Knowledge

Camp Grant massacre

Source 📝

1089:"On that Sunday morning, 128 people, mostly women, were murdered between seven and eight o'clock. Just one adult survived—a woman who was permanently paralyzed by bullets—and the only others were 28 babies in their papooses, who were taken to Tucson to be sold as slaves to other Indian tribes. The vigilantes, led by William Oury, a fifty-four-year-old Virginian, justified their actions by saying they had taken revenge for the murder of several pioneers, who had found gold and other valuable minerals in the hills of Arizona, and had therefore decided that the Apache land should be theirs. "Through the greater part of the year 1870, and the first part of 1871, these Indians had held a carnival of murder and plunder in all our settlements until our people had been appalled and almost paralyzed," Oury said in a presentation he made to the Arizona Pioneers' Society in 1885." Finlay, Victoria. 1022: 800:. At dawn on Sunday, April 30, they surrounded the Apache camp. The O'odham were the main fighters, while the Americans and Mexicans picked off Apaches who tried to escape. Most of the Apache men were off hunting in the mountains. All but eight of the corpses were women and children. Twenty-nine children had been captured and were sold into slavery in Mexico by the Tohono O'odham and the Mexicans themselves. A total of 144 Aravaipas and Pinals had been killed and mutilated, nearly all of them scalped. 846:. In October 1871, a Tucson grand jury indicted 100 of the assailants with 108 counts of murder. The trial, two months later, focused solely on Apache depredations; it took the jury just 19 minutes to pronounce a verdict of not guilty. Western Apache groups soon left their farms and gathering places near Tucson in fear of subsequent attacks. As pioneer families arrived and settled in the area, Apaches were never able to regain hold of much of their ancestral lands in the 88: 987: 617: 712:. Like the Apaches, they were mobile and extremely independent, their only political authorities being war chiefs and advisory chiefs selected by local groups. This made it extremely difficult for the United States Army to run down or negotiate with more than one Yavapai group at a time. Troops had to pursue the Yavapais across rough desert 820:
Within a week of the slaughter, a local businessman, William Hopkins Tonge, wrote to the Commissioner of Indian Affairs stating, "The Indians at the time of the massacre being so taken by surprise and considering themselves perfectly safe with scarcely any arms, those that could get away ran for the
703:
of the time regarded Apaches as the biggest menace, but Yuman-speaking Yavapais, who were often identified as Apache Mohaves or Apache Yumas, killed and mutilated settlers just as often. Divided into four subtribes, the Tolkapaya, or Western Yavapais, the Yavepe and the Wipukpaya or Northeastern
669:
Some historians feel the reduction of Indian hostilities in the region had triggered fears of economic crisis in Tucson, since the Federal government was reducing funds for pacifying and controlling hostile tribes, mostly Apaches. Merchants who survived on the "blankets for peace" economy, were
740:
Territory, about 50 miles (80 km) northeast of Tucson. In February 1871, five old Apache women straggled into Camp Grant to look for a son who had been taken prisoner. Whitman fed them and treated them kindly, so other Apaches from Aravaipa and Pinal bands soon came to the post to receive
858:
The massacre occurred in the vicinity of Camp Grant. In 1871, its location was on an upper terrace on the east bank of the San Pedro River, just north of the junction with Aravaipa Creek. The camp was in the vicinity of 32°50'51.22"N, 110°42'11.91"W. The Camp Grant site was near the present
670:
afraid their source of income would soon be lost. In early 1871, to bolster public support for increased hostilities and increased federal funding of "gifts" to the Apaches, several Arizonans allegedly staged mock raids on isolated settlements. One of these settlements was in Aravaipa Canyon.
812:
into the mountains to find the Apache men and assure them his soldiers had not participated in the "vile transaction". The following evening, the surviving Aravaipas began trickling back to Camp Grant. Many of the settlers in southern Arizona considered the attack
862:
Current authorities place the massacre site south of the Aravaipa Creek and about five miles upstream from Camp Grant. No marker is at the site of the massacre, and the location is only generally known.
