This monument is a rock structure, with plaques on each side, and a miniature Teepee on the top. One plaque is by the Pioneer Trails and Landmarks Association and others. Another plaque is by the National Park Service, and another by the Daughters of the Utah Pioneers. The fourth plaque is missing.
The Battle of Bear River, as it was called, and later designated as the Bear River Massacre, was fought in this vicinity January 29, 1863. Col. P. E. Connors, led 300 California Volunteers from Camp Douglas, Utah, against Bannock and Shoshone Indians, who had been blamed for hostile attacks on emigrants and settlers. Although exact numbers differ, more than 400 Indians were trapped and destroyed in battle as they occupied a winter camp that offered ideal protection in Battle Creek Canyon. They suffered a military disaster unmatched in western history, when Connor’s Force struck at daybreak. 250 to 300 Indians were killed, including 90 women and children, and lodges were burned. Very few Indians survived, not only the battle but also the cold.