Mormons vs. Navajo: the James Whitmore incident of 1866 in Pipe Springs, Utah

The Pipe Spring Massacre That Ignited Utah’s Bloodiest War

Pipe Spring National Monument sits where a stolen herd of sheep triggered Utah’s bloodiest Indian war.

On January 8, 1866, Navajo raiders hit James Whitmore’s ranch and drove off his animals. Whitmore and his brother-in-law tracked them but were killed the next day at Bull Wash.

The St.George militia wanted revenge and killed seven Paiutes, but they had the wrong people. This mistake brought more Paiute fighters to Black Hawk’s cause.

The massacre and raids that followed explain why Brigham Young ordered the construction of the Winsor Castle fort right over the spring.

A Texas Rancher Built a Remote Outpost at Pipe Spring

James Whitmore set up a 160-acre ranch at Pipe Spring in 1863. He built a dugout home, fenced 11 acres, and planted vineyards and fruit trees in this remote spot.

Whitmore, a Texas rancher and former druggist known as “Doctor,” brought sheep to winter there with his brother-in-law Robert McIntyre.

The ranch became key because it sat along the 62-mile route between Mormon settlements, offering the only steady water source.

Raiders Stole Every Sheep from Whitmore’s Ranch

Around January 8, 1866, a group of Navajo and Paiute raiders attacked Pipe Spring. They took all of Whitmore’s sheep, leaving 11-year-old James Jr.alone in the dugout.

Navajo chief Manuelito led the raid. He refused to move to the Bosque Redondo Reservation and joined forces with Black Hawk instead.

The Navajos wanted to rebuild their own herds after being forced to move to New Mexico.

Two Men Followed Tracks into a Deadly Trap

Whitmore and McIntyre went after their stolen sheep, following tracks in the fresh snow. This choice would cost them their lives.

When they didn’t come back, young James Jr. walked 25 miles on foot to William Maxwell’s ranch at Short Creek for help.

Major Maxwell, a militia officer, quickly gathered men for a search party after hearing the boy’s story.

Searchers Found Bodies Hidden Under Snow

The search party found Whitmore and McIntyre’s bodies buried in snow at Bull Wash, four miles southeast of Pipe Spring. Both men had arrows and gunshot wounds.

The militia caught two Indians and promised to free them if they showed where the bodies were hidden. These captives also told the search party where to find the Indian camp.

Militia Hunted Down Suspected Killers

The St. George militia tracked down seven Paiutes they thought killed Whitmore and McIntyre.

Wanting revenge, they caught eleven Indians and killed all of them. The guards “lost their patience” after finding clothing from one of the dead whites among the Paiutes.

This started a series of killings meant to get rid of thieves or scare Indians away.

Innocent People Paid with Their Lives

The local militia killed Paiutes they caught cutting up one of Whitmore’s cows, though Navajos likely did the real killings.

Four unarmed Paiutes died for murders they had no part in. The militia grew angrier when they saw the two men’s bodies loaded into a wagon.

They kept one Paiute man alive to guide them.

Tribal Alliances Formed Against a Common Enemy

The killing of innocent Paiutes pushed some Paiute fighters to join Black Hawk’s group.

By early 1866, the Black Hawk War grew to include other tribes, mainly the Paiutes. Before this, fighting mostly happened where Utes lived, but it spread to Paiute lands.

Having the same enemy brought the Utes and Paiutes together.

The Town Stopped Everything for the Funeral

Workers brought Whitmore and McIntyre’s bodies back to St. George for burial on January 23, 1866. All shops closed on funeral day, with over 300 people at the service.

After the attacks, nobody wanted to live at Pipe Spring, and the ranch sat empty for four years. The Utah Militia used Pipe Spring as a camp in 1868 to guard the area.

Violence Spread Like Wildfire Across the Territory

Raids hit Paria settlements and Kanab, with people sending urgent calls for help.

Navajos raided southern Utah and the Arizona Strip for four years, taking about 2,500 animals. The Utah Territorial Militia chased the raiders but rarely caught them.

The violence that started at Pipe Spring led to the worst killing of the war at Circleville in April 1866, when Mormon settlers killed 16 Paiute men, women, and children.

Mormon Leader Ordered a Fort Built for Protection

In spring 1870, Brigham Young visited the empty area and decided people could move back.

On September 11, 1870, Young made plans for a fort at Pipe Spring to protect the Winsor family who would run the ranch.

The fort would be 152 feet long and 66 feet wide, with two-story buildings and 30-foot high walls. Elizabeth Whitmore, James’s widow, took $1,000 in stock for her property.

A Castle Rose from the Ashes of Conflict

The protective fort was finished by 1872, built right over the main spring.

People called it Winsor Castle, and it became a successful Mormon-owned ranch, farm, and dairy operation.

The “Indian Wars” finally ended in 1870 when Major John Wesley Powell and Mormon explorer Jacob Hamblin signed a treaty with tribes at Fort Defiance.

The violence that began at Pipe Spring made the Black Hawk War the deadliest Indian conflict in Utah history, with at least 70 settlers and over 140 Native Americans killed.

Visiting The Courtyard at Winsor Castle, Pipe Spring National Monument

You can visit Winsor Castle at 406 Pipe Springs Road in Fredonia, Arizona to learn about the Pipe Spring Massacre and Black Hawk War violence.

The entrance fee is $10 for ages 16 and up, which includes a $3 tribal use fee. Rangers give castle tours every half hour during summer (7AM-5PM) and winter (8AM-5PM) hours.

The visitor center has a cultural museum with Black Hawk War exhibits and a film.

This article was created with AI assistance and human editing.

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