737: 72: 859:
Aravaipa Campus of Central Arizona Community College, which is located between the towns of Mammoth and Winkelman on Arizona State Route 77. Few remains of the site are visible.
1154: 186: 876: 768:
group, the Committee of Public Safety, which blamed every depredation in southern Arizona on the Camp Grant Apaches. After Apaches ran off livestock from
673:
Indian affairs in early 1870s Arizona lurched back and forth between peace and war. Each new round of hostilities brought increasing conflict between the
106: 32: 1253: 1233: 1243: 179: 634: 850:
Valley. Many groups of Apaches joined up with the Yavapais in Tonto Basin, and from there, a guerrilla war began which lasted until 1875.
1248: 1263: 893: 1158: 1065: 1043: 656: 866:
In 2021, descendants of those massacred opposed the siting of a massive copper mine at Oak Flat, proximate to the massacre site.
796:
gathered along Rillito Creek and set off on a march to Aravaipa Canyon; one of the Americans was William S. Oury, the brother of
332: 172: 67: 327: 307: 764:, which was established in 1870, but he refused. During the winter and spring, William S. Oury and Jesús María Elías formed a 690: 638: 245: 769: 682: 428: 374: 233: 760:
Whitman may have suspected that peace could not last. He urged Eskiminzin to move his people to the White Mountains near
369: 1000: 534: 277: 1157:. American Indian Quarterly, Summer & Fall 2003, Vol. 27, nos. 3 & 4, photo at 640, map at 641. Archived from 926: 809: 406: 357: 287: 260: 255: 272: 1268: 1228: 1223: 512: 507: 450: 250: 1112: 1036: 1030: 934: 847: 797: 686: 585: 470: 749:, about five miles (8 km) east of Camp Grant for nearly 500 Aravaipa and Pinal Apaches, including Chief 699:
A major problem faced by Arizona's military was they had too few soldiers for too vast an area of land. Most
689:, the commissioners spearheaded a growing movement for Indian rights that culminated in the Quaker Policy of 1238: 678: 627: 588:. The massacre led to a series of battles and campaigns fought between the Americans, the Apache, and their 482: 465: 460: 423: 396: 362: 302: 282: 941:
Colwell-Chanthaphonh, Chip. 2003. Western Apache Oral Histories and Traditions of the Camp Grant Massacre.
1047: 875:
Leighton, David. 2013. "Street Smarts: Adventurous life led Oury here, "Arizona Daily Star, July 23, 2013
549: 497: 492: 218: 971:
Beal, Tom. 2009. "Curing 'amnesia' about state's most blood-soaked day", Arizona Daily Star, May 3, 2009
240: 825: 733: 544: 539: 487: 416: 411: 337: 322: 228: 223: 1258: 957: 814: 808:
Lieutenant Whitman searched for the wounded, found only one woman, buried the bodies, and dispatched
761: 709: 600: 577: 352: 1005: 836: 391: 1203: 573: 1131: 889: 793: 789: 773: 716:. Many of the soldiers deserted, fleeing places like Camp Grant, a sun-scorched collection of 581: 477: 445: 440: 435: 317: 312: 110: 93: 729: 693: 527: 522: 342: 267: 1198: 964:
Langellier, J. Phillip. 1979. Camp Grant Affair, 1871: Milestone in Federal Indian Policy?
952:. Berkeley: Proceedings of the Pacific Coast Branch of the American Historical Association. 904: 785: 517: 502: 347: 1181: 932:
Colwell-Chanthaphonh, Chip. 2003. The Camp Grant Massacre in the Historical Imagination.
992: 839: 746: 705: 589: 566: 297: 213: 87: 972: 1217: 455: 292: 208: 156: 63: 821:
mountains." He was the first person to refer to what had taken place as a massacre.
