Talk:Battle of Mud Lake

Possible Updates

There are some updates that could be made to this page, I'll line them out below

Battle of Mud Lake vs. Skirmish, Mud Lake.

I'd like to see a reference for "Battle of Mud Lake".

For "Skirmish, Mud Lake, Nevada," I found

• Philip D. Smith, "The Sagebrush Soldiers: Nevada's Volunteers in the Civil War," Nevada Historical Society Quarterly, Volume V, Nos. 3-4, 1962. An account of the "Expedition to Pyramid Lake", also know as "Skirmish, Mud Lake, Nevada".
• "A compendium of the War of the Rebellion, Volume 1," (1908), p 987 "Skirmish, Mud Lake"
• "United States Congressional serial set," (1901), p. 682 "Mud Lake, Nev., Skirmish"
• Wells' 1865 report (see below) uses the word "Skirmish".

For "Battle of Mud Lake," I found:

• "The Union Army: Cyclopedia of battles," (1908) states: "Mud Lake Nev March 14 1865 Detachment of 1st Nevada Cavalry Twenty nine men of the 1st Nev and 2 citizens under Capt AB Wells surrounded at daylight the camp of a band of Indians wanted for stealing cattle The Indians attempted to cut their way out but before the fight was over they had lost 29 killed and only 1 managed to escape Several of the attacking party were slightly wounded."
  • This is listed in a book about battles, does that make it a battle?
• Gregory Michno, "Encyclopedia of Indian Wars: Western Battles and Skirmishes, 1850-1890,", (2003).
  • The index says on p. 431 "Mud Lake (Battle)"
  • p. 168 uses the word "battle"
  • Unfortunately, Michno's citation ("390") is not included in the Google preview, but it is probably Wells' report to Congress, see below.
• I see other references to "Battle of Mud Lake" that seem to refer back to the Wikipedia article.

The Idaho State Historical Society reference does not seem relevant?

• The Snake War, 1864-1868, Idaho State Historical Society Reference Series #236, 1966 is dead, I found it at http://history.idaho.gov/sites/default/files/uploads/reference-series/0236.pdf and https://web.archive.org/web/20110721042915/http://www.history.idaho.gov/Reference%20Series/0236.pdf. This citation does not seem relevant to this event? The citation is about Idaho. Should this be removed?

I propose that we discuss renaming this frome Battle of Mud Lake to Mud Lake Skirmish, which is earliest (1865) citeable historical name used by one of the military leaders (Wells).

Citations

We should probably cite Wells' report to Congress instead of (or in addition to) Michno because Wells' report to Congress is not copyrighted and can be reproduced. In addition, Michno probably used Wells' report to Congress.

• Captain Almond B. Wells, "March 12-19 1865, Expeditions from Fort Churchill to Pyramid and Walker's Lakes Nev with skirmish 14th at Mud Lake and affair 16th near Walker's Lake Nev," Congressional Serial Set, 1897.
  • Wells wrote: "Camp Nye Nev March 19 1865 Sir In obedience to instructions from headquarters Military Sub District of Nevada Fort Churchill Special Orders No 15 dated March 11 18C5 1 have the honor to report that on the 12th of March with fifty men I traveled a distance of ten miles in a northeasterly direction and camped for the night At 6 o clock the next morning broke camp and marched a distance of forty eight miles in a westerly direction arriving at Pyramid Lake at 6 pm I immediately ascertained from good authority that there was a band of Smoke Creek Indians encamped about eleven miles below that they were continually stealing cattle from the ranchmen and herders I placed a guard over the Indians encamped around me and gave orders not to let one escape The next morning the 14th instant at 3 o clock I left camp with twenty nine of my men and two citizens Messrs TW Murch and W II Wilson who volunteered their services as guides for the purpose of arresting the guilty Indians We came within sight of their encampment about 5.30 am I divided my command into three squads under Sergeants Wadleigh and Besat ten men remaining with me I then approached their encampment intending to arrest them but when within about 150 yards they commenced firing upon me The first shot took effect in Corporal Dolan's shoulder wounding him slightly the second passed through the cape of my overcoat I then ordered a charge with sabers The Indians fell back to the bushes on both sides of the slough By this time the men under Sergeants Wadleigh and Besat came up and a general engagement ensued The Indians fought like veterans I killed twenty nine in all but one escaped I destroyed several guns a quantity of powder fresh beef &c I pursued and fought them for about tea miles up into the mountains Some of my men had hand to hand conflicts with them Several were beaten on the arms with the Indians guns I also captured nine horses but as they were very poor I did not deem it necessary to bring them in Throughout the battle my men behaved with a valor and fortitide rarely equaled Without an exception they were as cool and collected as though out an ordinary skirmish drill. My acknowledgments are due Messrs Murch and Wilson for the benefit of their experience as guides and for the aid they afforded throughout the conflict After the battle Winnemucca chief of the Pi Utes called on me and expressed himself as highly pleased with the result. He told me through the interpreter that he had been talking to them all winter telling them not to steal the white men's cattle and he thought that the punishment they had received would teach them a lesson I am sir very respectfully your obedient servant. AB WELLS Captain Company D First Battalion Cavalry Nevada Volunteers"

Neutrality

This is a big issue. Sessions Wheeler spends several pages suggesting that Wells' and his men killed women and children. Wheeler cites several sources including Sarah Winnemucca.

• Sessions S. Wheeler, "The Nevada Desert," (1971), p. 60 - p. 73.

• Sarah Winnemucca Hopkins, "Life Among the Piutes: Their Wrongs and Claims," (1883) p. 76-78. In the chapter "Reservation of Pyramid and Muddy Lakes": "This reservation given in 1860 was at first sixty miles long and fifteen wide. The line is where the railroad now crosses the river and it takes in two beautiful lakes one called Pyramid Lake and the one on the eastern side Muddy Lake." ... "In 1865 we had another trouble with our white brothers. It was early in the spring and we were then living at Dayton Nevada when a company of soldiers came through the place and stopped and spoke to some of my people and said, "You have been stealing cattle from the white people at Harney Lake'" They said also that they would kill everything that came in their way men women and children. The captain's name was Wells. The place where they were going to is about three hundred miles away. The days after they left were very sad hours indeed. Oh dear readers these soldiers had gone only sixty miles away to Muddy Lake where my people were then living and fishing and doing nothing to any one. The soldiers rode up to their encampment and fired into it and killed almost all the people that were there. Oh it is a fearful thing to tell but it must be told. Yes it must be told by me. It was all old men women and children that were killed for my father had all the young men with him at the sink of Carson on a hunting excursion or they would have been killed too. After the soldiers had killed all but some little children and babies still tied up in their baskets the soldiers took them also and set the camp on fire and threw them into the flames to see them burn alive. I had one baby brother killed there. My sister jumped on father's best horse and ran away. As she ran the soldiers ran after her but thanks be to the Good Father in the Spirit land my dear sister got away. This almost killed my poor papa. Yet my people kept peaceful."

It would be good to track down some of Wheeler's sources.

I'm happy to discuss the above changes so that we have a high quality article. Cxbrx (talk) 18:56, 31 December 2013 (UTC)