Navajo Scouts

Navajo Scouts
Navajo scouts and a cavalryman at Fort Wingate, c.1890.
Active	1873 - 1895
Country	United States of America
Branch	United States Army
Type	Indian scouts
Engagements	Chiricahua Wars Navajo Wars Victorio's War Geronimo's War
Commanders
Notable commanders	George Crook Nelson A. Miles

The Navajo Scouts were part of the United States Army Indian Scouts between 1873 and 1895.^[1] Generally, the scouts were signed up at Fort Wingate for six month enlistments. In the period 1873 to 1885, there were usually ten to twenty-five scouts attached to units. United States Army records indicated that in the Geronimo Campaign of 1886, there were about 150 Navajo scouts, divided into three companies, who were part of the 5,000 man force General Nelson A. Miles put in the field. In 1891 they were enlisted for three years. The Navajos employed as scouts were merged into regular units of the army in 1895. At least one person served almost continuously for over twenty-five years.