704:
Yavapais and the Kewevkapaya or Southeastern Yavapais, the Yavapais ranged from the
596: 401: 17: 842:
that if the perpetrators were not brought to trial, he would place Arizona under
843: 616: 381: 196: 130: 982: 828: 750: 148: 47: 34: 772:
on April 10, Elías contacted his old ally Francisco Galerita, leader of the
765: 700: 1093:(Kindle Locations 2575–79). Random House Publishing Group. Kindle Edition. 883: 1155:"Western Apache Oral Histories and Traditions of the Camp Grant Massacre" 832: 674: 1114:
Western Apache Oral Histories and Traditions of the Camp Grant Massacre
713: 641: in this section. Unsourced material may be challenged and removed. 593: 569: 776:
at San Xavier. Oury collected arms and ammunition from his followers.
754: 753:. The Apaches began cutting hay for the post's horses and harvesting 152: 1102:
Phil Konstantin, "This day in North American Indian history", p. 107
885:
Shadows at Dawn: A Borderlands Massacre and the Violence of History
742: 717: 923:
Massacre at Camp Grant: Forgetting and Remembering Apache History
168: 1015: 610: 164: 817:
and agreed with Oury, but this was not the end of the story.
955:
Hastings, James E. 1959. The Tragedy at Camp Grant in 1871.
1121:– Volume 27, Number 3&4, Summer/Fall 2003, pp. 639–66. 592:
allies, which continued into 1875, the most notable being
1207:, Chip Colwell, April 30, 2021. Retrieved May 4, 2021. 973:
Curing 'amnesia' about state's most blood-soaked day
950:
The Camp Grant Massacre: A Chapter in Apache History
144: 136: 124: 116: 101: 80: 685:two years later. Investigating abuses within the 1186:American Pioneer & Cemetery Research Project 565:, on April 30, 1871, was an attack on Pinal and 882:Jacoby, Karl; Patricia Nelson Limerick (2009). 745:. That spring, Whitman created a refuge along 877:Street Smarts: Adventurous life led Oury here 180: 8: 966:Military History of Texas and the Southwest 187: 173: 165: 86: 77: 1199:Why the Camp Grant Massacre Matters Today 1066:Learn how and when to remove this message 657:Learn how and when to remove this message 1085: 1083: 1029:This article includes a list of general 1079: 681:, in 1867, led to the creation of the 7: 677:and the soldiers. The report of the 639:adding citations to reliable sources 854:Site of Camp Grant and the massacre 1035:it lacks sufficient corresponding 921:Colwell-Chanthaphonh, Chip. 2007. 784:On the afternoon of April 28, six 25: 1180:Cottrell, Janice (June 6, 2009). 1020: 985: 615: 1132:"Arizona's Camp Grant Massacre" 903:Norman Boucher (October 2009). 626:needs additional citations for 835:, so President Grant informed 1: 1254:Massacres by Native Americans 1234:Massacres of Native Americans 1119:The American Indian Quarterly 728:Early in 1871, a 37-year-old 683:Board of Indian Commissioners 441:Battle of Ojo Caliente (1879) 1244:Battles involving the Apache 1153:Colwell-Chanthaphonh, Chip. 1111:Colwell-Chanthaphonh, Chip. 1001:List of massacres in Arizona 757:in nearby ranchers' fields. 