Sitgreaves Expedition
Encyclopedia
The Sitgreaves Expedition was a combined American
scientific
and military
mission to explore the Zuni River
, the Little Colorado River
and the Colorado River
in 1851. Setting out from northern New Mexico
, the expedition traveled west across Arizona
and then south along the Colorado to Fort Yuma
in California
. Mohave native American
s attacked the explorers during their trek across the desert and in a short battle the natives were repulsed.
of 1848, topographers
, naturalist
s and other enthusiasts had wanted to explore two of the largest rivers in the newly acquired lands so in 1850, an expedition was organized for that purpose. United States Army
commanders were also interested in the area as tension with the Mormon
s was high and war
was expected. Specifically the expedition was sent to map the riverways and determine if they could be navigated by river steamers. Before the establishing of railroads across the Old West, the frontier's riverways were seen and used as a valuable means of transportation. Captain Lorenzo Sitgreaves, of the Corps of Engineers
, was appointed commander and with fifty infantry
men, some porters
and the small group of enthusiasts, they headed west from the Zuni Pueblo
in September 1851 for the Zuni River. Passing through the Petrified Forest
, the party reached the Zuni and followed it southwest to its mouth at the confluence with the Little Colorado just north of present day Woodruff, Arizona
.
At the Little Colorado the Americans proceeded northwest until having to detour around a canyon in which the river flowed through. It was during this detour that the Americans discovered the Wupatki Ruins
before making a prolonged turn around the south side of the Bill Williams Mountain. When they reached what was later named Union Pass
, near Bullhead City
, the party found the Colorado. The expedition up to this point was pleasant, the topographers made their maps, the artists drew several pictures of fauna
and landscape
s and the military men focused on keeping the enthusiasts from staying at one place for too long. After making it only a short distance south down the Colorado, Captain Sitgreaves' men reported signs of natives in the area and soon after they were met by the Mohave at their camp. Initially peaceful, the Mohaves invited the Americans to a pow wow
where the two groups exchanged gifts and engaged in conversation.
Sitgreaves reported that the natives brought many different types of fruits and vegetables which suggested that they were interested in developing trade relations. But the friendliness of the Mohave soon wore off when on one October night, the Americans were growing restless after a long visit from the natives at their camp that they asked them to leave. This upset some of the Mohave women who protested and the next morning several arrow
s were fired into the camp. One wounded the expedition's doctor in the leg but with his medical experience he was capable of preventing serious harm. Sitgreaves decided it was best to break camp and the Mohave let him without further confrontation. On or about October 22, the Americans reached a friendly Mohave village and learned from a Spanish speaking native that Fort Yuma and the mouth of the Gila River
, which connects with the Colorado, was only eight days distant. Again the Americans gave the Mohave elders gifts but they remained on alert, fearing an incident similar to the last.
The next day as the Americans moved on, one soldier was lagging behind and attacked by about fifty-five warriors armed with bow
s and covered in stripes. He was killed and the warriors moved forward to attack Sitgreaves' column. When the captain realized he was under attack, skirmishers were deployed and in a short engagement, four Mohaves were killed and some others wounded. The only American casualty was the first soldier who was relieved of his musketoon
when the Mohave retreated. From there the expedition continued on for another week or so until reaching the war zone
of Fort Yuma on November 30, 1851, after nearly starving to death and after losing most of their equipment. At the fort Sitgreaves discovered that the outpost was badly in need of provisions also and as a result, the party had to cook and eat all of their mules before making it to San Diego.
s began sailing the Colorado.
Captain Sitgreaves made a thorough account of the expedition in his 1854 book Report of an Expedition Down the Zuni and Colorado Rivers.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
scientific
Science
Science is a systematic enterprise that builds and organizes knowledge in the form of testable explanations and predictions about the universe...
and military
Military
A military is an organization authorized by its greater society to use lethal force, usually including use of weapons, in defending its country by combating actual or perceived threats. The military may have additional functions of use to its greater society, such as advancing a political agenda e.g...
mission to explore the Zuni River
Zuni River
The Zuni River, a tributary of the Little Colorado River, has its origin in Cibola County, New Mexico, at the Continental Divide, flowing generally in a southwesterly direction through the Zuni Indian Reservation to join the Little Colorado River in eastern Arizona...
, the Little Colorado River
Little Colorado River
The Little Colorado River is a river in the U.S. state of Arizona, providing the principal drainage from the Painted Desert region. Together with its major tributary, the Puerco River, it drains an area of about in eastern Arizona and western New Mexico...
and the Colorado River
Colorado River
The Colorado River , is a river in the Southwestern United States and northwestern Mexico, approximately long, draining a part of the arid regions on the western slope of the Rocky Mountains. The watershed of the Colorado River covers in parts of seven U.S. states and two Mexican states...
in 1851. Setting out from northern New Mexico
New Mexico
New Mexico is a state located in the southwest and western regions of the United States. New Mexico is also usually considered one of the Mountain States. With a population density of 16 per square mile, New Mexico is the sixth-most sparsely inhabited U.S...
