Kickapoo Uprisings
The Kickapoo Uprisings refer to a series of conflicts involving the Southern Kickapoo tribe, primarily in the wake of a violent encounter with the Texas Confederate Army in 1865. After a migration from Kansas to Mexico, the Kickapoos faced an unprovoked attack during which they achieved a notable victory at the Battle of Dove Creek, despite suffering losses. This assault prompted the Kickapoos to initiate a vigorous campaign for retribution against Texas settlers, leading to ongoing conflicts along the Rio Grande for nearly a decade. Efforts by the U.S. government to negotiate peace were unsuccessful, prompting military intervention in 1873. This intervention led to tragic events, including the deaths and capture of numerous women and children. Ultimately, a portion of the Kickapoo tribe chose to return to the United States, while others remained in Mexico. The uprisings reflect the broader tensions and struggles of Indigenous groups during this turbulent period in American history.
Kickapoo Uprisings
Date: 1865-1873
Place: Southern Texas
Tribe affected: Southern (Mexican) Kickapoo
Significance: This war of retribution against southern Texans wreaked havoc, caused bitter controversy with Mexico over the sanctity of borders, and marked the beginning of reservation life for some Southern Kickapoos
During a migration of seven hundred Southern Kickapoos from Kansas to Mexico, the Indians were attacked by four hundred soldiers of the Texas Confederate Army on January 1, 1865. The Kickapoos won a decisive victory at the Battle of Dove Creek, but they lost fifteen dead and numerous supplies.
Enraged by this unwarranted attack and considering it an act of war, the Kickapoos unleashed a relentless, merciless, and highly effective campaign of terror, vengeance, and destruction against Texans and their property along the Rio Grande over the next decade.
Unable to persuade the Southern Kickapoos to cease hostilities and return to the United States, the government resorted to force and crossed the border into Mexico without permission in 1873. On May 18, the U.S. Fourth Cavalry killed and captured many women and children at Nacimiento. Desiring to be reunited with their families, 317 Kickapoos agreed to return to Indian Territory in the United States in 1873, with the rest (about 280) remaining in Mexico.