92:Camp Grant, photographed by 927:University of Arizona Press 1285: 1249:San Pedro Valley (Arizona) 1264:1871 in Arizona Territory 948:Hammond, George P. 1929. 943:American Indian Quarterly 251:Antelope Hills Expedition 204: 85: 1091:Jewels: A Secret History 935:Journal of the Southwest 798:Granville Henderson Oury 687:Office of Indian Affairs 466:Battle of Tres Castillos 48:32.848305°N 110.704654°W 1050:more precise citations. 679:Indian Peace Commission 572:who surrendered to the 550:Guadalupe Canyon (1896) 68:Infobox civilian attack 27:Part of the Apache Wars 73:considered for merging 53:32.848305; -110.704654 909:Brown Alumni Magazine 905:"Historian of Memory" 824:The military and the 734:Royal Emerson Whitman 278:Bonneville Expedition 958:Arizona and the West 815:justifiable homicide 741:rations of beef and 635:improve this article 601:Tonto Basin Campaign 424:Buffalo Hunters' War 1006:Camp Grant, Arizona 945:27(3&4):639–66. 738:Camp Grant, Arizona 736:assumed command of 696:'s administration. 563:Camp Grant massacre 545:Cherry Creek (1890) 540:Kelvin Grade (1889) 429:Yellow House Canyon 333:2nd Dragoon Springs 328:1st Dragoon Springs 234:Ojo Caliente Canyon 81:Camp Grant Massacre 44: /  18:Camp Grant Massacre 603:of 1872 and 1873. 574:United States Army 313:Gallinas Mountains 1269:April 1871 events 1229:Arizona Territory 1224:Conflicts in 1871 1076: 1075: 1068: 888:. Penguin Group. 790:Mexican Americans 667: 666: 659: 558: 557: 446:Las Animas Canyon 407:Salt River Canyon 308:Florida Mountains 256:Little Robe Creek 241:Texas–Indian wars 163: 162: 111:Arizona Territory 94:John Karl Hillers 16:(Redirected from 1276: 1208: 1196: 1190: 1189: 1188:. Neal Du Shane. 1177: 1171: 1170: 1168: 1166: 1150: 1144: 1143: 1141: 1139: 1128: 1122: 1109: 1103: 1100: 1094: 1087: 1071: 1064: 1060: 1057: 1051: 1046:this article by 1037:inline citations 1024: 1023: 1016: 995: 990: 989: 988: 918: 916: 915: 899: 730:first lieutenant 694:Ulysses S. Grant 662: 655: 651: 648: 642: 619: 611: 535:Post 1887 period 528:Pinito Mountains 513:Little Dry Creek 370:Black Hawk's War 246:Diablo Mountains 199: 189: 182: 175: 166: 90: 78: 59: 58: 56: 55: 54: 49: 45: 42: 41: 40: 37: 21: 1284: 1283: 1279: 1278: 1277: 1275: 1274: 1273: 1214: 1213: 1212: 1211: 1197: 1193: 1179: 1178: 1174: 1164: 1162: 1152: 1151: 1147: 1137: 1135: 1130: 1129: 1125: 1110: 1106: 1101: 1097: 1088: 1081: 1072: 1061: 1055: 1052: 1042:Please help to 1041: 1025: 1021: 1014: 991: 986: 984: 981: 913: 911: 902: 896: 881: 872: 856: 848:San Pedro River 806: 786:Anglo Americans 782: 726: 663: 652: 646: 643: 632: 620: 609: 586:San Pedro River 559: 554: 451:Hembrillo Basin 358:Doubtful Canyon 268:Chiricahua Wars 261:1st Adobe Walls 200: 195: 193: 127: 97: 76: 52: 50: 46: 43: 38: 35: 33: 31: 30: 28: 23: 22: 15: 12: 11: 5: 1282: 1280: 1272: 