Though it was a minor conflict, it involved a mass exodus of Ute and Paiute native Americans from their land around Bluff, Utah to the deserts of Navajo Mountain.

For years prior to 1923, the Avikan Ute people were fighting to maintain their ancestral land in present day San Juan County.

[6][7][2] The Posey War began in February 1923 because of a relatively minor affair in which two young Ute males robbed a sheep ranch at Cahone Mesa, assaulted the owner, slaughtered a calf, and burned a bridge.

The two Utes later surrendered to the local sheriff, William Oliver, in Blanding, but while they were in custody they contracted food poisoning and were allowed to go home, with the agreement that they would return for trial.

Bishop's son was using a stick as a cane, apparently still feeling ill. Chief Posey and a few of his men attended the trial to try to help the boys and ensure that nothing would jeopardize the fight for their land in San Juan County.

Sheriff George A. Hurst, who was present at the court proceedings, wrote the following: Joe Bishop's boy was walking upon a large stick as though he were crippled or incapacitated.

... After hearing evidence presented for and against the accused, Joe Bishop's boy was found guilty and at 12:00 noon he was placed in the hands of Sheriff Oliver, to have lunch.

Immediately upon the adjournment of court, all the white men left and went home for lunch, leaving no one there but the sheriff, George A. Hurst Jr., a few school children, and a band of angry Utes.

There followed a series of yellow newspaper reports accusing the chief and his band of being either directly or indirectly involved in a number of various crimes, including rape and murder.

The article also said that county commissioners had requested permission from Utah Governor Charles Mabey to allow the use of a military scout plane to bomb and strafe the natives.

He also claimed that Posey was forming a "mobile squadron" to rob the San Juan State Bank and that there were "sixty men skilled in the art of mountain warfare awaiting the call to service".

Rumors began to circulate that another Indian war was about to begin so the Mormon settlers in Blanding and Bluff reacted quickly and mobilized a larger, mounted, posse to find Posey and his followers.

The posse trailed the chief's band and quickly caught up with them the next day, twenty miles from Blanding, inside a rugged area of desert strewn with canyons.

The last of the Ute Wars was over, and after Posey's band was released from Blanding, they returned to the Allen Canyon area, having received 160 acre land allotments.