Introduction
In 1858, warriors from the Spokane, Palouse, and Coeur d’Alene tribes routed an expeditionary force commanded by Colonel Edward Steptoe. The running battle resulted in seven soldiers dead, two soldiers missing, two howitzer cannons buried, the complete loss of the pack train, and three interpreters killed. Colonel Steptoe and his command escaped in the middle of the night nearly out of ammunition and in desperate condition. The mounted infantry known as Dragoons rode through the next day covering approximately seventy miles to the relative safety of the Snake River.
The Steptoe Battle otherwise known as the Battle of Pine Creek marks the beginning of the Coeur d’Alene War that disarmed the tribes in the region. After Steptoe’s defeat, Colonel George Wright led an expedition into the Northeastern corner of Washington that completely subjugated the Spokane, Palouse, and Coeur d’Alene’s to American policy. Following the war, the United States Army disarmed the tribes and slaughtered three hundred horses to eliminate their ability to maneuver on a battlefield. The terms of peace laid out by Colonel Wright destroyed the tribe’s capability to mount resistance against the United States ever again.
History
In 1855, miners discovered Gold in the Colville mines of northeastern Washington Territory. Newspapers such as the Oregonian began running daily advertisements to attract miners into the region. Exciting articles with bold titles of “Colville Gold Mines” exclaimed that, “with a common pan we made $6, $8, $10, and as high as $20 per man!” This news created an influx of white settlement to Washington. Territorial Governor, Isaac I. Stevens encouraged the settlement and proposed to consolidate fourteen tribes w...
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...hether the Dragoons were really down to their final two rounds when they made their daring nighttime escape they still managed to return to Fort Walla Walla with minimal loses.
Works Cited
Avery, M.W. History and Government of the State of Washington. Seattle:
University of Washington Press, 1961.
Boyden, T.G. Warrior of the Mist: Biography of Qualchan Chief Owhi’s Son.
Fairfield: Ye Galleon Press, 1996.
Kip, Lawrence. Indian War in the Pacific Northwest. Linclon:
University of Nebraska Press, 1999.
Pioneer and Democrat. (Olympia) 28 May-29 October 1858.
Plan of Steptoes Battlefield on the Ingossman Creek: May 15th, 16th, 17th 1858.
Washington Territory: U.S. Topographical Engineers. 1858.
The Oregonian. (Portland) 23 June 1855-22 October 1858.
United States Secretary of War. Topographical Memoir of Colonel Wright’s
Campaign 1859. Washington: 1859
These two passages “There’s Still Gold in These Hills” and “Letter From a Gold Miner” help the reader understand the history and process of gold mining in the US. Both passages give detailed information, specific instructions, and an interesting background about gold mining. These passages use different strategies to help the reader perceive the history and process. These strategies may include using specific dates of when the gold rush took place, information to help the reader picture the setting of where to find gold, and also teaches the process step by step.
West, Elliott, Contested Plains: Indians, Goldseekers and the Rush to Colorado, (University Press of Kansas,
Clark, during the 1770’s, was helping Kentucky defend itself from Native Americans. At the time, Clark was transporting gunpowder to the frontier between the Americans and the British. The Native Americans, who lived in the Northwest, disliked the Americans in the Northwest and their claim on Kentucky and with the British backing, waged war with the Americans. Clark was now in charge of defending the settlements and was promoted to major. Clark then made plans in taking British held forts in the region and persuaded Governor Patrick Henry to support him in capturing the forts. Clark had won the support of Patrick Henry, was promoted to lieutenant colonel, and was given command of the mission (“George Clark” 1). With the command of the mission, Clark had lead 175 men who traveled to Fort Kaskaskia, Illinois in six days. The fort was almost defenseless and was easily taken with Clark’s force. Clark had sent Captain Leonard Helm to capture Fort Sackville, after learning that the fort was undefended from American spies. Leonard Helm had then captured the fort, but was taken back by Henry Hamilton shortly after. Henry Hamilton, the famous British “Hair Buyer”, used militia and Native Americans to take Fort Sackville. In the winter, Clark lead a force of 170 men ...
The Tar Creek mining site was originally owned by a Native American tribe, the Quapaw. The Quapaw wanted to keep these lands, but the Bureau of Indian Affairs deemed members opposing a transaction with mining companies “incompetent” (1). In such a case, the business could continue and the Bureau of Indian Affairs sold the lands to mining companies. In essence, these lands were stolen from the Quapaw because they were ripe for mining. These mines were then used from approximately 1891 to 1970.
