In celebration of my two new Native American books, here's a photo of old Fort Defiance, Arizona, from 1873. This fort was established in 1851 to defeat the Navajo, who had been resisting white expansion into their land. Like most forts in the Old West, it didn't have walls since Native Americans almost never attacked large settlements, especially military ones, as they could not afford the losses this would incur.
It looks like dusty, miserable place, but for the soldiers it was home. It seems they're having a visit from some local Navajo. By 1873, most of the Navajo were at peace with the Americans. I've zoomed in on some of the figures below.
Photo courtesy Library of Congress.
8 comments:
Acquiring food and water must've been a challenge in that area.
That is so bizarre. I had no idea they had an underground fort in the desert, and mostly made the fort because they were expanding into Indian territory and feared reprisals -- and yet there are Indians hanging out right there! Incredible pic -- thanks for sharing!
Sounds like they borrowed a good idea from their native American neighbors, the Navajo hogan.
Underground fort?
Yes, part of it is cut into the hillside. You can see the walls on two sides. These "forts" weren't very well fortified because the Native Americans in the region rarely attacked buildings, which could be easily defended by a few firm men with guns.
This is actually my home town. I was normally the only white kid in almost all my classes. The history of Fort Defiance was mostly peaceful. There was one battle over who cheated in a horse race between natives and soldiers but that was about it, but there were casualties. This was more of a trading station for everyone and rally point for the troops. There is a dark history for what the troops who lived their did outside the fort. Research the Long Walk to learn that. For most of it's time, it was just a location for communal activity. Still is.
Oh, but to address the one comment about food and water. Ft Defiance has two streams running through it and a high water table for wells. It is high desert (6000') so there are snows in winter.. some winters... land is arid, but you can still grow corn and squash, and raise sheep on the desert scrub. They had plenty of food and water except when troops from the fort were using scorched earth tactics to force them to come to the fort in surrender to be force marched to the Bosque Redondo in New Mexico. (again see Long Walk)
Correction to the above; the horse race incident was at nearby Ft. Wingate. This was a trigger for the Long Walk in which Ft. Defiance played a major role.
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