The Bear River Massacre: The History and Legacy of the U.S. Army's Most Notorious Attack on the Shoshone in the Pacific Northwest

From the Trail of Tears to Wounded Knee and Little Bighorn, the narrative of American history is incomplete without the inclusion of the Native Americans that lived on the continent before European settlers arrived in the 16th and 17th centuries. Since the first contact between natives and settlers, tribes like the Sioux, Cherokee, and Navajo have both fascinated and perplexed outsiders with their history, language, and culture. 

The Shoshone are still remembered for their assistance, especially Sacagawea, and they maintained contact with Americans throughout the 19th century, but unfortunately, the cooperation gave way to conflict as white settlers began to move westward and enter onto lands occupied by the Shoshone. In 1862, California officials sent the Third California Volunteer Infantry under the command of Colonel Patrick Connor to construct a fort (Fort Douglas) in the foothills of the Wasatch Mountains above Salt Lake City, in an effort to keep lines of communication open so pioneers would not be hesitant about settling in the region. Meanwhile, Shoshone Chief Bear Hunter (Wirasuap) led his band on raids against mining camps and Mormon settlements.