As mentioned in the introduction, the
start of the Apache wars was the breach of faith
on the part of the U.S. Army. After Cochise
escaped he captured a number of civilians to
exchange for his relatives. They were being held
at the stage station located at Apache Pass. The
station was garrisoned by a Company of the 7th
Infantry and Cochise put it under siege. The
Army refused to make any exchange, so Cochise
put his hostages to death. The Army retaliated
by hanging the three chiefs which they were
still holding. [18]
Due to these events Cochise and Mangas
Colorado (Red Shirt), the Mimbreno Apache war
chief, joined forces. Their attacks stopped all
stage and wagon traffic, and drove the miners
from Apache lands. When the Civil War started,
they fought both sides.
Early in 1862, General Carleton of the
California Volunteers, was moving his California
units along the nowclosed wagon road through
Apache Pass. They marched in small battalions
and used the old stage station as a camp because
a spring was located at the station.
On July 15, 1862, Cochise and Mangas
deployed 500 of their warriors an the high
ground controlling the pass and spring. A small
battalion of three infantry companies, a cavalry
troop and a section of guns (300 men total), was
ambushed as it entered the pass. The ambush
drove the troops out of the pass. The battalion
reformed and attempted to storm the pass, but
was stopped 100 yards from the spring. The
Apaches were only driven from their positions
when the guns were brought into action. [19] The
Apaches lost about 63 men. [20]
The following day, in a skirmish with the
cavalry troop, Mangas was wounded, so Cochise
broke off the action and moved into Mexico,
capturing the village of Janos. The surgeon who
lived there was given a simple ultimatum, 'make
his well. If he dies, the town dies' .[21]
Mangas lived and so did the town.
In January 1863, after he had recovered,
Mangas entered the camp of Capt. Edward
Shirland's Volunteers to talk peace at
Shirland's request. Mangas was arrested and sent
to Fort McLean. There he was killed at the order
of General West. [22]
The chance for peace was missed. Due to
the Army's actions and the murder of Mangas,
Victoria and the Hescalero Apaches joined the
Chiricahua and Hisbres on the warpath. Cochise
and Victoria now had 600 warriors under arms and
kept the southwest in turmoil. [23]
After the Civil War, the government tried
to make peace. Nana and Victoria responded, but
peace was not achieved due to mistrust. [24]
For the next five years, however, the
hostile Apaches stayed away from forts and
settlements. Raids on ranches and mines
continued. [25]
From 1864 to 1871 the government was able
to befriend the White Mountain Apaches when they
built a post on their lands. White Mountain war
parties were used at least once during Kit
Carson's campaign against the Navajos, to
reinforce the New Mexico Volunteers. Some were
probably hired as scouts, as well, during this
period. A reservation was set aside for them on
their own land by the Department of Indian
Affairs, with the intent of saying other Apache
bands to it. [26]
Early in 1871 Eskiminin's band of
Aravaipas Apaches case in on the condition that
they not go to the reservation, but stay on their own
lands near Aravaipha Creek. A far-sighted officer, Lt. Whitman,
told Eskisinin that if he surrendered the weapons of his band,
he could permit their request and allow them to stay as
technical prisoners. They established a village near Camp
Grant and were hired by ranchers in the area. By mid-March
other Apaches had joined them. [27]
Still other Apaches, however, were at war. A raid in
retaliation against the unarmed Aravaipas was planned and
carried out by civilians from Tucson. At dawn on April 30, 1871,
a band of 140 well-armed men overran the Aravaipa camp,
destroying it and capturing 27 children who were sold into
slavery in Mexico. [28]
In June 1871, General Crook took over the command
of the Department of Arizona. His primary goal was to bring
Cochise and his band in from the warpath. After almost 10
years of war, against the Mexican and U.S. Governments,
Cochise at 60 years of age, was ready for peace, but not with
Crook. While Crook, with five troops of cavalry was searching
the Arizona Territory, Cochise entered peace talks with General
Granger. Peace was finally concluded when the new
Chiricahua Reservation was located on traditional Chiricahua
land, and Tom Jeffords, Cochise's old friend, was appointed
the agent. [29]
Cochise died in 1874. His son, Taza, became chief but
was unable to secure the allegiance of all the Chiicahuas. In
1875 Crook was sent north against the Sioux. [3]
Government mismanagement again surfaced when it
was decided to move the Chiricahuas to the San
Carlos Reservation. Taza was cooperative, but
only half of the Chiricahua saved with him. The
others fled to Mexico with Geronimo. [31]
During the winter of 1876-77, Geronimo's
raids in Mexico enabled his to accumulate large
herds of cattle and horses. In the spring of
1877 he moved his herds into New Mexico and sold
them to local ranchers for guns and supplies. [32]
Frustrated by the mismanagement of the
reservation, Victoria led his band off the
reservation and joined Geronimo. Establishing a
stronghold in Mexico, the 200 warriors under
Victoria and Geronimo raided ranches in Old and
New Mexico and Texas. When U.S. Cavalry units
would attempt to ride them down, they would slip
across the border into Mexico . [33]
Victoria's band was finally run down by
the Mexican Army on October 14, 1880. In the
Castillo Hills between Chihuahua and El Paso, the
Mexicans trapped the Apaches, killing 78
(including Victoria) and capturing 68 women and
children. [34]
The war dragged on, however, and in
September 1881, Nana and Chato slipped off the
reservation with their bands. The reservations
were used to recruit replacements for the Apache
raiders. [35]
In January 1882, Chato and Geronimo left
their stronghold in the Sierra Madera in an
attempt to convince Loco and his band to join
them. On April 18, 1882, Loco and his people
bolted from the reservation. Their freedom,
however, was short-lived. Colonel Garcia
discovered their route into the Sierra Madera,
and set an ambush with his 6th Mexican Infantry.
