Pinhook Draw fight facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Pinhook Draw fight
The terrain near the battle site.
Date 15-16 June 1881 Location Near Moab, Utah, United States Result Ute victory
Belligerents
Civilian volunteers	Ute Native American Tribe
Strength
~35 civilian volunteers	~30-65 warriors
Casualties and losses
10 killed	probably 2 killed

The Pinhook Draw fight was a battle that happened on June 15-16, 1881. It took place near Moab, Utah. The fight was between a group of Ute and Paiute Native Americans and about 35 white settlers. These settlers were mostly cowboys and miners from Colorado and Utah.

The settlers were trying to get back livestock they believed the Utes had stolen. They were also trying to stop what they saw as problems caused by the Utes in the area. The settlers were chasing a Ute camp when the Utes surprised them in a place called Pinhook Draw. Ten white settlers were killed. It is believed that at least two Utes also died in the fight.

Why the Pinhook Draw Fight Happened

Long ago, the areas of southeastern Utah and southwestern Colorado were home to the Utes and some related Paiutes. These tribes were hunter-gatherers. This means they moved around with the seasons to find food and resources in the desert and mountains.

In 1868, several Ute groups signed a treaty with the United States. They gave up the eastern part of their lands. In return, they were given a large reservation in Colorado, about 16,500,000 acres (67,000 km²) (25,781 square miles).

Miners and Land Disputes

By the 1870s, miners started moving onto the Ute reservation. In 1873, a new agreement allowed mining on 3,700,000 acres (15,000 km²) (5,780 square miles) of their land in the San Juan Mountains. Even though the treaty said no permanent towns could be built there, white miners and ranchers quickly moved into the area.

In 1879, the Utes lost most of their remaining land in Colorado. This happened after an event called the Meeker Massacre. Also, the governor of Colorado, Frederick W. Pitkin, started a campaign called "The Ute must Go." After these events, much of the Ute land was taken. It was then opened for white settlers. The northern Ute groups were moved to a smaller reservation in Utah. Some southern Ute groups kept small reservations in Colorado. However, many Utes continued to live off the reservations in southeastern Utah. This area was mostly empty of white settlers until 1880.

Growing Tensions Between Groups

Relations between the miners, ranchers, and Utes in southwestern Colorado were very difficult. The Utes were accused of stealing horses and cattle. They were also accused of asking for food, robbing cabins, and making threats. In 1880, a newspaper in Dolores, Colorado even suggested that settlers should "pursue, kill the red-skinned devils."

The Utes, however, saw things differently. They felt that the white settlers had broken treaties. They believed their land, which they needed to survive, had been unfairly taken from them.

The Start of the Conflict

On May 1, 1881, a fight broke out near Dolores. A group of Utes killed two ranchers during a dispute. These Utes, mostly from the Ute tribe, took money, food, horses, and weapons from the ranchers. They then traveled to Dodge Springs, about 10 mi (16 km) south of Monticello, Utah. There, they met another group of Utes.

The two Ute groups together had about 90 people, including 30 men. Another estimate said there were 95 Utes, with 65 men. They stole horses and killed some livestock in this area.

The Settlers Form a Posse

Residents of Monticello quickly formed a group of 25 civilian men, called a posse. They followed the Utes' trail into the La Sal Mountains. Another posse of 65 men, mostly cowboys from Colorado, joined them. This larger group was also looking for Utes and stolen animals.

After a long and hard search, the combined posses found the Ute camp on June 12. It was near where Warner Lake is today in the La Sal Mountains. The leader chosen by the posse, Bill Dawson, planned to attack the Utes. However, many men had left the group during the chase. Others did not want to fight the Utes. So, Dawson's force was down to about three dozen men. The Ute leader, if they had one, was known as Mancos Jim.

The Battle at Pinhook Draw

On June 15, Dawson and his men attacked the Ute camp. The Utes quickly ran away. Dawson's group managed to capture a large number of Ute horses, estimated at 1,500. They also captured nine Ute women. Dawson left 13 men to guard the women and horses. He then continued to chase the Utes.

However, the women soon escaped. They took not only the Ute horses but also the cowboys' horses. The cowboys who were left behind had to walk all the way to Moab.

The Ambush

Dawson and his remaining men chased the Utes for about 5 mi (8.0 km) north. They went into a narrow canyon called Pinhook Draw. It was near the entrance of Castle Canyon. From higher ground, the Utes surprised the cowboys.

The exact details of the battle are unclear. However, a group of six cowboys who were ahead of the main force were killed that afternoon. That evening, Dawson's group got help from the 13 men who had walked to Moab. This gave him about two dozen men in total. Three of them were badly wounded. Dawson moved his men away under the cover of darkness. They went to Mason Spring, about 3 mi (4.8 km) south of Pinhook Draw. He did not know what had happened to his advance group.

Finding the Missing Men

The next morning, ten men from Moab joined Dawson. He then went back to Pinhook Draw to find his missing advance party. The Utes attacked the cowboys again. The cowboys had to retreat back to Mason Spring. Dawson sent a man to Rico, Colorado to ask for more help.

On June 24, two dozen men arrived from Rico. By then, the battle was long over. The Utes had already moved on, heading back towards Colorado. The three wounded men were sent to Moab for medical care. On June 20, Dawson and his men returned to Pinhook Draw. They found the bodies of the men from the advance party. In total, ten cowboys had died. Later, a search found the bodies of a Ute woman and man. They had been killed by the cowboys during the battle. One report later said that Mancos Jim claimed 22 Utes had been killed in the fight.

What Happened After the Fight

On their way home, the cowboys met four groups of African-American soldiers. These soldiers were known as buffalo soldiers, and there were about 190 of them. They were led by Captain Henry Carroll, who was an experienced fighter against Native American tribes.

Carroll did not want civilians getting involved in Native American affairs. He even threatened to arrest the cowboys. One story says that there was a tense moment between the soldiers and cowboys. But it was resolved when two cowboys agreed to guide the soldiers on the Utes' trail. The soldiers' search for the Utes was not successful. However, two Utes were later arrested on the Ute Reservation in Colorado. They were sent to prison for their part in the battle. Several Utes who were in the fight, like Mancos Jim, Polk, and Posey, became well-known figures in southeastern Utah for many years after this event.