The Battle of Seattle was the only direct attack on the settlement during the Puget Sound War, repelled with U.S. Navy support.
Key Facts
- Date
- January 26, 1856
- Duration
- Single day
- Settler fatalities
- 2
- Reported Native American casualties
- 28 dead, 80 wounded (self-reported)
- U.S. Navy vessel
- USS Decatur (sloop-of-war)
- Broader conflict
- Puget Sound War / Yakima Wars (1855–1858)
By the Numbers
Location
Cause → Event → Consequence
Tensions during the multi-year Puget Sound War (1855–1858) escalated as Native American tribes resisted the encroachment of European-American settlers in Washington Territory. Seattle, a four-year-old settlement recently named after Suquamish and Duwamish leader Chief Sealth, sat at the center of contested territory along Puget Sound.
On January 26, 1856, a coalition of Native American tribes attacked the small settlement of Seattle. European-American settlers, supported by Marines and artillery fire from the U.S. Navy sloop-of-war Decatur anchored in Elliott Bay, repelled the assault. The battle lasted a single day, with two settler fatalities recorded.
The attack was repulsed without the settlement being overrun, and it remained the only direct assault on Seattle during the Puget Sound War. Contemporary historian T. S. Phelps recorded that Native American participants later acknowledged 28 dead and 80 wounded, though these figures were unverified. The U.S. military presence proved decisive in defending the young settlement.
Belligerents & Mobilization Analysis
Side A
1 belligerent
Side B
1 belligerent