The Williams Station massacre was an incident that ignited the Pyramid Lake War of 1860.
There are conflicting versions as to why an Indian war party killed all the white men and burned Williams Station.
[6] When James O. Williams returned he found his two brothers' bodies mutilated and tortured, as well as three other patrons of the saloon murdered.
[8]: 72–73 [9] The deaths of the white settlers led to great panic with nearby Virginia City, Nevada.
Hays' force returned to the site of Williams Station and won a small victory there before being united with U.S.