Following the conclusion of the Mexican-American War, the expansion of the United States to the west coast in the nineteenth century required the conquering of the Native American tribes of the west. This was a grueling and protracted war that spanned nearly fifty years, tested the national will, and forged the nation's identity. The frontier Army was critical in this process. General George Crook emerged from this time because of his success in defeating the Native Americans when few before him could, in the most difficult environs on the continent. His success is directly attributed to his unique understanding of the context and nuance associated with the Indian problem. This study evaluates the factors that facilitated his development as a practitioner of Irregular Warfare in the Rogue River Wars, the Snake River War, and the Apache Wars. These lessons offer valuable and timeless nature of Irregular Warfare useful for today's practitioners.

Approved for public release; distribution is unlimited. The opinions and conclusions expressed herein are those of the student-authors and do not necessarily represent the views of the U.S. Army Command and General Staff College or any other governmental agency. (References to these studies should include the foregoing statement.)