The Battle of the Wilderness was a very unusual battle because it was fought in the woods. The terrain and the trees wouldn’t allow for the smoke to clear and it was dark anyway because of the trees. The men described it as eerie. Both sides fired blindly because of the smoke. Artillery was abandoned because they could not transport it through the woods. So those soldiers became...
The Sioux band tougher led by Little Big Foot. They were heading to Pine RidgeReservation in South Dakota, when the army stopped them and held them at gun pointovernight. Big Foot’s group contained about 300 people two-thirds of them were women and children. While the soldiers numbered around 500 and were armed with automatic weapons. The next morning when the army began to disarm the Indians a shot rang out then the gun fire began leaving about 200 Indians dead in the snow. Thirty soldiers were also killed in the massacre. The soldiers that lost there lives were most likely killed by their own men in friendly fire. Wounded Knee is said to have been the last battle of the war but it was not so much a battle as it was a massacre. It was in fact the last exchange of fire between the army and the Sioux.
As most folks do, when I think of the term “Gold Rush”, it conjures up images of the West! Images of cowboys and crusty old miners ruthlessly and savagely staking their claims. Immigrants coming by boat, folks on foot, horseback, and covered wagon form all over the US to rape and pillage the land that was newly acquired from Mexico through the 1848 Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo… California. But let me tell you about a gold rush of another kind, in another place, even more significant. It was the actual first documented discovery of gold in the United States! Fifty years earlier…in North Carolina!
6 The battle in which Captain Michael Pierce lost his life is detailed in Drakes Indian Chronicles (pp. 220-222) (http://www.bio.umass.edu/biology/conn.river/massacre.html)
As they began their retreat, Washington had some men stroke the fires, to trick the English into believing they were bedding down for the night. As they were retreating, the English suspecting an escape attempt sent their ships up the river to stop any possible retreat. As they began to do so a strong wind came and pushed their ships back away from the American side. When dawn came, many men were still on the other side of the river waiting to cross. Just then a thick fog covered the land, allowing nothing to be seen at even small distances. Shielding the colonist from the view of their enemies. When all 20,000 men had made it across the fog vanished, and they were
Rohrbough, M. (1997). Chapter 17: The California gold rush and the American nation, days of Gold, University of California Press: Berkeley
Smith-Baranzini, Marlene, Richard J. Orsi, and James J. Rawls. A Golden State: Mining And Economic Development In Gold Rush California. Berkeley, California: University of California Press, 1999. eBook (EBSCOhost). Web. 26 Mar. 2014.
Not many know about Dragging Canoe and the battle he fought during the American Revolutionary War. The Native American’s role in the Revolutionary War was very important, but not well known. As a result, the Revolutionary War can come across as one-sided. Dragging Canoe fought for the Native American’s existence in the colonies. First, he was strongly opposed to Henderson’s Purchase or also called the Transylvania Purchase. Secondly, Dragging Canoe’s raid at “Battle of the Bluffs” became an issue for the colonists. And lastly, there was negotiating done between the British and Colonists would somehow effect Dragging Canoe, his warriors, and the future for the Native Americans.
On June 25, 1876, The Battle of Little Bighorn took place near the Black Hills in Montana. This was one of the most controversial battles of the 20th century and the line between good guys and bad guys was grey at best. Gen. George Armstrong Custer (reduced to LTC after the civil war) had 366 men of the 7thU.S. Cavalry under his command that day. Sitting Bull (A Medicine Man) led 2000 braves of the Lakota, Northern Cheyenne, and Arapaho tribes (Klos, 2013). At the conclusion of the battle, the stories of the Indians savagery were used to demonize their culture and there were no survivors from the 7thcavalry to tell what really happened.
"Chapter 2 Western Settlement and the Frontier." Major Problems in American History: Documents and Essays. Ed. Elizabeth Cobbs Hoffman, Edward J. Blum, and Jon Gjerde. 3rd ed. Vol. II: Since 1865. Boston, MA: Wadsworth Cengage Learning, 2012. 37-68. Print.
The Battle of Little Bighorn is one of the most, maybe even the most, controversial battle in American history. General George Armstrong Custer led his 210 troops into battle and never came out. Miscalculations, blunders, and personal glory led Custer not only to his death, but also being the most talked about soldier in this battle. But all the blame doesn’t just go on Custer’s shoulders; it also goes on Captain Frederick Benteen and Major Marcus Reno, who both fought in the battle. Both the Captain and the Major both made serious mistakes during the fight, most notable Major Marcus Reno being flat out drunk during the course of the battle. All of these factors have led The Battle of Little Bighorn to being the worst lost to any Plains Indian group in American history.