The Sitgreaves Expedition Down the Zuni and Colorado Rivers in 1851 was a combined

American American(s) may refer to: * American, something of, from, or related to the United States of America, commonly known as the "United States" or "America" ** Americans, citizens and nationals of the United States of America ** American ancestry, pe ...

scientific Science is a systematic endeavor that builds and organizes knowledge in the form of testable explanations and predictions about the universe. Science may be as old as the human species, and some of the earliest archeological evidence for ...

and

military A military, also known collectively as armed forces, is a heavily armed, highly organized force primarily intended for warfare. It is typically authorized and maintained by a sovereign state, with its members identifiable by their distinct ...

mission to explore the

Zuni River The Zuni (Zuñi) River is a tributary of the Little Colorado River in the southwestern United States. It has its origin in Cibola County, New Mexico, in the Zuñi Mountains at the Continental Divide. The river flows off the western slopes of th ...

, the

Little Colorado River The Little Colorado River () is a tributary of the Colorado 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 ...

and the

Colorado River The Colorado River ( es, Río Colorado) is one of the principal rivers (along with the Rio Grande) in the Southwestern United States and northern Mexico. The river drains an expansive, arid drainage basin, watershed that encompasses parts of ...

in 1851. Setting out from northern

New Mexico ) , population_demonym = New Mexican ( es, Neomexicano, Neomejicano, Nuevo Mexicano) , seat = Santa Fe , LargestCity = Albuquerque , LargestMetro = Tiguex , OfficialLang = None , Languages = English, Spanish ( New Mexican), Navajo, Ker ...

, the expedition traveled west across

Arizona Arizona ( ; nv, Hoozdo Hahoodzo ; ood, Alĭ ṣonak ) is a state in the Southwestern United States. It is the 6th largest and the 14th most populous of the 50 states. Its capital and largest city is Phoenix. Arizona is part of the Fou ...

and then south along the Colorado to

Fort Yuma Fort Yuma was a fort in California 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 ...

California California is a U.S. state, state in the Western United States, located along the West Coast of the United States, Pacific Coast. With nearly 39.2million residents across a total area of approximately , it is the List of states and territori ...

. Mohave native Americans attacked the explorers during their trek across the desert and in a short battle the natives were repulsed.http://www.mohavedesert.net/mohave-indians/us-01.html

Expedition

Since the

Mexican Cession The Mexican Cession ( es, Cesión mexicana) is the region in the modern-day southwestern United States that Mexico originally controlled, then ceded to the United States in the Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo in 1848 after the Mexican–American War ...

of 1848, topographers, naturalists 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 The United States Army (USA) is the land service branch of the United States Armed Forces. It is one of the eight U.S. uniformed services, and is designated as the Army of the United States in the U.S. Constitution.Article II, section 2, cla ...

commanders were also interested in the area as tension with the

Mormon Mormons are a religious and cultural group related to Mormonism, the principal branch of the Latter Day Saint movement started by Joseph Smith in upstate New York during the 1820s. After Smith's death in 1844, the movement split into several ...

s was high and

war War is an intense armed conflict between states, governments, societies, or paramilitary groups such as mercenaries, insurgents, and militias. It is generally characterized by extreme violence, destruction, and mortality, using regular o ...

was expected. Specifically the expedition was sent to map the riverways and determine if they could be navigated by river steamers. Before the establishment of railroads across the

Old West The American frontier, also known as the Old West or the Wild West, encompasses the geography, history, folklore, and culture associated with the forward wave of American expansion in mainland North America that began with European colonial ...

, the frontier's riverways were seen, and used, as a valued means of transportation.

Captain Captain is a title, an appellative for the commanding officer of a military unit; the supreme leader of a navy ship, merchant ship, aeroplane, spacecraft, or other vessel; or the commander of a port, fire or police department, election precinct, e ...

Lorenzo Sitgreaves Lorenzo I. Sitgreaves (March 15, 1810 – May 14, 1888) was a U.S. Army officer from Pennsylvania who led the 1851 Sitgreaves Expedition down the Zuñi and Colorado rivers. Early life and career Lorenzo I. Sitgreaves was born on March 15, 1810, ...

, of the

Corps of Topographical Engineers The U.S. Army Corps of Topographical Engineers was a branch of the United States Army authorized on 4 July 1838. It consisted only of officers who were handpicked from West Point and was used for mapping and the design and construction of federal ...