1271: 1266: 1261: 1256: 1251: 1246: 1241: 1239:Western Apache 1236: 1231: 1226: 1216: 1215: 1210: 1209: 1191: 1172: 1161:on 9 June 2015 1145: 1123: 1104: 1095: 1078: 1077: 1074: 1073: 1028: 1026: 1019: 1013: 1010: 1009: 1008: 1003: 997: 996: 993:Arizona portal 980: 977: 976: 975: 969: 962: 953: 946: 939: 930: 919: 900: 895:978-0143116219 894: 879: 871: 868: 855: 852: 840:A.P.K. Safford 805: 802: 794:Tohono O'odham 781: 778: 774:Tohono O'odham 747:Aravaipa Creek 725: 722: 706:Colorado River 665: 664: 623: 621: 614: 608: 605: 556: 555: 553: 552: 547: 542: 537: 531: 530: 525: 520: 515: 510: 505: 503:Lordsburg Road 500: 495: 490: 485: 480: 478:Geronimo's War 474: 473: 471:Carrizo Canyon 468: 463: 458: 453: 448: 443: 438: 436:Victorio's War 432: 431: 426: 420: 419: 414: 409: 404: 399: 394: 389: 384: 378: 377: 372: 366: 365: 360: 355: 350: 345: 340: 335: 330: 325: 320: 315: 310: 305: 300: 295: 290: 285: 280: 275: 273:Cooke's Spring 270: 264: 263: 258: 253: 248: 243: 237: 236: 231: 226: 221: 216: 214:Point of Rocks 211: 205: 202: 201: 194: 192: 191: 184: 177: 169: 161: 160: 146: 142: 141: 138: 134: 133: 128: 125: 122: 121: 120:April 30, 1871 118: 114: 113: 103: 99: 98: 91: 83: 82: 61: 26: 24: 14: 13: 10: 9: 6: 4: 3: 2: 1281: 1270: 1267: 1265: 1262: 1260: 1257: 1255: 1252: 1250: 1247: 1245: 1242: 1240: 1237: 1235: 1232: 1230: 1227: 1225: 1222: 1221: 1219: 1206: 1205: 1200: 1195: 1192: 1187: 1183: 1176: 1173: 1160: 1156: 1149: 1146: 1133: 1127: 1124: 1120: 1116: 1115: 1108: 1105: 1099: 1096: 1092: 1086: 1084: 1080: 1070: 1067: 1059: 1056:February 2008 1049: 1045: 1039: 1038: 1032: 1027: 1018: 1017: 1011: 1007: 1004: 1002: 999: 998: 994: 983: 978: 974: 970: 967: 963: 960: 959: 954: 951: 947: 944: 940: 938:45(3):249–69. 937: 936: 931: 928: 924: 920: 910: 906: 901: 897: 891: 887: 886: 880: 878: 874: 873: 869: 867: 864: 860: 853: 851: 849: 845: 841: 838: 834: 830: 827: 822: 818: 816: 811: 803: 801: 799: 795: 791: 787: 779: 777: 775: 771: 767: 763: 758: 756: 752: 748: 744: 739: 735: 731: 723: 721: 719: 715: 711: 707: 702: 697: 695: 692: 688: 684: 680: 676: 671: 661: 658: 650: 640: 636: 630: 629: 624:This section 622: 618: 613: 612: 606: 604: 602: 598: 595: 591: 587: 583: 579: 575: 571: 568: 564: 551: 548: 546: 543: 541: 538: 536: 533: 532: 529: 526: 524: 521: 519: 516: 514: 511: 509: 508:Devil's Creek 506: 504: 501: 499: 496: 494: 493:McMillenville 491: 489: 486: 484: 483:Cibecue Creek 481: 479: 476: 475: 472: 469: 467: 464: 462: 461:Fort Tularosa 459: 457: 454: 452: 449: 447: 444: 442: 439: 437: 434: 433: 430: 427: 425: 422: 421: 418: 415: 413: 410: 408: 405: 403: 400: 398: 395: 393: 390: 388: 385: 383: 380: 379: 376: 373: 371: 368: 367: 364: 363:Fort Buchanan 361: 359: 356: 354: 351: 349: 346: 344: 341: 339: 336: 334: 331: 329: 326: 324: 321: 319: 316: 314: 311: 309: 306: 304: 303:Cookes Canyon 301: 299: 296: 294: 293:Bascom Affair 291: 289: 288:Mimbres River 286: 