Bannock War of 1895 The Bannock War of 1895 , or the Bannock Uprising , refers to a minor conflict centered around Jackson ' s Hole , Wyoming , in the United States . During the early 1890s Wyoming passed a state law prohibiting the killing of elk for their teeth , which led to the arrests of several Bannock hunters in 1895 . The arrests , and the death of one Bannock , created wildly exaggerated rumors that the natives would revolt , and the Eastern press reported that the Bannocks had massacred a large group of settlers in Jackson ' s Hole . In response the United States Army launched an expedition into the area , but when troops arrived it was found that the situation was peaceful and the fears of uprising were unjustified . Conflict . In the late 1800s and early 1900s the use of elk teeth for jewelry became popular in the United States . This led to the belief that the elk in and around Jackson ' s Hole would become extinct due to poachers who would kill the animals solely for their teeth . So in the early 1890s the Wyoming Legislature passed an act making it illegal to kill an elk wantonly . By 1895 Jackson ' s Hole was becoming a popular destination for big game hunter s who felt the local Bannock hunters were interfering with their sport . Elk was a main food source for the Bannocks , who lived on Fort Hall Reservation across the border in Idaho . In July 1895 a party of Bannock hunters was arrested , for violating the poaching act , by a posse of eight men led by Constable William Manning . A little later , near Cora , Wyoming , six more Bannocks were detained but they were released by the townspeople who couldn ' t afford to feed the prisoners . Shortly after that , an old blind native was killed in some way along Hoback Creek and nine others were arrested for poaching by Justice of the Peace Frank H . Rhodes . Rhodes , in his telegraph report , issued to Constable Manning , said ; " " Nine Indians arrested , one killed , others escaped . Many Indians reported here : threaten lives and property . Settlers are moving their families away . Want protection immediately . Action on your part is absolutely necessary . " " Once news of the incident reached the public , exaggerated reports made their way to the East Coast where finally a New York newspaper claimed that all of the settlers in Jackson ' s Hole had been massacred by the Bannocks . The headline on July 27 of the Maryland newspaper " " Baltimore Morning Herald " " read : " " Butchered by Bannocks - An Awful Massacre at Jackson ' s Hole . - TROOPS ARE TOO LATE . - Men , Women and Children Killed . - NOT ONE ESCAPED . " " The newspaper went on to say that " " [ t ] here is no doubt that the redskins have fired every home and cabin and by morning they will be repeating their work [ in Idaho ] . " " The source for the claim was three fisherman who said that " " every man , woman and child in Jackson ' s Hole [ was ] murdered . " " In an earlier article the " " Baltimore Morning Herald " " stated that their source , a mail carrier from Star Valley , said that the Bannocks had blocked off the passes leading into Jackson ' s Hole and that the residents within the area were all fleeing for their lives . In response to these claims the United States Army sent troops into the region with orders to occupy Jackson , Wyoming . Most were unable to traverse Teton Pass but one company of Buffalo Soldier s managed to descend the slopes on their wagons with ropes . However , when the soldiers entered they found no Bannocks , no dead citizens or a fire , proving that the whole situation was far different from what the newspapers were reporting . The Indian agent at Fort Hall telegraphed the following ; " " All Indians absent from reservation has returned . Had big council . Requested me to telegraph you their hearts felt good . Had not harmed a white man , and would start haying , leaving their grievances to the justice of the white man . " " The Bannock hunter Race Horse , one of those arrested for poaching , was taken to the District Court in Cheyenne to be charged , but the court held that the poaching law was superseded by the Treaty of Fort Bridger . The case then went to the Supreme Court which concluded that Bannock people were void of the poaching laws on reservation land . So the charges against Race Horse were dropped and he was released , marking the end of the second Bannock War .