Deadliest Indian War in the West: The Snake Conflict, 1864-1868 | Gregory Michno

Deadliest Indian War in the West: The Snake Conflict, 1864-1868 | Gregory Michno | For the Serious Indian Wars Student: Unlike The Plains Wars, The Snake Conflict Contains a Long Series of Small Battles

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Deadliest Indian W...

	Deadliest Indian War in the West: The Snake Conflict, 1864-1868 Gregory Michno Caxton Press, 2007 - 400 pages average customer review:based on 4 reviews view larger image
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The Snake War is one of the least known of the many clashes of culture that occurred in the American West during the 19th Century. People have long relished tales of the underdog and celebrated lost causes. We appreciate and praise those who have fought the good fight. The classic imagery of the Indian wars focuses on the war-bonneted horsemen of the Great Plains. Most Americans have heard of famous chiefs lide Sitting Bull, Red Cloud, Geronimo, Cochise, and Crazy Horse. Few have heard of Paulina, Weahwewa, Howluck or Ocheho, and to most people, Winnemucca is simply the name of a lonely stop on the Nevada Interstate. These were the men who led their people in a fight for survival in the Great Basin between the Rockies and the Sierras. Gregory Michno, author of several critically acclaimed books on America's Indian wars, gives readers the first comprehensive look at the natives, soldiers and settlers who clashed on the high desert of Idaho, Nevada, Utah, Oregon and Northern California in a struggle that, over a four-year period, claimed more lives than any other Western Indian war.

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Exposing a "Lost War"

There is no better historian of the Indian Wars writing today than Gregory Michno, and in his latest book he more than confirms that judgment. His previous books, which include Lakota Noon and The Mystery of E Troop (available on amazon) - hands down two of the best histories ever written of the Battle of the Little Bighorn - established Michno's credentials as a historian par excellence and master of narrative prose. Now, with The Deadliest Indian War in the West, he adds to that luster with a compelling and revealing account of a bitter struggle in America's Northwest that should be much better known. Michno's outstanding new book undoubtedly will help to fill that void and familiarize readers with a war that, in terms of loss of human life, was the Indian War's costliest, but which has "rarely gotten its page in history."

Michno, author of The Encyclopedia of Indian Wars (also available at amazon), is exactly the right historian to take on the task of presenting readers with the personalities, units, battles and skirmishes, and associated events of the all but forgotten Snake War that raged in areas of Oregon, California, Utah and Nevada from 1864 to 1868. His command of the subject and overall knowledge of America's Indian Wars is, well, encyclopedic, and Michno's superb narrative is propelled and enhanced by the fruits of his extensive research. It is history written by a master in command of his craft. Writing this account is, perhaps, more of a challenge than might at first appear. Chief among these is that the participants (aside from the celebrated Civil War and Indian War commander, George Crook) are virtually unknown to most of us today. Michno's narrative, therefore, cannot rely on the "star power" of Sitting Bull, Custer, Crazy Horse, MacKenzie, Chief Joseph, Sheridan, Cochise or Geronimo. Instead, Michno's cast is made up of relative unknowns: highly effective but unfairly overlooked "Indian fighters," like Col. George Wright; and the Native American leaders, Paulina, Weahwewa, Howluck, Ocheho, and Winnemucca. The Deadliest Indian War, however, succeeds superbly in meeting the challenge of providing these hidden heroes their "page in history."

Like its leaders, the U. S. Army lineup lacked the big names. Heralded outfits, like Custer's 7th Cavalry or the Buffalo Soldiers of the 10th are missing. Much of the Snake War's early combat was borne by California Volunteer Regiments. Michno points out that (when the all-Californian 8th U. S. Cavalry regiment is included) Californians not only inflicted fully one-fifth of all Native American casualties in the West's Indian Wars (over 2,500 in 287 fights), "in five years [the Californians] killed more Indians than any of the ten U. S. Cavalry regiments did in the forty years from 1850 to 1890."