284: 283:Madera Canyon 281: 279: 276: 274: 271: 269: 266: 265: 262: 259: 257: 254: 252: 249: 247: 244: 242: 239: 238: 235: 232: 230: 227: 225: 222: 220: 217: 215: 212: 210: 209:Jicarilla War 207: 206: 203: 198: 190: 185: 183: 178: 176: 171: 170: 167: 158: 154: 150: 147: 143: 139: 135: 132: 129: 123: 119: 115: 112: 108: 104: 100: 95: 89: 84: 79: 74: 70: 69: 65: 60: 57: 19: 1202: 1194: 1185: 1182:"Camp Grant" 1175: 1163:. Retrieved 1159:the original 1148: 1136:. Retrieved 1134:. Desert USA 1126: 1118: 1113: 1107: 1098: 1090: 1062: 1053: 1034: 968:15(2):17–30. 965: 956: 949: 942: 933: 922: 912:. Retrieved 908: 884: 865: 861: 857: 831:called it a 823: 819: 810:interpreters 807: 783: 759: 727: 698: 672: 668: 653: 644: 633:Please help 628:verification 625: 597:George Crook 584:, along the 562: 560: 518:Nacori Chico 498:Big Dry Wash 397:Burro Canyon 386: 224:Bell's Fight 66: 29: 1259:Apache Wars 1165:25 February 1138:25 February 1048:introducing 961:1(2):146–60 844:martial law 762:Fort Apache 720:buildings. 710:Tonto Basin 523:Bear Valley 488:Fort Apache 417:Sunset Pass 412:Turret Peak 402:Tonto Basin 382:Yavapai War 375:Pipe Spring 338:Apache Pass 323:Pinos Altos 229:Cieneguilla 219:Wagon Mound 197:Apache Wars 145:Perpetrator 131:Mass murder 126:Attack type 62:‹ The 51: / 39:110°42′17″W 1218:Categories 1031:references 1012:References 914:2009-10-22 770:San Xavier 751:Eskiminzin 724:Camp Grant 701:chronicles 647:April 2012 607:Background 578:Camp Grant 392:Wickenburg 387:Camp Grant 353:Mount Gray 151:warriors, 107:Camp Grant 36:32°50′54″N 929:, Tucson. 804:Aftermath 792:, and 92 766:vigilante 691:President 159:civilians 71:is being 979:See also 837:Governor 833:massacre 780:Massacre 675:settlers 567:Aravaipa 157:American 102:Location 75:. › 64:template 1204:Sapiens 1044:improve 870:Sources 826:Eastern 714:terrain 708:to the 594:General 590:Yavapai 582:Arizona 570:Apaches 343:Big Bug 318:Placito 153:Mexican 149:O'odham 96:in 1870 1033:, but 892:  755:barley 732:named 137:Deaths 829:press 788:, 48 743:flour 718:adobe 348:Mowry 298:Tubac 105:near 1167:2012 1140:2012 890:ISBN 561:The 456:Alma 155:and 117:Date 637:by 599:'s 576:at 140:144 1220:: 1201:, 1184:. 1117:. 1082:^ 925:. 907:. 580:, 109:, 1169:. 1142:. 1069:) 1063:( 1058:) 1054:( 1040:. 917:. 898:. 660:) 654:( 649:) 645:( 631:. 188:e 181:t 174:v 20:)

Index

Camp Grant Massacre
32°50′54″N 110°42′17″W / 32.848305°N 110.704654°W / 32.848305; -110.704654
template
Infobox civilian attack
considered for merging

John Karl Hillers
Camp Grant
Arizona Territory
Mass murder
O'odham
Mexican
American
v
t
e
Apache Wars
Jicarilla War
Point of Rocks
Wagon Mound
Bell's Fight
Cieneguilla
Ojo Caliente Canyon
Texas–Indian wars
Diablo Mountains
Antelope Hills Expedition
Little Robe Creek
1st Adobe Walls
Chiricahua Wars
Cooke's Spring

Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License. Additional terms may apply.