Battle of Kelley Creek facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Battle of Kelley Creek |
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| Part of the American Indian Wars | |||||||
 The posse of J.P. Donnelley. |
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| Belligerents | |||||||
 United States |
Daggett's Shoshone band | ||||||
| Commanders and leaders | |||||||
 J. P. Donnelley |
Mike Daggett | ||||||
| Casualties and losses | |||||||
| 1 killed | 8 killed, including 2 children 4* surviving children captured and arrested |
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The Battle of Kelley Creek, also known as the Last Massacre, was one of the final conflicts between Native Americans and forces of the United States. It marked a closing event near the end of the American Indian Wars. In January 1911, a small group of Shoshone people were accused of taking cattle and then causing the deaths of four stockmen who went to investigate.
A group of policemen and citizens, called a posse, was sent to find the Shoshone group. They were found camped near Winnemucca, Nevada, in an area called Kelley Creek. A battle happened on February 25, 1911. It ended with the deaths of nine people: eight from the Shoshone group and one posse member. At the time, some people thought it was a Native American revolt. Today, it is mostly seen as a family's attempt to escape from law enforcement.
Contents
Background to the Conflict
Mike Daggett, also known as Shoshone Mike, was the leader of a small Shoshone group. In the spring of 1910, he led his group of eleven people away from the Fort Hall Indian Reservation in Idaho. Most of the group were Mike's family members, including three women and four or five children.
They traveled south into northern Nevada. Mike's son, Dugan, was badly hurt by cattle thieves. In response, the group caused the death of Frank Dopp in May 1910. His remains were found two months later.
The Daggett group felt they would not get fair treatment from white settlers. So, they traveled west to Oroville, California, before returning to Nevada. They spent the winter at Little High Rock Canyon in northern Washoe County.
Events in January 1911
By January 1911, the Daggett group was low on food. They took some cattle from a local rancher for food. A Basque sheepherder named Bert Indiano saw this happen. He was driven away by the Shoshone group. He then told people in Surprise Valley, California.
A posse of three men was sent to investigate and protect the ranch. These men were Harry Cambron, Peter Erramouspe, and John Laxague. They planned to meet the sheepherder at the ranch.
A day or two before the four stockmen arrived, the Shoshone group had taken items from a Chinese man's camp. They later met this man and a conflict occurred, resulting in his death. His body was then buried. When the posse of four men arrived, they met Mike Daggett and two of his sons. The Shoshone group seemed to be waiting for them.
The Last Massacre Incident
The Daggetts likely knew the stockmen were coming to find them. On January 19, when the posse entered the canyon, the Shoshone group opened fire. They used rifles and pistols, and all four stockmen were killed. These men were Harry Cambron, Bert Indiano, Peter Erramouspe, and John Laxague.
On February 8, a search party from Eagleville, California, found the bodies. When news of the deaths spread, many people in nearby towns felt unsafe. Some temporarily left the area. Those who stayed remained armed and alert.
At first, people thought an outlaw gang from Oregon or a group of Modocs were responsible. The Nevada State Police and California State Police formed a posse. It was led by Captain J.P. Donnelley. Their goal was to find the suspects, who had decided to flee towards the Duck Valley Indian Reservation. Other posses were also formed, but only Donnelley's group found the Daggetts. A large cash reward was offered for anyone who could capture or kill the fugitives.
The Battle at Kelley Creek
Donnelley's posse included at least five policemen, some armed citizens, and the "county coroner and physician." They stopped in Little High Rock Canyon on February 13. Despite very cold and snowy weather, they continued their search.
After traveling over 200 miles, on February 25, the posse found Daggett and his family. They were hiding in an area called Kelley Creek, northeast of Winnemucca. It is not clear who fired first, but a battle began. It lasted for about three hours. Reports say the women fought alongside the men.
Mike Daggett, the father and chief, was one of the first to die in the battle. His death made his family members fight even more desperately. They were slowly forced back. At some point, the remaining Daggetts ran out of bullets for their guns. They had to use bows, spears, and tomahawks.
By the end of the battle, only four of the original twelve Daggett family members were still alive. These were a sixteen-year-old girl and three young children. They were taken into police care. One member of Donnelley's posse, Deputy Ed Hogle, was killed during the fight. Two other young Daggett children were also reported to have been accidentally shot.
After the battle, the posse found items that linked the Daggetts to the deaths in Little High Rock Canyon. Besides Mike's war bonnet, they found guns and a watch that belonged to Harry Cambron. Harry's brother, Ben Cambron, identified them.
The bodies of the Shoshone people were taken by wagon to Golconda, Nevada. They were buried in a mass grave. A tall pole was placed there as a grave marker. Years later, when the land was given to the Museum of National History, the site was explored. Some remains were found. Eventually, these remains were given to the Smithsonian Institution. In 1994, the remains were returned to the Fort Hall Idaho Shoshone-Bannock Tribe.
In 1911, the remains of Deputy Ed Hogle were returned to Eagleville, where he was buried. Sheriff Charles Ferrell, who was in charge of the investigation (but not at the battle), returned to Reno on March 2. He brought the four surviving children with him. They said that the man was indeed Shoshone Mike, but their mother was Bannock.
The four children were informally adopted by people in Reno. In May 1911, they were enrolled in the Stewart Indian School near Carson City, Nevada. By 1913, three of the children had died from natural causes. Only one survivor, Mary Jo Estep, was left alive. She passed away in 1992.
The reward offered for catching or killing the Daggett group was first denied to the posse by Governor Tasker Oddie. This was because state policemen were involved. However, the Supreme Court of Nevada later ruled in favor of the posse in 1915.
A marker was placed near the battle site. The Twin Creeks gold mine is located just east of this marker.
Images for kids
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Site of Deserted Indian Camp February 8,1911
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Site of Deserted Indian Camp where bodies of Stockmen were found at lower right 1911
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Posse leaving Eagleville California in Snowstorm February 9. 1911
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Posse starting on the Trail February 9, 1911
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Shoshone Mike's war bonnet, found at Kelley Creek on February 25, 1911.
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Sheriff Charles Ferrel with the surviving members of Mike Daggett's family. ( Dagget's daughter Heney (Louise, 17), and two of his grandchildren, Hattie (Harriet Mosho, 4)) (left) and Cleveland (Mosho, 8), (right)
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Daggett grandchild Mary Jo Estep {1909/1910-1992} age 5 in 1916
See also
In Spanish: Batalla de Kelley Creek para niños
