The Pig War: Almost a Conflict Over a Swine

History has no shortage of wars sparked by territory, resources, or ideology—but very few have been triggered by a pig. In the summer of 1859, tensions between the United States and Britain reached a boiling point in the Pacific Northwest. The two nations stood on the brink of war, and all because an American farmer shot a British boar that wandered onto his potato patch. This peculiar episode, later nicknamed “The Pig War”, remains one of history’s strangest near-conflicts—mercifully ending without a single human casualty.

Setting the Stage: U.S. and Britain in the Pacific Northwest

The origins of the Pig War lie in a decades-old territorial dispute between the United States and Britain over the San Juan Islands, a picturesque but strategically located archipelago between Vancouver Island and the U.S. mainland.

By the mid-19th century, the region was a valuable frontier. The Hudson’s Bay Company, representing British interests, had established trading posts and farms, while American settlers were steadily moving in. The confusion came from the Oregon Treaty of 1846, which was supposed to clearly divide British and American territories along the 49th parallel. The treaty stated that the boundary would run along the 49th parallel “to the middle of the channel which separates the continent from Vancouver Island, and thence southerly through the middle of the said channel.”

There was just one problem: there were two possible channels—the Haro Strait (closer to Vancouver Island) and the Rosario Strait (closer to the U.S. mainland). The San Juan Islands sat right between them, and both sides claimed ownership.

The Pig Incident

On June 15, 1859, an event took place that turned simmering tensions into an international incident. American farmer Lyman Cutlar, a settler on San Juan Island, discovered a large black pig rooting through his potato garden. This was not the first time the pig had trespassed—Cutlar had complained before, but nothing had been done. In frustration, he shot the animal.

The pig, unfortunately, belonged to Charles Griffin, an employee of the Hudson’s Bay Company who managed the company’s sheep ranch on the island. Griffin was outraged, demanding that Cutlar pay him $100 in compensation (roughly equivalent to $3,500 today). Cutlar offered $10 instead, arguing that the pig had been on his land. The dispute escalated quickly, with Griffin threatening to have Cutlar arrested by British authorities.

Military Escalation

In a world already rife with mistrust between the two powers, the killing of a pig became the spark for military mobilization. American settlers feared British arrest, so they appealed to the U.S. military for protection. Brigadier General William S. Harney, commander of the U.S. Army’s Department of Oregon, took the request seriously—perhaps too seriously. He ordered Company D of the 9th U.S. Infantry, under Captain George E. Pickett (later famous for Pickett’s Charge in the American Civil War), to occupy the island.

Pickett arrived in July 1859 with about 66 soldiers and boldly declared that no British official would arrest any American citizen on San Juan Island. This direct challenge infuriated British authorities, who soon dispatched three warships under the command of Rear Admiral Robert L. Baynes to the area.

For weeks, both sides increased their forces. The Americans brought in more troops and artillery, while the British stationed additional ships offshore. At the height of the standoff, there were over 400 American soldiers and five British warships—yet remarkably, no shots were fired.

The Almost-War That Never Happened

While local commanders braced for combat, cooler heads prevailed in London and Washington. Neither nation wanted another war—especially not over a pig. In September 1859, U.S. President James Buchanan and British officials agreed to a joint military occupation of the island until the boundary dispute could be settled diplomatically.

The joint occupation arrangement worked surprisingly well. American and British soldiers set up separate camps at opposite ends of the island. They interacted socially, visited each other’s posts, held athletic competitions, and even celebrated holidays together. The only casualty of the entire episode remained the unfortunate pig.

The Final Settlement

The dispute dragged on for 12 more years. It was finally resolved in 1872 through international arbitration, with Germany’s Kaiser Wilhelm I acting as mediator. His decision favored the U.S., granting full sovereignty over the San Juan Islands to America via the Haro Strait boundary. The British accepted the ruling without further conflict, and the Pig War officially ended without a single human life lost.

Why the Pig War Matters

On the surface, the Pig War may seem like a trivial misunderstanding. However, it offers valuable lessons:

• 🐖 Minor Incidents Can Escalate Quickly – Small disputes can spiral into major crises when political tensions are high.
• 🤝 Diplomacy Over Warfare – The peaceful resolution showed the power of negotiation over armed conflict.
• 🌍 Border Clarity Matters – Vague treaties and unclear boundaries can cause decades of disputes.
• 🎭 History Can Be Absurd – Sometimes, world powers nearly come to blows over the most unlikely events.

Visiting the San Juan Island Today

Today, San Juan Island is a tranquil tourist destination known for its natural beauty, whale watching, and historical landmarks. Visitors can explore American Camp and English Camp, preserved as part of the San Juan Island National Historical Park. Interpretive signs and reconstructed buildings tell the story of the Pig War, and you can even see the spot where the famous potato patch once stood.

For history enthusiasts, the island is a reminder that diplomacy can avert disaster—and that sometimes, the most bizarre causes can nearly lead to war.

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Sources & Further Reading

• Lang, William L. “The Pig War.” Oregon Encyclopedia.
• McDonald, Lucile. The Pig War: Standoff at Griffin Bay. Binfords & Mort, 1968.
• San Juan Island National Historical Park, National Park Service.
• “The Pig War of 1859.” Washington State Historical Society.