On
October 31, 1862
, Congress authorized the establishment of the military Fort Sumner at Bosque Redondo, to protect a new Indian Reservation situated on 40 square miles of land. The post was named for General Edwin Vose Sumner who died as the new fort was being built.
What happened at Fort Sumner NM?
NMSRCP No. Fort Sumner was a military fort in New Mexico Territory charged with the
internment of Navajo and Mescalero Apache populations from 1863 to 1868
at nearby Bosque Redondo.
What county is Fort Sumner NM in?
De Baca County
What is Fort Sumner known for?
Fort Sumner is
the spring and fall home of the Columbia Scientific Balloon Facility, and is home to the burial site of famed outlaw of the American West, Billy the Kid
, who was shot and killed here in 1881.
Where is Billy the Kid's grave?
Old Fort Sumner Cemetery and Chamber of Commerce, NM
It was an arduous journey that saw them travel 12-15 miles a day, often in chilling cold or stifling heat. The Navajo continued to arrive at Bosque Redondo for a period of
over two years
.
Why is Billy the Kid buried in Fort Sumner?
Billy has been said to have killed 21 men—one for each year of his life—but the real total is likely lower. He was laid to rest on the Old Fort Sumner Cemetery
after being hunted down and shot by Lincoln County Sheriff Pat Garrett
. He was buried beside two of his pals, Charlie Bowdre and Tom O'Folliard, in 1881.
In a forced removal, the U.S. Army drives the Navajo at
gunpoint as they walk from their homeland in Arizona and New Mexico, to Fort Sumner, 300 miles away at Bosque Redondo
. Hundreds die during 18 days of marching.
Is New Mexico an American state?
New Mexico,
constituent state of the United States of America
. It became the 47th state of the union in 1912.
Why is Fort Sumter important?
The attack on Fort Sumter
marked the official beginning of the American Civil War
—a war that lasted four years, cost the lives of more than 620,000 Americans, and freed 3.9 million enslaved people from bondage.
Where is Fort Sumter Civil War?
Location
On June 1, 1868, Navajo (Diné) leaders signed a final Treaty with the United States at the Bosque Redondo Reservation in New Mexico, where 2,000 Navajo (Diné) internees,
one out of four
, died and remain buried in unmarked graves.
Between 1863 and 1866, more than 10,000 Navajo (Diné) were forcibly removed to the
Bosque Redondo Reservation at Fort Sumner, in current-day New Mexico
. During the Long Walk, the U.S. military marched Navajo (Diné) men, women, and children between 250 to 450 miles, depending on the route they took.
It came to be called the Long Walk — in the 1860s, more than 10,000 Navajos and Mescalero Apaches were forcibly marched to a desolate reservation in eastern New Mexico called Bosque Redondo. Nearly one-third of those interned there died of
disease, exposure and hunger
, held captive by the U.S. Army.
Where is Wyatt Earp's grave?
Hills of Eternity Memorial Park, Colma, CA
Where is William H. Bonney buried at?
Old Fort Sumner Cemetery and Chamber of Commerce, NM
Where is William H. Bonney buried?
July 15, 1881
The Navajos
learned farming from the Pueblo Indians
and by the 1600s, they had become fully capable of raising their own food. As the Navajo population grew, they started migrating to other places in the southwest. Some migrated westward to Arizona, while others headed south to Mount Taylor in New Mexico.
Archaeological and historical evidence suggests the
Athabaskan ancestors
of the Navajos and Apaches entered the Southwest around 1400 AD. The Navajo oral tradition is transcribed to retain references to this migration. Initially, the Navajos were largely hunters and gatherers.
The Navajo were
nomadic people in constant search of food for survival
. The Navajo overran the Pueblo People in New Mexico and learned farming, weaving, and various crafts from them. Banditry was the cornerstone of the Navajo economy for many decades.
Why is there a cage over a grave?
The reason people suggest most often for the cages is that they were
to keep animals from digging into the graves
. Some even specifically mention wolves.
Where was Holliday buried?
Linwood Cemetery, Glenwood Springs, CO
Does Billy the Kids grave say pals?
Sheriff Pat Garrett shot and killed Billy the Kid July 14, 1881. Billy was buried the next day in Fort Sumner's old military cemetery, between his fallen companions Tom O'Folliard and Charlie Bowdre.
A single tombstone was later erected over the graves with a one word epitaph of “Pals” carved into it.
The Native American Navajo tribe is one of the largest tribes of American Indians. They lived in
the Southwest in areas that are today Arizona, New Mexico, Colorado, and Utah
. The name “Navajo” comes from the Spanish who called them the Apaches of Navajo. They called themselves “Dine” or “the People”.
The Navajo people call themselves the Diné, or “the People.” Diné origin stories say they emerged from
the fourth world into the San Juan Mountains of southwestern Colorado
, which border the Mesa Verde region to the northeast.
Who was removed by the Trail of Tears?
The Trail of Tears National Historic Trail commemorates the removal of
the Cherokee
and the paths that 17 Cherokee detachments followed westward.
