The Battle of Walla Walla was the longest battle fought during the

Yakima War The Yakima War (1855–1858), also referred to as the Yakima Native American War of 1855 or the Plateau War, was a conflict between the United States and the Yakama, a Sahaptian-speaking people of the Northwest Plateau, then part of Washington T ...

. The battle began on December 7, 1855, and ended on December 11, 1855. The battle was fought between six companies of the Oregon Mounted Volunteers and the

Walla Walla Walla Walla can refer to: * Walla Walla people, a Native American tribe after which the county and city of Walla Walla, Washington, are named * Place of many rocks in the Australian Aboriginal Wiradjuri language, the origin of the name of the town ...

. Fighting alongside the Walla Walla were members of several different tribes, such as the Cayuse,

Palouse The Palouse ( ) is a distinct geographic region of the northwestern United States, encompassing parts of north central Idaho, southeastern Washington, and, by some definitions, parts of northeast Oregon. It is a major agricultural area, prima ...

and

Yakama The Yakama are a Native American tribe with nearly 10,851 members, based primarily in eastern Washington state. Yakama people today are enrolled in the federally recognized tribe, the Confederated Tribes and Bands of the Yakama Nation. Their ...

Background

Following a Walla Walla raid on the Fort Walla Walla trading post and reports that Chief Peopeomoxmox had vowed to kill

Washington Territory The Territory of Washington was an organized incorporated territory of the United States that existed from March 2, 1853, until November 11, 1889, when the territory was admitted to the Union as the State of Washington. It was created from the ...

Governor

Isaac Stevens Isaac Ingalls Stevens (March 25, 1818 – September 1, 1862) was an American military officer and politician who served as governor of the Territory of Washington from 1853 to 1857, and later as its delegate to the United States House of Represe ...

, troops from the Oregon Mounted Volunteers were dispatched to the

Umatilla River The Umatilla River is an tributary of the Columbia River in northern Umatilla County, Oregon, United States. Draining a basin of , it enters the Columbia near the city of Umatilla in the northeastern part of the state. In downstream order, beg ...

and later to the

Touchet River The Touchet River is a tributary of the Walla Walla River in southeastern Washington in the United States. The Touchet River drains an area of about in Columbia County and Walla Walla County.Washington Road & Recreation Atlas, Benchmark Maps, ...

. The Chief and four others met the troops at the Touchet and, willingly, became their hostages in order to prevent an attack on his village. The volunteers and the five hostages began to march down the Touchet in order to establish a winter camp.

Battle

As the soldiers marched toward the former

Whitman Mission Whitman Mission National Historic Site is a United States National Historic Site located just west of Walla Walla, Washington, at the site of the former Whitman Mission at Waiilatpu. On November 29, 1847, Dr. Marcus Whitman, his wife Narcissa ...

, they realized that they were being pursued by a large group of Native warriors. Soon, a running battle began at the mouth of the Touchet. On the first day, four of the five hostages, including the chief, struggled to escape but were killed by volunteers. On the fourth and final day of the battle, Both the Natives and the Volunteers withdrew, the Volunteers to Fort Henrietta on the Umatilla.

Aftermath

The battle resulted in the death of Walla Walla tribe leader Peo-Peo-Mox-Mox along with the deaths of six volunteers and between 75 and 100 Natives. The total Native casualties are unknown due to bodies being taken from the battlefield, but volunteers did find 39 bodies following the battle.

References

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Battle of Walla Walla Battle of Walla Walla

December 1855 events