, was appointed commander and with fifty

infantry Infantry is a military specialization which engages in ground combat on foot. Infantry generally consists of light infantry, mountain infantry, motorized infantry & mechanized infantry, airborne infantry, air assault infantry, and marine i ...

men, some

porters Porters may refer to: * Porters, Virginia, an unincorporated community in Virginia, United States * Porters, Wisconsin, an unincorporated community in Wisconsin, United States * Porters Ski Area, a ski resort in New Zealand * ''Porters'' (TV series ...

and the small group of enthusiasts, they headed west from the

Zuni Pueblo Zuni Pueblo (also Zuñi Pueblo, Zuni: ''Halona Idiwan’a'' meaning ‘Middle Place’) is a census-designated place (CDP) in McKinley County, New Mexico, United States. The population was 6,302 as of the 2010 Census. It is inhabited largely b ...

in September 1851 for the Zuni River. Passing through the

Petrified Forest Petrified wood, also known as petrified tree (from Ancient Greek meaning 'rock' or 'stone'; literally 'wood turned into stone'), is the name given to a special type of ''fossilized wood'', the fossilized remains of terrestrial vegetation. ''P ...

, 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 is an unincorporated community in Navajo County, Arizona, United States. Woodruff is southeast of Holbrook. Woodruff has a post office with ZIP code 85942. Woodruff was settled in 1876 by a group of members of the Church of Jesus Chri ...

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 Bill Williams Mountain is a peak and lava dome volcano located about west of Flagstaff and south of Williams, Arizona in the Kaibab National Forest. It is named for Old Bill Williams, a scout, guide, and mountain man, who lived in the 1800s. ...

. When they reached what was later named

Union Pass Union Pass is a high mountain pass in the Wind River Range in Fremont County, Wyoming, Fremont County 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 Wi ...

, near

Bullhead City Bullhead City is a city located on the Colorado River in Mohave County, Arizona, United States, south of Las Vegas, Nevada, and directly across the Colorado River from Laughlin, Nevada, whose casinos and ancillary services supply much of the em ...

, 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 is all of the animal life present in a particular region or time. The corresponding term for plants is ''flora'', and for fungi, it is '' funga''. Flora, fauna, funga and other forms of life are collectively referred to as '' biota''. Zoo ...

and

landscape A landscape is the visible features of an area of land, its landforms, and how they integrate with natural or man-made features, often considered in terms of their aesthetic appeal.''New Oxford American Dictionary''. A landscape includes the ...

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 A powwow (also pow wow or pow-wow) is a gathering with dances held by many Native American and First Nations communities. Powwows today allow Indigenous people to socialize, dance, sing, and honor their cultures. Powwows may be private or pu ...

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 An arrow is a fin-stabilized projectile launched by a bow. A typical arrow usually consists of a long, stiff, straight shaft with a weighty (and usually sharp and pointed) arrowhead attached to the front end, multiple fin-like stabilizers c ...

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 Spanish might refer to: * Items from or related to Spain: **Spaniards are a nation and ethnic group indigenous to Spain **Spanish language, spoken in Spain and many Latin American countries **Spanish cuisine Other places * Spanish, Ontario, Cana ...

speaking native that Fort Yuma and the mouth of the

Gila River The Gila River (; O'odham ima Keli Akimel or simply Akimel, Quechan: Haa Siʼil, Maricopa language: Xiil) is a tributary of the Colorado River flowing through New Mexico and Arizona in the United States. The river drains an arid watershed of n ...

, 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. Cascade of the Little Colorado River

The next day as the Americans moved on, one soldier was lagging behind and attacked by about fifty-five warriors armed with bows 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 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 (25–63 mm). The 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

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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

schooner A schooner () is a type of sailing vessel defined by its rig: fore-and-aft rigged on all of two or more masts and, in the case of a two-masted schooner, the foremast generally being shorter than the mainmast. A common variant, the topsail schoon ...

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''.

References

{{Portal bar, Arizona, History, Rivers

Sitgreaves Expedition The Sitgreaves Expedition Down the Zuni and Colorado Rivers in 1851 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 ...

Sitgreaves Expedition, Sitgreaves Expedition

Sitgreaves Expeditiom Native American history of California

Expedition

Aftermath

See also

References