"Snake" refers to several bands of Native Americans inhabiting the Great Basin and the Northwest's Columbia Plateau (principally Bannocks, Shoshonis and Paiutes). Michno speculates that one reason for the general lack of knowledge about the Snake War is that these tribes "were not taken seriously as warriors" (as were the Sioux and Apaches) and therefore have not been given their due as a formidable fighting force. Another reason that more attention has not been paid to the Snake War is that volunteers, not regulars, constituted most of the Army troops involved. When the Snake War broke out in 1864, most U. S. Army regulars had been sent East to fight the Civil War (by Spring, 1861, fewer than 700 regulars remained in the entire Northwest). However, lest readers mistakenly believe that this left a dangerous void, 18,000 volunteers (like the California regiments) rallied to the colors to back-fill the West's 5,000 pre-war regulars. With more troops available, fights with Native Americans increased while the volunteers were in service.

The war's casualty figures, however, belie the short shrift given to the fighters on both sides and provide a compelling justification for Michno's book. In total, 1,762 whites and Indians were either killed, wounded or captured in the Snake War's battles and skirmishes. That is nearly twice the number of casualties in the much more well-known and intensely studied "Great Sioux War" of 1876-77 (in which Custer met his end at the Little Bighorn). Michno writes that the true casualty count for the Snake War was even higher when the countless, small-scale Indian raids are added to the battle and skirmish totals, noting that, conservatively, "an additional ninety civilians killed, thirty wounded and sixty Indians killed or wounded" should be included.

Finally, in an observation that echoes in how today's headlines are produced, Michno points out that another major reason the Snake War is not better known is that few reporters covered the action, nor did "Indian Wars combat artists" like Remington, Schreyvogel or Russell produce colorful, dramatic images as they did for the fights against the Plains Indians. It seems that, 140 years ago, editors were deciding what was "newsworthy" for the public -- and even in those days could miss a great story. Michno's outstanding new book finally tells that "great story."

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For the Serious Indian Wars Student: Unlike The Plains Wars, The Snake Conflict Contains a Long Series of Small Battles

Michno puts a tremendous effort into his book on the Snake campaign that is totally unlike the Great Plains campaigns that generally consisted of relatively large armies in the field by post Civil War standards. In the Snake Conflict, small diverse tribes, (Shoshones, Paiutes etc.) resist the burdensome intrusion of whites into their land that contains few resources due to the climate and terrain. However, these bands rarely reach over 100 and in contrast to the plains wars; small troops of companies typically ranging from 40 or not much more go out in the field across wide landscapes in search of offending Indians. Along with the troops are occasional forays or alliances with civilians that take the initiative to fight the Indians. The Snake tribes are very effective in eluding and defending their line and due to the numerous small tribes; it is impressive when the commanders in the field can distinguish the various tribes. Michno did a tremendous amount of research to locate the battle sites and he personally took a myriad of pictures of the various sites that sprinkled throughout. The book contains 5 large maps in front that require constant reference and smaller battle maps within the text to accompany key battles. This book is more for the serious student of the American Indian Wars, the less inclined may find the book too detailed for their taste.

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An impressively seminal work

The history of the American West is a history of conflict between encroaching whites and defending Native Americans. One of the least known of these violent and bloody wars was a four year confrontation known as the Snake Conflict and took place between 1864 and 1868. Now western historian Gregory Michno has written a definitive history of a lethal and extended fight led by the Winnemucca tribe against the overwhelming forces of the Union Army. Enhanced with maps, an appendix, and a bibliography, Gregory Michno's "The Deadliest Indian War In The West: The Snake Conflict, 1864-1868" is a model of informative research and an impressively seminal work that is especially recommended reading, as well as an essential, core addition to academic and community library Native American Studies and 19th Century American History reference collections.

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Deadliest Indian War

I found this a great book full of information about the war the Snake (Bannock) Indians waged for their homeland. I find it interesting that they were so successful in their war agaist the white people invading thier land, yet their war was such that it was little known. I even found a great-great grandfather for one of my cousins. This I found very interesting as the grandfather settled in the Camas Prairie of southern Idaho, the site that much of the Idaho era of the war covered.
Norma Dart

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