Cayuse War

Murder of Rev. Dr. Whitman

The Dalles Methodist Mission.png

The Cayuse War was an armed conflict that took place from 1847 to 1855 in the Oregon Country, which is now part of the United States states of Oregon and Washington. The war was fought between the Cayuse people and the United States government, along with local settlers.

Background

The conflict began after the Whitman Massacre in November 1847, when Dr. Marcus Whitman and his wife Narcissa Whitman were killed by members of the Cayuse tribe. The Whitmans were missionaries who had established the Whitman Mission near present-day Walla Walla, Washington. The Cayuse blamed the Whitmans for a measles epidemic that had devastated their population, as the disease had been brought by settlers traveling along the Oregon Trail.

Conflict

Following the massacre, settlers in the region called for retribution, leading to the formation of a volunteer militia. The Oregon Provisional Government organized a military response, and the conflict escalated into a series of battles and skirmishes. The Cayuse were joined by some members of the Umatilla and Walla Walla tribes, while the settlers received support from the United States Army.

Major Battles

Several significant battles occurred during the Cayuse War, including:

• The Battle of Sand Hollows in 1848
• The Battle of the Touchet River in 1850

Resolution

The war gradually came to an end as the Cayuse were overwhelmed by the superior numbers and resources of the settlers and the U.S. military. In 1850, five Cayuse men were captured and tried for the murder of the Whitmans. They were found guilty and executed, which effectively ended organized resistance by the Cayuse.

Aftermath

The Cayuse War had lasting effects on the region. The conflict contributed to the establishment of the Oregon Territory in 1848 and influenced subsequent treaties and policies regarding Native American tribes in the Pacific Northwest. The Cayuse people were eventually forced onto a reservation, where they joined with the Umatilla and Walla Walla tribes to form the Confederated Tribes of the Umatilla Indian Reservation.

See Also

• Whitman Massacre
• Oregon Trail
• Oregon Provisional Government
• Confederated Tribes of the Umatilla Indian Reservation

Further Reading

• History of Oregon
• Indian Wars

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