On the morning of January 26, 1856, the "Battle of Seattle" began when Native Americans raided the white settlement in what is now known as Seattle. Previously warned of the attack, most settlers had barricaded themselves in a blockhouse. The attackers were driven off by artillery fire. The battle was the penultimate event in a series of armed conflicts, known as the Puget Sound War, which stemmed from Washington Territory Governor Isaac Ingalls Stevens' (1818-1862) forced treaties with local tribes during 1854 and 1855, and the government's later refusal to honor the treaties. The "war" ended with the November 1856 wrongful arrest and later execution of a central figure of the war, Nisqually Chief Leschi (1808-1858).As stated on the painting, the map shows the position of the USS Decatur during the battle. There were only two casualties for the settlers and the exact number of casualties the Indigenous peoples suffered is unknown. Little is known about the artist Adolph P. Wagner except he was in Seattle in the early 20th century.