Battle of Salt River Canyon

Battle of Salt River Canyon
	Part of the Yavapai War, Apache Wars
	; Salt River
Date	December 28, 1872
Location	Tonto Basin, Arizona Territory33°34′57″N 111°21′57″W / 33.5826°N 111.3659°W
Result	United States victory
Belligerents
United States	Yavapai
Commanders and leaders
George Crook	Nanni-chaddi †
Strength
130 cavalry; 30 native scouts	~110 men, women, and children
Casualties and losses
1 killed	76 killed; 34 captured

The Battle of Salt River Canyon, the Battle of Skeleton Cave,^[2] or the Skeleton Cave Massacre was the first principal engagement during the 1872 Tonto Basin Campaign under the command of Lieutenant Colonel George Crook. It was part of the Yavapai War from 1871 to 1875 against the Yavapai people, a Native American tribe in Arizona.

^ "Battle of Turret Peak". Archived from the original on 2008-05-12. Retrieved 2008-05-12.
^ ^a ^b "Battles and Massacres of the Indian Wars in the American West". Archived from the original on 2009-03-27. Retrieved 2009-03-27.
^ Michno, Gregory (2003). Encyclopedia of Indian Wars: Western Battles and Skirmishes, 1850–1890. Missoula: Mountain Press Publishing Company. p. 262. ISBN 0-87842-468-7.
^ Braatz, p. 138