[3] The Paiutes had no central government but lived in bands of around a hundred people who would occupy a territory of about 50 to 100 square miles (130 to 260 km2).

[3] The Paiute migrated with the seasons, living in temporary huts built of willow poles covered with brush and reeds.

[4] Numaga was at least six feet tall, a man of great physical strength with a quiet dignity which gave him an air of superiority.

[1] A soldier who saw him in August 1860 said, "In appearance he is all that romance could desire, deep-chested and strong-limbed, with a watchful, earnest expression of countenance, indicative of graver thought and study [than is] common to the aboriginal race.

[2] Numaga picked up English while working for several seasons as a field hand for the Mission Fathers in the Santa Clara Valley of California.

[8] Through his evident sincerity, intellect, eloquence and courage Numaga gained considerable stature among the Paiute, and was viewed by the whites as their leader, although he did not have this official standing.

[9] They cut down pinyon trees to make fuel for ore-processing, destroying the pine-nut "orchards" that were essential to the Paiute food economy.

He was friendly with Poito, whose daughter Sarah[b] and her younger sister were staying in his house to be educated in English and in reading and writing.

[14] Eventually, under protest, Captain Jim sent two men to stand trial in order to avoid reprisals on his people.

[10] The Paiutes gathered at Pyramid Lake towards the end of April 1860 for a conference on how to deal with the encroachments of the white men.

Winnemucca (Poito), the most senior leader at the assembly, appeared to be in favor of war but refrained from taking a public position.

Five employees of Williams Station, a Pony Express post on the Carson River, captured and raped two Northern Paiute women.

Major William Ormsby collected a force of 105 volunteers from Virginia City who went out to bury the dead white men, and then punish the Paiutes at Pyramid Lake.

The volunteers were poorly armed with handguns against the Indians' long-range rifles, and were outmaneuvered in what turned from a confident advance into a desperate defense.

[18] An army officer arriving in the region just after the battle found a scene of chaos and some panic, with trains of people returning to California to avoid the Indians.

Volunteers were armed and mustered to counter the danger from an estimated 15,000 well-armed and well-mounted "Pah Utes, Shishones and Pitt River Indians."

Lander opened the negotiation by saying he could relay Numaga's grievances to the "Great Father" in Washington, but could make no promises.

[24] He said that the violence was due to the hostile attitude of whites, who had ravaged Paiute women and killed their men without cause.

In 1862, Winnemucca (Poito) and four hundred warriors in full regalia gave a ceremonial welcome at Pyramid Lake to James W. Nye, the first governor of the newly created Nevada Territory.

[27] Later in the day, some unknown Indians arrived in town, causing rumors that hostiles were gathering and preparing to attack.

With mounting tension, two citizens met at dusk, both forgot the password, and 'turned loose' in the most approved style with their revolvers, each supposing he was having a struggle for life with, possibly, Numaga himself.

A butcher, in his hurry to rush to the general defense from midnight massacre of the town, in his haste to get hold of it, accidentally fired off his gun, and then, as the aforesaid Alf.

The Gold Hill News recommended a "final solution of the great Indian problem: by exterminating the whole race, or driving them forever beyond our frontier."

[30] In an effort to prevent escalating violence, Governor Henry G. Blasdel requested a conference at Fort Churchill with the Paiute chiefs.

Captain Wells, the army leader, had said his men had killed Smoke Creek Indians in a "stubborn and sanguinary" fight between equal forces.

One of the men claims to have the scalp of the Notorious Smoke Creek Sam...[34]In the period between 1864 and 1868 there was ongoing violence between miners and settlers and the "Snake Indians", bands of Northern Paiutes, Bannocks and Shoshones in the Snake River and Owyhee River valleys of southern Idaho and Eastern Oregon.

[35] Around 20 June 1866, General Henry Halleck, commander of the Military Division of the Pacific, arrived at Fort Churchill with a large entourage.

From where is to come your guns, your powder, your lead, your dried meats to live upon, and hay to feed your ponies with while you carry on this war.

You will be forced among the barren rocks of the north, where your ponies will die; where you will see the women and old men starve, and listen to the cries of your children for food.