mohaves in the act L. R. Rose confronted them but the Mohave ressponded as though it was a joke. Also, near the American camp was a patch of cottonwood trees that belonged to the Mohave who used it for buildings and clothing. Rose and his men did not realize that the trees were Mohave property so they were cut down and used to build the rafts. When the Mohave discovered that their valuable cottonwoods had been disturbed, they responded by attacking the settlers with their Walapai allies. The Rose Party included dozens of women and children with only twenty-five men at arms fighting against hundreds of Mohave warrior
Warrior
A warrior is a person skilled in combat or warfare, especially within the context of a tribal or clan-based society that recognizes a separate warrior class.-Warrior classes in tribal culture:...
s. The Walapai with a small bunch of Mohaves focused on attacking four women and children held up in a cabin built in the mountains outside of the camp while the main Mohave force attacked the camp itself. In the end seventeen warriors were killed and left on the battlefield while the Americans lost one killed and eleven wounded. The settlers won the day by repulsing the Mohave attack but they lost most of their livestock and instead of crossing the border into California, they turned around and went back to New Mexico.
Arateve and his band of Mohaves, who had been key in establishing peace at the end of the Yuma War
Yuma War
The Yuma War was the name given to a series of United States military operations conducted in southern California and what is today southwestern Arizona from 1850 to 1853. The Yumans were the primary opponent of the United States Army, though engagements were fought between the Americans and other...
, were against conflict with the United States and later Arateve became a high ranking leader among his people after helping end the Mohave War. The war with the Maricopa was also ongoing and this was a major reason why Arateve was for cooperating with the Americans. Arateve's opinion was not accepted in 1858 though, other important chiefs were for war with the United States, including Cairook and Sickahot. The other chiefs were highly popular among their warriors so Arateve was powerless to stop them.
First Mohave Expedition
News of the battle at Beale's Crossing reached the media quickly followed by the United States War Department and GeneralGeneral
A general officer is an officer of high military rank, usually in the army, and in some nations, the air force. The term is widely used by many nations of the world, and when a country uses a different term, there is an equivalent title given....
Newman S. Clarke
Newman S. Clarke
Newman S. Clarke was a career military officer in the United States army who served with distinction during the Mexican-American War.Clarke was born in Connecticut and served in the United States Army during the War of 1812. At the outbreak of the Mexican-American War in 1846, he was appointed...
in Los Angeles
Los Ángeles
Los Ángeles is the capital of the province of Biobío, in the commune of the same name, in Region VIII , in the center-south of Chile. It is located between the Laja and Biobío rivers. The population is 123,445 inhabitants...
. Clarke sent Lieutenant Colonel
Lieutenant colonel
Lieutenant colonel is a rank of commissioned officer in the armies and most marine forces and some air forces of the world, typically ranking above a major and below a colonel. The rank of lieutenant colonel is often shortened to simply "colonel" in conversation and in unofficial correspondence...
William Hoffman
William Hoffman
William Hoffman may refer to:* William Hoffman , American novelist* William M. Hoffman - American playwright* Bill Hoffman , American baseball player* Billy Hoffman , American hacker...
of the 6th Cavalry on an expedition to Beale's Crossing to build a post for protecting settlers crossing the Colorado. Hoffman set out from a ranch in Cajon Canyon on December 28, 1858, hoping to make it across the Mohave Desert along the Mohave Road
Mojave Road
The Mojave Road or Mojave Trail is a historic route and present day 'four-wheel drive road' across what is now the Mojave National Preserve in the Mojave Desert of California, United States.-History:...
before the heat of summer could set in.
In January 1859, Hoffman was encamped with his fifty men near Beaver Lake
Beaver Lake
Beaver Lake may refer to:*Beaver Lake Middle School in Issaquah School District, Washington.-Lakes:*Canada**Beaver Lake **Beaver Lake **Beaver Lake **Beaver Lake **Beaver Lake, Montreal*United States...
. Chief Cairook was in the area with about 300 men and the two sides encountered one another in a typical Indian war skirmish. The American camp was surrounded but accurate musket fire proved deadly for the Mohaves and ten to twelve were seen to fall according to Hoffman's account. The Americans went back to base after this fight without establishing a post on the Colorado. On March 1, Lieutenant Samuel A. Bishop was sent from Los Angeles to deliver fresh supplies to Lieutenant Edward Beale who was working on his road in northern Arizona. With thirty-eight men on camel
Camel
A camel is an even-toed ungulate within the genus Camelus, bearing distinctive fatty deposits known as humps on its back. There are two species of camels: the dromedary or Arabian camel has a single hump, and the bactrian has two humps. Dromedaries are native to the dry desert areas of West Asia,...
s and several wagons and mules, the column was met at Cave Canyon in the Mohave Desert by employees of the Central Overland Mail
Central Overland Route
The Central Overland Route was a transportation route from Salt Lake City, Utah south of the Great Salt Lake through the mountains of central Nevada and the Basin and Range Province to Carson City, Nevada...
company and soon after by 1,500 warriors. The Mohaves opened fire on the small troop of Americans but they reportedly missed their targets intentionally but later moved in closer for a deliberate attack. In the ensuing skirmish, two natives were wounded by musketry, one of whom died later on. Lieutenant Bishop decided it would be best to send the wagons back to the coast while he successfully proceeded to Beale's camp.
