Battle of Kelley Creek

Battle of Kelley Creek
Part of the American Indian Wars

The posse of J.P. Donnelley.
DateFebruary 25, 1911
Location41°15′54″N 117°05′42″W / 41.2649003°N 117.0951145°W / 41.2649003; -117.0951145[1]
Result United States victory
Belligerents
 United States Daggett's Shoshone band
Commanders and leaders
J. P. Donnelley Mike Daggett
Casualties and losses
1 killed 8 killed, including 2 children
4* surviving children captured and arrested
  • 3 of the captured children died within the three following years due to illness
Battle of Kelley Creek is located in Nevada
Battle of Kelley Creek
Location of Kelley Creek, Nevada
Battle of Kelley Creek is located in the United States
Battle of Kelley Creek
Battle of Kelley Creek (the United States)
Signature of J. P. Donnelley. Leader of the posse involved in the Battle of Kelley Creek. The signature is taken from a registered mail signing book from Carson City, NV - 1812 - 1813. In the private collection of H. Blair Howell.

The Battle of Kelley Creek, also known as the Last Massacre, is often considered to be one of the last known massacres carried out between Native Americans and forces of the United States, and was a closing event to occur near the end of the American Indian warfare era.[2] In January 1911 a small band of Shoshones[3] were accused of rustling cattle and then killing four stockmen who went to investigate the dead cattle. A posse of policemen and citizens was sent to track the band, who were found encamped near Winnemucca, Nevada, in a region known as Kelley Creek. A largely one-sided battle ensued on February 25 that ended with the direct deaths of nine people, eight Daggetts and one posse member. At the time the affair was briefly characterized as a Native American revolt, though it is now mostly regarded as a family's attempted escape from law enforcement.[4]

  1. ^ "Kelly Creek (historical), alternate name: Kelley Creek". Geographic Names Information System. United States Geological Survey, United States Department of the Interior.
  2. ^ Mullen Jr., Frank X. (February 19, 2011). "Shoshone Mike: New theories emerge 100 years after 'last massacre' (part 1)". Reno Gazette-Journal. Retrieved April 22, 2020.
  3. ^ Bergon, Frank (December 1, 1987). "Shaping the Past: The search for Shoshone Mike". Vassar Quarterly. LXXXIV (1): 16–19. Retrieved April 27, 2021.
  4. ^ Dorr, Susanna. "Last Indian Uprising?". www.gbcnv.edu. Retrieved 2018-05-30.