Angoon bombardment facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Angoon Bombardment |
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| Part of Department of Alaska | |||||||
_engraving_1887.jpg) USRC Thomas Corwin |
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| Belligerents | |||||||
| Commanders and leaders | |||||||
| Edgar C. Merriman Michael A. Healy |
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| Units involved | |||||||
| USRC Thomas Corwin, detachment from USS Adams, marines. | Tlingit villagers | ||||||
| Strength | |||||||
| 1 cutter, 1 tug, 1 howitzer, 1 Gatling gun, company of marines | one village | ||||||
| Casualties and losses | |||||||
| none | Six Tlingit villagers killed in bombardment An undetermined number of starvation deaths due to loss of winter supplies |
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The Angoon Bombardment was a major event in October 1882. It involved the United States Navy destroying the Tlingit village of Angoon in Alaska. This happened under the command of Edgar C. Merriman and Michael A. Healy.
The conflict started after a Tlingit spiritual leader, called a shaman, died in an accident on a whaling ship. The Tlingit villagers asked for 200 blankets as payment from the North West Trading Company. This was a traditional way for them to settle disagreements. Some reports say the Tlingit took two people hostage to get the blankets. The US Navy then went to Angoon to free them.
When the Navy arrived, the hostages were released. However, Commander Merriman then demanded 400 blankets from the Tlingit as a "tribute" or punishment. The Tlingit could only gather 81 blankets. Because they didn't meet his demand, Merriman's forces attacked and destroyed the village. This event caused a lot of public discussion. It helped lead to the First Organic Act of 1884. This law changed how Alaska was governed, moving it from military to civilian control.
Contents
Why Did the Angoon Bombardment Happen?
After the Alaska Purchase in 1867, the United States Army first managed Alaska. In 1879, the United States Navy took over. The US authorities used their own legal system, called common law. However, the Tlingit people had their own traditional laws. These laws often involved "peace ceremonies" and payments in goods or even lives to settle disputes. Americans sometimes misunderstood these Tlingit laws.
Past Conflicts in Alaska
Before the Angoon Bombardment, there were other clashes between the US military and Tlingit groups:
- In 1869, the Kake War happened. US forces destroyed villages near Kake, Alaska. This was after Tlingit people acted in revenge for the deaths of two of their own.
- Also in 1869, the Wrangell Bombardment took place. The US Army attacked the Stikine village of Old Wrangell. This was after a Stikine man acted in revenge for his son's death.
In 1878, the North West Trading Company set up a trading post and fish processing plant. This was at Killisnoo, Alaska, which was close to Angoon.
What Led to the Attack on Angoon?
On October 22, 1882, an accident happened on a whaling ship. The ship was run by the Northwest Trading Company. A harpoon gun exploded, injuring several crew members. Sadly, a Tlingit spiritual leader named Til'tlein was killed.
The day after Til'tlein's death, the company superintendent reported to the Navy in Sitka. He claimed that people from Angoon had taken over the Killisnoo facilities. He also said they were holding two white employees. The Angoon people were demanding 200 blankets as payment for Til'tlein's death. This was part of their traditional way of seeking justice.
Different Stories About the Attack
There are different accounts of what happened at Angoon:
- In the late 1940s, an anthropologist named Frederica de Laguna heard the story from Billy Jones. He was 13 years old when the attack happened. According to Jones, the villagers had no warning. He said every building in Angoon was destroyed. Angoon elders believe Jones's story is the true one.
- Tlingit oral traditions (stories passed down by word of mouth) say there were no white hostages.
- In the 1970s, another anthropologist, Philip Drucker, studied the case. He noticed something odd in the official Navy documents. The Navy said rescuing captives was their main goal. But neither Commander Merriman nor another officer named Morris mentioned the rescue. Drucker found it strange that they didn't talk about what should have been the most important part of their mission.
The main Navy ship, the USS Adams, was too big for the shallow waters near Angoon. So, Commander Merriman used a company tugboat called Favorite. He also used the USRC Thomas Corwin, a US Revenue Cutter Service ship, commanded by Michael A. Healy. Merriman put a group of marines, a Gatling gun (an early machine gun), and a howitzer (a type of cannon) on board.
Merriman's force reached Angoon on October 25. The Tlingit people released the white hostages and any property they had taken. But Merriman then demanded 400 blankets from the Tlingit. He called this a "punishment and guarantee of future good behavior." He wanted the blankets by noon the next day. The villagers could only gather 81 blankets.
Both Billy Jones's story and official documents agree on what happened next. Merriman anchored his ship outside the lagoon. Then, he began to shell the town with his weapons. While the bombardment was happening, marines landed on shore. They destroyed the village houses, 40 canoes, and all the food supplies. Navy records say a few houses survived. However, Tlingit oral tradition says that every single building was destroyed. Most of the villagers escaped by fleeing. But six people died from breathing in smoke during the attack.
What Happened After the Bombardment?
An unknown number of Tlingit people died during the winter that followed. This was because they lost their homes and all their winter food supplies.
In 1884, the First Organic Act was passed. This law put Alaska under civilian control instead of military rule. During the discussions for this law, a politician named James Budd spoke about Commander Merriman's actions. He said Merriman acted like "a law unto himself" and shelled the village.
In 1973, the Indian Claims Commission gave the Angoon clans $90,000. This was to pay for the property destroyed in 1882. Federal law limited the payment to the value of the damage at the time. It did not include inflation or interest. The village of Angoon accepted this payment. They saw it as a quiet way for the government to admit the Navy was wrong. However, there has been no official apology from the US Navy. The Angoon Tlingit people continue to ask for one. In 1982, Alaska's Governor Jay Hammond declared the 100th anniversary of the event as "Tlingit Remembrance Day."
The Beaver Canoe
One important item that survived the attack was a canoe. It was away from the village at the time of the bombardment. This canoe was very important that winter. It was used for hunting, fishing, and gathering supplies. Many people who survived the attack might not have lived without it.
When the canoe could no longer be used, it was burned in a special ceremony. But the beaver carving from the front of the canoe was saved. It was kept as a reminder of what happened.
Around 1911, the beaver carving was lost. Then, in 2011, a group of Tlingit people visited the American Museum of Natural History. They found the carving in the museum's collection. There was very little information about how it got there. After it was found, the beaver carving was returned to Angoon.
See Also
