Battle of Bear River
- See main article: Bear River Massacre
In the early 1860s, population pressures in the Washington Territory (present day Idaho-Utah border) led to conflicts between immigrant settlers and native Americans. After an attack on miners with depositions given in Salt Lake City by the survivors, Connor marched his regiment 140 miles over the frozen winter landscape to 'deal' with the Indians. On January 29, 1863, Connor's troops encountered the Shoshoni encampment along the Bear River. Connor and his militia crossed the river and attacked the camp, they feigned a retreat only to encircle the camp and renew their attack.
Connor sent additional troops to block the Indian escape route through a ravine; and sent the rest of the soldiers on a flanking maneuver to a ridge, from where they fired down into the Indians. The soldiers also fired on Indians as they attempted to escape by swimming across the bitterly cold river. The troops killed nearly all the Indians, including women and children, with fatalities estimated at 200-400.
The Indians had been supplied by the Mormons and large quantities of wheat and articles of war were captured by Connor's command after the battle at Bear River. An Indian survivor later said that the large band of Indians were planning on destroying the town of Franklin in modern day Idaho. Connor's dispatches are detailed in The War of the Rebellion - A Compilation of the Official Records of the Union and Confederate Armies of the Pacific Theater.
Read more about this topic: Patrick Edward Connor
Famous quotes containing the words battle of, battle, bear and/or river:
“The militancy of men, through all the centuries, has drenched the world with blood, and for these deeds of horror and destruction men have been rewarded with monuments, with great songs and epics. The militancy of women has harmed no human life save the lives of those who fought the battle of righteousness. Time alone will reveal what reward will be allotted to women.”
—Emmeline Pankhurst (1858–1928)
“What a battle a man must fight everywhere to maintain his standing army of thoughts, and march with them in orderly array through the always hostile country! How many enemies there are to sane thinking! Every soldier has succumbed to them before he enlists for those other battles.”
—Henry David Thoreau (1817–1862)
“[One cannot express lack of knowledge in affirmative language.] This idea is more firmly grasped in the form of interrogation: “What do I know?”Mthe words I bear as a motto, inscribed over a pair of scales.”
—Michel de Montaigne (1533–1592)
“There is a great river this side of Stygia,”
—Wallace Stevens (1879–1955)