Loco's band walked right into the ambush. Seventy-eight were killed and 33 were captured. [36]
A number of warriors escaped, including
Loco, Naiche, Chato and Geronimo. [37]
Due to the continuing war, Crook was sent
again to the Department of Arizona. The
Government could not have picked a better man.
With his years of campaigns against the Indians
he now had a deep respect for them. [38]
On May 1, 1883, with the permission of
the Mexican authorities, Crook entered Mexico
with a force of 250 men (193 of them Indian
Scouts). [39]
Crook's force surprised the Chiricahua's
camp while the warriors were away. With their
camp taken, Crook was able to open peace talks
with the warriors when they returned. [40]
Crook, with his understanding of Apache
customs and the use of scouts who were related to
the renegades, was able to persuade thee to
return to the reservation. [41]
As an interesting side note, on the way
back to the U.S. he allowed the Chiricahuas to
round up a number of Mexican horses to take with
them. These were sold and the money given back to
the Mexican Government. [42]
Mismanagement again caused Geronimo to
leave the reservation. General Miles took
command in April 1886. With the help of the
Mexican Army, Miles chased Geronimo and his 20
warriors into the ground. Geronimo came in for
the last time when Lt. Charles with two Apache
Scouts entered the Sierra Madres and talked him
into surrendering. [43] With this final act the
Chiricahua War ended.
The Chiricahut War lasted 20 years.
Without the aid of the Apache Scouts it would
have lasted longer. From a wargame standpoint,
the war offers a number of opportunities. The
forces used were small. Most of the figures are
available from Frei Corps in 15s and from a
number of manufacturers in larger scales. For
tabletop actions a hidden movement system is a
must (NOT JUST FOR THE APACHES). Both sides
suffered from ambushes. Even though the area the
war was fought over was 90,000 square miles,
there were only certain places where mountains
and rivers could be crossed, cutting down the
area considerably.
[1] Forbes, APACHE, NAVAHO AND SPANIARD, Univ.
of Oklahoma Press, Norman, 1960, p. xi.
The Apache Wars
CONCLUSION
NOTES AND BIBLI0GRAPHY
[2] IBID xvi-xvii
[3] IBID: pp 281-284
[4] IBID.
[5] Basso, Keith H., WESTERN APACHE RAIDERS AND
WARFARE, Univ. of Arizona Press, Tucson, 1983,
p. 13.
[6] IBID, p. 1.
[7] IBID, p. 13.
[8] IBID, p. 14.
[9] IBID
[10] IBID, pp. 14-15.
[11] IBID, P. 15.
[12] IBID, pp. 16-18; Rickey, Dan, 40 MILES A DAY
ON BEANS AND HAY, Univ. of Oklahoma Press,
Norman, 1963, p. 277.
[13] Basso, pp. 19-20.
[14] IBID, p. 305.
[15] IBID, pp. 311, 312.
[16] IBID, pp. 305, 306, 119.
[17] IBID, pp. 109, 307.
[18] Brown, Dee, BURY MY HEART AT WOUNDED KNEE,
Washington Square Press, 1981, p. 190.
[19] IBID, p. 190.
[20] IBID, p. 192.
[21] IBID.
[22] IBID, pp. 192-194.
[23] IBID, p. 194.
[24] IBID, pp. 194, 195.
[25] IBID, p. 195.
[26] IBID.
[27] IBID, pp. 196-197.
[28] IBID, pp. 197-198.
[29] IBID, pp. 200-207.
[30] IBID, pp. 211, 212, 370.
[31] Brasso, p. 104.
[32] IBID, pp. 372-373.
[33] IBID, pp, 374-375.
[34] IBID, p. 376; Brown, p. 310.
[35] IBID, p, 376; IBID, p. 310.
[36] Brasso, p. 310.
[37] Brown, p. 377.
[38] IBID, pp. 377-379.
[39] Brasso, p. 312.
[40] IBID, p. 163.
[41] IBID, pp. 168, 169.
[42] IBID, pp. 169-171.
[43] IBID.
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