The winter of 1859-60 was a bad one, and all the tribes of the Great Basin suffered. But some of the suffering was caused by white settlers, who cut down the Pinyon tree groves that the Paiute's depended on for survival. Nor did it help that Capitan Truckee, who was respected by both white settlers and indians, and therefore served as go-between, died that winter.
   The discovery of silver in the region was probably the last straw.

Trouble Starts

  Things started getting nasty when Peter Lassen and fellow traveler Edward Clapper were killed by a sniper on April 26, 1859 in Clapper Canyon (then known as Black Rock Canyon) near the Black Rock Desert. No one ever knew who shot them, but some suspected Paiute's. The fact that nothing was ever taken suggests it was a white man did it.
  For the next year a somewhat low-intensity conflict raged in the region, as there was no effective government in the region. That rage spilled over into open war on May 6, 1860, when the Williams Pony Express Station was attacked.
   But first, late in April 1860, the various Paiute tribes met to decide whether to go to war or not.

Among all that assemblage of the Pah-Ute tribes there was one, and one only, among the chiefs, with sufficient sagacity to foresee the evils that would result to his people from war; one only who at the same time possessed the courage to throw his influence in opposition to their will, and declare for peace. The name of that warrior was Numaga; and be was called by the whites Young Winnemucca, the war chief. The word Numaga means the giver of food, the name indicating the disposition of its owner as being that of a generous man. Numaga was not, as the whites always supposed, the war chief of the Pah-Utes. There was but one general chief, and that was Poito, at Pyramid Lake.

Chief Numaga argued against war to all who would listen. When met with stony silence by everyone, he fasted for three days.

At length the council met. Chief after chief rose and recounted the wrongs of his band and demanded war. After all had spoken, then Numaga, looking like the ghost of a dead Indian, walked into the circle, and for an hour poured forth such a torrent of eloquence as these warriors had never listened to before :--

            "You would make war upon the whites," he said; "I ask you to pause and reflect. The white men are like the stars over your heads. You have wrongs, great wrongs, that rise up like those mountains before you; but can you, from the mountain tops, reach and blot out those stars ? Your enemies are like the sands in the bed of your rivers; when taken away they only give place for more to come and settle there. Could you defeat the whites in Nevada, from over the mountains in California would come to help them an army of white men that would cover your country like a blanket. What hope is there for the Pah-Ute ? From where is to come your guns, your powder, your lead, your dried meats to live upon, and hay to feed your ponies with while you carry on this war. Your enemies have all of these things, more than they can use. They will come like the sand in a whirlwind and drive you from your homes. You will be forced among the barren rocks of the north, where your ponies will die; where you will see the women and old men starve, and listen to the cries of your children for food. I love my people; let them live; and when their spirits shall be called to the Great Camp in the southern sky, let their bones rest where their fathers were buried."

   As Numaga was thus making a last desperate effort to change the action of the chiefs, and was sending home conviction of its folly to their understanding, an Indian, upon a foam-flecked pony, dashed up to the council ground, and the speaker paused. The new-comer walked into the circle; and, pointing to the southeast, said: "Moguannoga, last night, with nine braves, burned Williams' station, on the Carson River, and killed four whites." Then Numaga, with a sad look in the direction that the warrior had pointed, replied: "There is no longer any use for counsel; we must prepare for war, for the soldiers will now come here to fight us."

 The white men at the Williams Station had kidnapped and raped two young Paiute girls. They were still be held prisoner there when a small Paiute war party came to rescue them. All five whites were killed and the station was burned down. The owner of the station, J. O. Williams, was camped several miles away and discovered the attack the following morning. His news terrified the nearby towns, which immediately organized a large posse of 105 men who spoiled for a fight, led by Major William Ormsby.

 What they lacked most was discipline, and a leader in whom they bad entire confidence, and who had authority to enforce his commands. In the absence of these last two essentials it would have been better had they all been cowards. Many started on the expedition with the watchword of "An Indian for breakfast and a pony to ride," contemplating the pleasure of sacking Pah-Ute villages, capturing their squaws and ponies, killing a few warriors, and running the balance out of the country.

After hearing what had taken place, Numaga said, "There is no longer any use for counsel; we must prepare for war, for the soldiers will now come here to fight us."
 On May 15th, about two miles south of Pyramid Lake this posse ran into a large Paiute war party.

Battle of Pyramid Lake

  Chief Numaga may have hated going to war, but once it was no longer avoidable he created a brilliant battle plan against a disorganized enemy.
   As the mob of white men charged, the Paiutes retreated, always staying just out of rifle range. Slowly the column of white riders spread out until there was a clear gap between the faster and slower horses. Then suddenly the head of the column found themselves surrounded on three sides and the slaughter began. When main body of the posse realized they were in a trap they tried to retreat to a nearby stand of woods. Bad move. Chief Winnemucca's war party was waiting for them there.
   With the outcome of the battle assured, Chief Numaga rushed to an area between the indians and whites to try and arrange a parlay. However, Chief Winnemucca would have none of it, and bore down on the whites with his entire force. The route had begun and it was every man for himself. 76 of the 105 whites were killed that day, almost all of the survivors were wounded. The losses by the Paiutes were just 10 wounded.

After the battle

   About 800 Federal troops and part of the California militia was immediately sent to the region. They retraced the steps of the late William Ormsby in late June but encountered a different enemy. The Paiutes only attempted a defense against these trained troops on very rocky terrain near Pinnacle Mountain, just south of Black Rock desert. The Paiutes were driven back at the cost of 25-30 warriors. Three federal troops also died.
   After this encounter the army marched all over the Nevada mountains, but could never find a single group of Paiutes to engage (except for once stupidly marching into a box canyon and getting ambushed at the cost of couple soldiers). The Paiutes resorted to launching raids on the Pony Express stations, burning all seven in the area and killing 16 whites in the process. It was the only time in the history of the Pony Express that it didn't deliver.
    The only effective method of the army was to build a fort at the south end of Pyramid Lake, thus denying the Paiutes a critical food gathering area. Food shortages killed more Paiutes than bullets did (thus confirming every one of Chief Numaga's warnings).
   This stalemate lasted into August, when Chief Numaga arranged a cease-fire.