The last armed engagement between U.S. Army forces and Native Americans, marking the formal end of the American Indian Wars.
Key Facts
- Date
- January 9, 1918
- Yaqui combatants detected
- ~30 armed Yaquis
- Yaqui prisoners taken
- 9
- U.S. unit involved
- 10th Cavalry Regiment (Buffalo Soldiers)
- Location
- Bear Valley, west of Nogales, Arizona
- Historical distinction
- Final battle of the American Indian Wars
By the Numbers
Location
Cause → Event → Consequence
Yaqui bands had long used Bear Valley, west of Nogales, Arizona, as a corridor across the U.S.-Mexico border. Ongoing tension between Yaqui groups and U.S. authorities along the southwestern frontier led Army units to patrol the region, anticipating armed crossings by indigenous fighters fleeing conflict in Mexico.
On January 9, 1918, elements of the U.S. Army's 10th Cavalry Regiment detected approximately thirty armed Yaquis in Bear Valley. A brief firefight ensued, resulting in the death of the Yaqui commander and the capture of nine others. The engagement was small in scale but marked a direct armed clash between U.S. soldiers and Native Americans.
Though minor as a military action, the Battle of Bear Valley is recognized as the last instance of combat between the United States Army and Native Americans, effectively closing the era known as the American Indian Wars. It has since been treated as a historical marker signifying the end of more than two centuries of armed frontier conflict.
Belligerents & Mobilization Analysis
Side A
1 belligerent
Side B
1 belligerent