, the expedition traveled west across Arizona
Arizona
Arizona ; is a state located in the southwestern region of the United States. It is also part of the western United States and the mountain west. The capital and largest city is Phoenix...
and then south along the Colorado to Fort Yuma
Fort Yuma
Fort Yuma is a fort in California that is located in Imperial County, across the Colorado River from Yuma, Arizona. It was on the Butterfield Overland Mail route from 1858 until 1861 and was abandoned May 16, 1883, and transferred to the Department of the Interior. The Fort Yuma Indian School and a...
in California
California
California is a state located on the West Coast of the United States. It is by far the most populous U.S. state, and the third-largest by land area...
. Mohave native American
Indigenous peoples of the Americas
The indigenous peoples of the Americas are the pre-Columbian inhabitants of North and South America, their descendants and other ethnic groups who are identified with those peoples. Indigenous peoples are known in Canada as Aboriginal peoples, and in the United States as Native Americans...
s attacked the explorers during their trek across the desert and in a short battle the natives were repulsed.
Expedition
Since the Mexican CessionMexican Cession
The Mexican Cession of 1848 is a historical name in the United States for the region of the present day southwestern United States that Mexico ceded to the U.S...
of 1848, topographers
Topography
Topography is the study of Earth's surface shape and features or those ofplanets, moons, and asteroids...
, naturalist
Naturalist
Naturalist may refer to:* Practitioner of natural history* Conservationist* Advocate of naturalism * Naturalist , autobiography-See also:* The American Naturalist, periodical* Naturalism...
s and other enthusiasts had wanted to explore two of the largest rivers in the newly acquired lands so in 1850, an expedition was organized for that purpose. United States Army
United States Army
The United States Army is the main branch of the United States Armed Forces responsible for land-based military operations. It is the largest and oldest established branch of the U.S. military, and is one of seven U.S. uniformed services...
commanders were also interested in the area as tension with the Mormon
Mormon
The term Mormon most commonly denotes an adherent, practitioner, follower, or constituent of Mormonism, which is the largest branch of the Latter Day Saint movement in restorationist Christianity...
s was high and war
Utah War
The Utah War, also known as the Utah Expedition, Buchanan's Blunder, the Mormon War, or the Mormon Rebellion was an armed confrontation between LDS settlers in the Utah Territory and the armed forces of the United States government. The confrontation lasted from May 1857 until July 1858...
was expected. Specifically the expedition was sent to map the riverways and determine if they could be navigated by river steamers. Before the establishing of railroads across the Old West, the frontier's riverways were seen and used as a valuable means of transportation. Captain Lorenzo Sitgreaves, of the Corps of Engineers
United States Army Corps of Engineers
The United States Army Corps of Engineers is a federal agency and a major Army command made up of some 38,000 civilian and military personnel, making it the world's largest public engineering, design and construction management agency...
, was appointed commander and with fifty infantry
Infantry
Infantrymen are soldiers who are specifically trained for the role of fighting on foot to engage the enemy face to face and have historically borne the brunt of the casualties of combat in wars. As the oldest branch of combat arms, they are the backbone of armies...
men, some porters
Porter (carrier)
A porter, also called a bearer, is a person who shifts objects for others.-Historical meaning:Human adaptability and flexibility early led to the use of humans for shifting gear...
and the small group of enthusiasts, they headed west from the Zuni Pueblo
Zuni Pueblo, New Mexico
Zuni Pueblo is a census-designated place in McKinley County, New Mexico, United States. The population was 6,367 at the 2000 census...
in September 1851 for the Zuni River. Passing through the Petrified Forest
Petrified Forest National Park
Petrified Forest National Park is a United States national park in Navajo and Apache counties in northeastern Arizona. The park's headquarters are about east of Holbrook along Interstate 40 , which parallels a railroad line, the Puerco River, and historic U.S. Route 66, all crossing the park...
, the party reached the Zuni and followed it southwest to its mouth at the confluence with the Little Colorado just north of present day Woodruff, Arizona
Woodruff, Arizona
Woodruff is an unincorporated community in Navajo County, Arizona, United States. Woodruff is southeast of Holbrook. Woodruff has a post office with ZIP code 85942....
.
Wupatki National Monument
The Wupatki National Monument is a National Monument located in north-central Arizona, near Flagstaff. Rich in Native American ruins, the monument is administered by the National Park Service in close conjunction with the nearby Sunset Crater Volcano National Monument.Wupatki was listed on the...
before making a prolonged turn around the south side of the Bill Williams Mountain. When they reached what was later named Union Pass
Union Pass
Union Pass is a high mountain pass in the Wind River Range of western Wyoming in the United States. The pass is located on the Continental Divide between the Gros Ventre mountains on the west and the Wind River Range on the east. The pass was historically used by Native Americans and early...
