In 1861, cattle were being driven over the Sierras to feed the mining boon town of Aurora. Some cattlemen had begun ranching nearby in the Owens Valley. The consequences of the disastrous winter caused by the Great Flood of 1862 and the encroachment of the cattle on the food supply of the Paiute led to the threat of starvation for the Owens Valley Paiute who were forced to take cattle to feed themselves. This led to a conflict with these ranchers that broke into open warfare, known as the Owens Valley Indian War. The settlers sent word to the county seat at Visalia for help and William Mayfield led a band of Tulare County militiamen to the aid of the settlers there.