THE PIG WAR, SAN JUAN ISLANDS, WASHINGTON The US GenWeb Archives provide genealogical and historical data to the general public without fee or charge of any kind. It is intended that this material not be used in a commercial manner. All submissions become part of the permanent collection. Written by Kevin Fraley ©1997. Submitted by Kevin Fraley June 5, 1997. Both above notices must remain when copied or downloaded. Swimref@cmc.net _____________________________________________________________________________ The Pig War It is a little known fact that the last time British and American troops faced each other with guns drawn was not during the War of 1812 but from 1859 to 1872 in the San Juan Archipelago of Washington Territory, claimed by the British in a dispute over terms of the Treaty of 1846. The conflict was brought into the open in 1859 when a British pig repeatedly invaded the potato patch of an American settler, and was finally shot dead. Although the settler offered to pay damages to the pig's British owner, the offer was refused and the situation quickly became an affair of national honor to both sides. Luckily, the pig was the only casualty of the 13 year standoff. American troops were landed first, closely watched by the British Navy, which landed a force of Royal Marines a few months later. The troops faced each other in a sometimes uneasy joint occupation throughout the 1860's. The two governments finally agreed to submit the dispute to binding arbitration by a neutral party, and the new Emperor of Germany was selected. In late 1871 the decision came down in favor of the Americans, and a few months later the British evacuated, sawing up their flagpole into sections immediately after striking the Union Jack rather than allowing the Stars and Stripes to be raised on it. American forces were withdrawn in 1874. The American Camp was located at the southern end of San Juan Island, and the English Camp near the northern end of the same island. The two sites have been preserved and now make up the San Juan Island National Historical Park. Commanders of American and British Garrisons American Camp, 1859-1874 July 1859 - August 1859 Capt. George E. Pickett August 1859 - October 1859 Lt. Col. Silas Casey October 1859 - November 1859 Capt. Granville O. Haller November 1859 - April 1860 Capt. Louis C. Hunt April 1860 - July 1861 Capt. George E. Pickett July 1861 - November 1861 Capt. Thomas C. English November 1861 - February 1862 1st Lt. Augustus Robinson February 1862 - October 1865 Capt./Maj. Lyman Bissell October 1865 - June 1867 Capt. Thomas Grey June 1867 - July 1868 Maj. Harvey A. Allen July 1868 - September 1868 Capt. Thomas Grey September 1868 - November 1868 Capt. Azor H. Nickerson November 1868 - January 1869 2nd Lt. John P. Peterson January 1869 - January 1872 Capt. Joseph T. Haskell January 1872 - September 1872 1st Lt. E.B. Hubbard September 1872 - July 1874 1st Lt. James A. Haughey English Camp, 1860-1872 March 1860 - June 1867 Capt. George Bazalgette June 1867 - October 1872 Capt. William Delacombe Official U.S. Army names of American Camp July 1859 - August 1859 Military Post, San Juan Island August 10, 1859 - May 1863 * Camp Pickett June 1863 - September 1865 San Juan Island October 1865 - February 1867 U.S. Forces on San Juan Island March 1867 - November 23, 1868 Camp Steele November 23, 1868 - July 1874 Camp San Juan Island * Here we see the rather unusual situation of an active Union Army Post during the Civil War named for a man who was a Confederate General in rebellion against the Union at the time. Pickett's name was not removed from the post until a few weeks before Gettysburg, where he was immortal- ized in history as the leader of the greatest infantry charge the world has ever seen, before or since.