NAVAJO WAR AGAINST WHITE SETTLERS
News of the war with the Navajo Indians

Navajo War against White Settlers

Below is a newspaper article from 1893 about the problems between the Navajo Indians and some white settlers. It shows that at this time the Navajo were still a formidable force in the Southwest. Denver. April 29. -- The long threatened war of the Navajo Indians against the settlers of the country in the vicinity of their lands has come at last, and with it the death of eight settlers. Such is the startling news received here by Adjutant General Kennedy in a telegram from Lieutenant Plummer, Indian agent of the Navajos, in which he stated that the white men had been murdered by the Indians, who are now at war with the settlers. He declared that the situation was a very critical one, and asked that the troops be called out to prevent further bloodshed. The telegram was addressed to Governor Waite, but he is out of the city and the matter was referred by Secretary Lorencz to the adjutant general. Lieutenant Plummer states that the people below Durango are in a wild state of excitement, and fears are entertained that the Indians will continue their warfare along up the valley. In his message the lieutenant states that two battles have been fought already. The first was early Tuesday, when five men were killed, all settlers, while at another encounter three more whites lost their lives, and further bloodshed is anticipated. The adjutant general has forwarded the information to the war department at Washington, and it is not unlikely that orders will be issued from that source for the removal of the troops now quartered at Fort Logan. They can act outside the state and would be of more avail in a conflict with the Indians than state troops. Adjutant General Kennedy was inclined to regard the situation with a good deal of concern, although expressing the belief that the trouble would not extend very far north. He did not know whether or not Governor Waite would order the national guard to the front, but thought that he would do so. He declined to give copies of the telegrams received by him and sent, or to allow any one to see them, stating that it was contrary to orders. In speaking of the affair he said that there are 250 bucks who are raising the disturbance. "They are all mounted and equipped," said he, "with the best repeating rifles and have ample supplied for a long war. They are a bad lot and revel in plunder and murder. There has been ill-feeling among them for a long time and it has at last come to a head. "The settlers down in that country and the Indians never could get along in peace. The Indians are continually plundering and stealing from the whites, who have submitted to the thefts until the past few days. The present conflict was precipitated by the resistance of the whites to the depredations of a bad of warriors who raided the stock of the cattlemen. They drove off a large herd of cattle, which they took to the mountains. This so incensed the stockmen that they organized a large posse of cowboys and went to recover the cattle. The Indians fled on the approach of the cowboys at first, and the cattlemen were rejoicing in what they looked upon as a very easy victory, and after they had secured their cattle started to return to their ranges. "They had proceeded but a very short distance, however, when they were attacked from the flanks as they were passing through a sort of shallow canon by the entire band of 250. A desperate encounter followed in which five cowboys were killed and, it is believed, a number of Indians. The red men, of course had the advantage, and from their vantage points up shove their adversaries fired with telling effect upon the cattlemen, who were finally repulsed. They took with them a portion of the herd of cattle which they had recovered and retreated. The Indians by this time were thoroughly aroused and started on a marauding expedition across the country. The reservation of the Navajos is a large one, covering some 6,000 square miles in the northwestern part of New Mexico and northeastern Arizona, and extends up to the southern line of Colorado. On this there are thousands of Indians who are on the warpath. The band of 250 started from the reservation over in Arizona, crossed the line into New Mexico, going due east to a town called Jennett, going thence on the San Juan river and are now in that vicinity. A dispatch from Durango says that 300 Navajos have captured Tom White's trading post mission at Hogback, on the San Juan river near Welsh's ranch. The homes of other settlers are surrounded by Indians, who are threatening to kill and burn. James Handy arrived from the scene of action, which is about seventy miles south of Durango, and after securing a supply of ammunition for the settlers changed teams and returned at once. Agent Bartholomew wired the Indian department regarding the situation, but the Navajos are beyond his jurisdiction and he can do nothing. Advices have been received from Durango that the Navajo Indians are moving rapidly north from Farmington, New Mexico, toward the Colorado line. Governor Waite ordered a special train over the Rio Grande to carry 200 stands of arms and 50,000 rounds of ammunition to the local military company at Durango, which is ordered out. The entire ten companies of the Colorado National guard have been ordered to report for duty, ready to move at once to the scene of trouble. The Navajos number fully 15,000 and are the most formidable of their race. Probably no tribe has so signally redressed its wrong or inspired scattered settlers with so great a degree of terror as the Navajos. They are among the rudest and least intelligent of all the tribes. The first outbreak of the Navajos occurred in 1859, but five years later they were subdued by that famous scout, Kit Carson. Davenport Daily Leader, Apr 30, 1893 The Navajo code talkers The Long Walk of the Navajo Word of Honor of the Navajo Navajo Indians at the marketplace in New Mexico Kit Carson's Expedition against the Navajo Navajo Outrages in New Mexico and Utah Navajo War against White Settlers Proof that Navajos Came from Alaska Navajos in Arms Navajos Outlawed Navajos in their new reservation Navajo Indians starving because of drought Retaliation campaign against the Apache Rights of the Navajo Woman The White Chief of the Navajoes