Battle of Williams Station
Encyclopedia
The Battle of Williams Station was a minor skirmish during the Pyramid Lake War of 1860. The fight took place following the defeat of Major William Ormsby at the First Battle of Pyramid Lake
as U.S. Volunteers entered the war.
.
Instead of waiting for Stewart's regulars, Hays marched his command out of Carson City toward the location of the initial Indian attack at Williams Station. Hays encountered 150 Paiute warriors at the station and a brief skirmish ensued. Two soldiers and six Paiutes where killed. The warriors withdrew toward Pyramid Lake and defeated Ormsby in the Second Battle of Pyramid Lake
.
station kept by James O. Sullivan along the Carson River
between stations 149 (in the Carson Sink
) and 151 (Hooten Wells Station). The ruins were inundated by the Lahontan Reservoir
created by the 1911 Lahontan Dam
and were visible during a 1992 drought.
First Battle of Pyramid Lake
The First Battle of Pyramid Lake took placed in 1860 as one of the opening engagements of the Paiute War.-Background:In April 1860 Paiute leaders held a council to decide a course of action over the increased settler traffic along the California Trail and Pony Express. Chief Winnemucca tried to...
as U.S. Volunteers entered the war.
Battle
When Major William Ormsby's vigilante command was routed at Pyramid Lake, settlers in the area sent calls for help to California. John C. Hays responded to the call and arrived in Carson City to organize a volunteer regiment. Hays organized over 500 men from Carson City, Virginia City, Genoa and other communities into the "Washoe Regiment". U.S. Regular soldiers from Fort Alcatraz where en route to the region under Captain Joseph StewartJoseph Stewart (Alaska)
Joseph Stewart was an officer in the United States Army notable for serving as commander of Fort Alcatraz, Fort Churchill and the Department of Alaska. His name is occasionally seen as Jasper Stewart.-Early life:...
.
Instead of waiting for Stewart's regulars, Hays marched his command out of Carson City toward the location of the initial Indian attack at Williams Station. Hays encountered 150 Paiute warriors at the station and a brief skirmish ensued. Two soldiers and six Paiutes where killed. The warriors withdrew toward Pyramid Lake and defeated Ormsby in the Second Battle of Pyramid Lake
Second Battle of Pyramid Lake
The Second Battle of Pyramid Lake took place in response to the U.S. defeat at the First Battle of Pyramid Lake. A well-organized force of militia and regulars, under the capable leadership of famed Texas Ranger Col. John C. “Jack” Hays, defeated the Paiute warriors under Chief Numaga...
.
Williams Station
Williams Station was a Pony ExpressPony Express
The Pony Express was a fast mail service crossing the Great Plains, the Rocky Mountains, and the High Sierra from St. Joseph, Missouri, to Sacramento, California, from April 3, 1860 to October 1861...
station kept by James O. Sullivan along the Carson River
Carson River
The Carson River is a northwestern Nevada river that empties into the Carson Sink, an endorheic basin. The main stem of the river is long....
between stations 149 (in the Carson Sink
Carson Sink
Carson Sink is a playa in the northeastern portion of the Carson Desert that was formerly the terminus of the Carson River. The sink is currently fed by drainage canals of the Truckee-Carson Irrigation District...
) and 151 (Hooten Wells Station). The ruins were inundated by the Lahontan Reservoir
Lake Lahontan (reservoir)
Modern Lake Lahontan is a reservoir on the Carson River in northwest Nevada in the United States. It is formed by the Lahontan Dam and is located between Fallon, Nevada and Carson City, Nevada. The flows from the Carson River is augmented by diversions from the Truckee River...
created by the 1911 Lahontan Dam
Lahontan Dam
The Lahontan Dam is a dam situated on the Carson River in the Carson Desert between Carson City, Nevada and Fallon, Nevada in the United States. Its impoundment is known as the Lahontan Reservoir or Lake Lahontan. It is currently operated by the Truckee-Carson Irrigation District.The Lahontan...
and were visible during a 1992 drought.