, near Bullhead City
Bullhead City, Arizona
Bullhead City is a city located on the Colorado River in Mohave County, Arizona, USA, roughly south of Las Vegas, Nevada, and directly across the Colorado River from Laughlin, Nevada, whose casinos and ancillary services supply much of the employment for Bullhead City...
, the party found the Colorado. The expedition up to this point was pleasant, the topographers made their maps, the artists drew several pictures of fauna
Fauna
Fauna or faunæ is all of the animal life of any particular region or time. The corresponding term for plants is flora.Zoologists and paleontologists use fauna to refer to a typical collection of animals found in a specific time or place, e.g. the "Sonoran Desert fauna" or the "Burgess shale fauna"...
and landscape
Landscape
Landscape comprises the visible features of an area of land, including the physical elements of landforms such as mountains, hills, water bodies such as rivers, lakes, ponds and the sea, living elements of land cover including indigenous vegetation, human elements including different forms of...
s and the military men focused on keeping the enthusiasts from staying at one place for too long. After making it only a short distance south down the Colorado, Captain Sitgreaves' men reported signs of natives in the area and soon after they were met by the Mohave at their camp. Initially peaceful, the Mohaves invited the Americans to a pow wow
Pow woW
Pow woW is French musical group. Their biggest hit was "Le Chat" in 1992. Their next single was the French version of song "The Lion Sleeps Tonight", titled "Le lion est mort ce soir".- Albums :* Regagner les plaines...
where the two groups exchanged gifts and engaged in conversation.
Sitgreaves reported that the natives brought many different types of fruits and vegetables which suggested that they were interested in developing trade relations. But the friendliness of the Mohave soon wore off when on one October night, the Americans were growing restless after a long visit from the natives at their camp that they asked them to leave. This upset some of the Mohave women who protested and the next morning several arrow
Arrow
An arrow is a shafted projectile that is shot with a bow. It predates recorded history and is common to most cultures.An arrow usually consists of a shaft with an arrowhead attached to the front end, with fletchings and a nock at the other.- History:...
s were fired into the camp. One wounded the expedition's doctor in the leg but with his medical experience he was capable of preventing serious harm. Sitgreaves decided it was best to break camp and the Mohave let him without further confrontation. On or about October 22, the Americans reached a friendly Mohave village and learned from a Spanish speaking native that Fort Yuma and the mouth of the Gila River
Gila River
The Gila River is a tributary of the Colorado River, 650 miles long, in the southwestern states of New Mexico and Arizona.-Description:...
, which connects with the Colorado, was only eight days distant. Again the Americans gave the Mohave elders gifts but they remained on alert, fearing an incident similar to the last.
The next day as the Americans moved on, one soldier was lagging behind and attacked by about fifty-five warriors armed with bow
Bow
Bow may refer to:* Bow , an archery weapon that uses elasticity to propel arrows* Bowing , to lower the head or the upper body* Bow , the foremost point of the hull of a ship or boat...
s and covered in stripes. He was killed and the warriors moved forward to attack Sitgreaves' column. When the captain realized he was under attack, skirmishers were deployed and in a short engagement, four Mohaves were killed and some others wounded. The only American casualty was the first soldier who was relieved of his musketoon
Musketoon
The musketoon is a shorter barrelled version of the musket, and served in the roles of a shotgun or carbine. Musketoons could be of the same caliber as the issue musket, or of a much larger caliber, 1.0-2.5 inches . The musketoon is most commonly associated with naval use, and pirates in...
when the Mohave retreated. From there the expedition continued on for another week or so until reaching the war zone
Yuma War
The Yuma War was the name given to a series of United States military operations conducted in southern California and what is today southwestern Arizona from 1850 to 1853. The Yumans were the primary opponent of the United States Army, though engagements were fought between the Americans and other...
of Fort Yuma on November 30, 1851, after nearly starving to death and after losing most of their equipment. At the fort Sitgreaves discovered that the outpost was badly in need of provisions also and as a result, the party had to cook and eat all of their mules before making it to San Diego.
Aftermath
Despite a treacherous journey, the mission was technically a success, the Zuni, the Little Colorado and the Big Colorado were mapped and this intelligence provided westward bound settlers with a possible avenue for emigration. The rivers were found to be fully navigable and from then on a growing number of river steamers and schoonerSchooner
A schooner is a type of sailing vessel characterized by the use of fore-and-aft sails on two or more masts with the forward mast being no taller than the rear masts....
s began sailing the Colorado.
Captain Sitgreaves made a thorough account of the expedition in his 1854 book Report of an Expedition Down the Zuni and Colorado Rivers.