Second Mohave Expedition
Lieutenant Colonel Hoffman used the battle at Beaver Lake as justification to ask the War Department for more troops. So in April 1859, another expedition was sent to the Colorado which included over 600 infantryInfantry
Infantrymen are soldiers who are specifically trained for the role of fighting on foot to engage the enemy face to face and have historically borne the brunt of the casualties of combat in wars. As the oldest branch of combat arms, they are the backbone of armies...
, cavalry
Cavalry
Cavalry or horsemen were soldiers or warriors who fought mounted on horseback. Cavalry were historically the third oldest and the most mobile of the combat arms...
and artillery
Artillery
Originally applied to any group of infantry primarily armed with projectile weapons, artillery has over time become limited in meaning to refer only to those engines of war that operate by projection of munitions far beyond the range of effect of personal weapons...
. The second expedition reached Beale's Crossing and Camp Colorado was officially established on April 19 and nine days later it was renamed Fort Mohave by Captain Lewis Addison Armistead
Lewis Addison Armistead
Lewis Addison Armistead was a Confederate brigadier general in the American Civil War, who was wounded, captured, and died after Pickett's Charge at the Battle of Gettysburg.-Early life:...
. On April 23, Lieutenant Colonel Hoffman arrived at the Mohave Villages and discussed peace with the inhabitants. Hoffman told the chiefs that if they would agree to not attack immigrants traveling trough their land and to not oppose the government's building of roads and forts in Mohave territory, than they would be destroyed. Reluctantly the Mohave agreed and Chief Cairook surrendered himself and was taken down the Colorado to Fort Yuma with eight others. Hoffman then went to San Bernardino
San Bernardino
San Bernardino, California is a large city in the Inland Empire Metropolitan Area of Southern California.San Bernardino may also refer to:-Landforms:*San Bernardino , a torrent that flows through the Italian province of Verbano-Cusio-Ossola...
and left Captain Armistead of the 6th Infantry in charge of Fort Mohave with fifty men and a few artillery pieces. Meanwhile, troops and two river steamers were waiting at Fort Yuma to reinforce Fort Mohave if necessary.
Escape from Fort Yuma
After several weeks of a long hot summer in a cell, Chief Cairook and the eight others plotted their escape. Every day the prisoners were aloud to leave the cell for fresh air and it was during one of these recesses in late June that the simple plan unfolded. Cairook seized one of his sentries while the eight others ran for the brush. The other sentries noticed and opened fire on the fleeing Mohaves, one was killed and Cairook was bayoneted and shot. Three of the Mohaves eventually made it back to their villages and told the high chief, Espaniole, who decided to end the peace and attack a mail station two miles south of Fort Mohave. There the station was destroyed along with a field of melons planted by the Americans. When Captain Armistead learned of this he launched a series of small operations against the Mohaves with his fifty men and engaged in several small skirmishes.Battle of the Colorado River
It was not until August 4, 1859 that the first and only pitched battle of the war was fought. Captain Armstead and First LieutenantFirst Lieutenant
First lieutenant is a military rank and, in some forces, an appointment.The rank of lieutenant has different meanings in different military formations , but the majority of cases it is common for it to be sub-divided into a senior and junior rank...
Elisha Marshall
Elisha Marshall
Elisha Gaylord Marshall was a Brevet Brigadier General for the Union Army in the American Civil War. He fought in the Battle of the Colorado River in 1859 during the Mohave War in Arizona.He was married to Janet, née Rutherford...
led fifty men in an attack on over 200 Mohaves twelve miles south of the fort along the Colorado River. The natives were routed, leaving twenty-three warriors on the field while only three Americans were wounded. Next the Mohave under the direction of Chief Espaniole sued for peace and the war was over. There was still a group among the Mohaves that wanted to continue fighting the United States though no renewed conflict came about. Arateve, with support of the United States Army became a prominent leader and was considered vital for maintaining the peace. When word of peace reached the Maricopa, they sent Chief Ahwantsevarih to Mohave territory to end their war which was little more than minor raiding, with the exception of one engagement at Pima Butte
Battle of Pima Butte
The Battle of Pima Butte, or the Battle of Maricopa Wells, was fought on September 1, 1857 at Pima Butte, Arizona near Maricopa Wells in the Sierra Estrella. Yuma, Mohave, Apache and Yavapai warriors attacked a Maricopa village named Secate in one of the largest battles in Arizona's history...
in 1857. Arateve met with Ahwantsevarih and the two chiefs agreed to have peace and establish trade relations.