Introduction
Apache refers to the Athapaskan speaking peoples of the American southwest, in the present-day states of Arizona and New Mexico.
This series will explore the critical battles, wars and movements of Apacheria.
https://crackpot.substack.com/t/apacheria
US Military Command Structure
[1] The U.S. military was split into five divisions across the entirety of the United States in the 1860s-1880s. Each division was, in turn, sub-divided into departments. These were the authority structures and their respective commanders for much of the Apache war in the 1860s-1880s.
Arizona fell under the jurisdiction of the Department of California, while New Mexico was under Department of Missouri. Basic communication could take months to travel through the interface between those two departments within the two divisions. This also meant the west Apache fell under Dept. of California and east under Missouri.
[2] Most parties all around, Indian, military and settler safely assumed Indian Agents were corrupt or worthless until proven otherwise. The Agents were notorious for pocketing or profiting from goods intended to go to Indians. These goods were often given to Indians on reservation or as fulfillment of treaty. Rather than give the goods as intended, the Agents would sell some part of the goods and pocket the money. The absence of those payments effectively broke the treaty agreements. Often without other means of subsistence, many natives went off the reservation and back into the wild to raiding activity to make their living.
[3] The US military was on the hook to the Mexican military to stop Apache raids from American soil by the Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo in 1848.
[4] 1870 - General George Crook and General George Stoneman are commanders of the Department of Arizona created in 1871.
This system of organization with bureaucratic fault lines breaking right through the heart of Apacheria created even more confusion that would be expected within the norms of 19th century American military. On the one hand, this allowed the Apache to play off both sides - but on the other the red tape in communication between divisions and departments was no small thing. One such delay played an insidious role in the chain of events that led to the Camp Grant massacre and missed an opportunity to end the war much sooner, which would have saved countless lives from meeting horrible ends.
“Lt. Whitman wrote to General Stoneman for instructions… there was a good possibility that a large part of the Apache nation would surrender willingly. What did Stoneman advise? Unfortunately, Whitman had neglected to brief his letter on the outside of the envelope per army regulations. Six weeks later the letter was returned with a curt notation calling attention to the missing brief. No acknowledgement that a significant number of Apache had surrendered, no instructions for further orders, no indication the letter had been read.” - Worcester. pg. 119
Forts
Map reproduced from Thrapp. (Military forts established throughout Apacheria highlighted.) The Chiricahua, such as Geronimo, were by geographic proximity located closest to the strategic fold of the United States-Mexico border.
The layout of the native peoples over this same area is covered previously -
What’s in all names?
Of note the Warm Springs Apache in New Mexico as listed on the map above - The Warm Springs Apache have no icon in the earlier legend of this series. This is because some history holds the Warm Springs and White Mountain Apache are considered as separate bands, like the Coyoteros and Chiracahua - other sources consider the Warm Springs and Chiracahua as one. Maybe it was one band that migrated between both locales in the mountainous architecture. In any case, the intent of the distinctive glyphs is to put a unique representation to distinguish the bands and people within the Apache as well as give the native warriors and people’s names. The main point is anti-monolithic and referential to historical frame. The Apache band nomenclature is based on geography, literally the names of mountains or valleys - and colonial Spanish names. As is many of the people, until the thick-tongued Americans come in. Rather than colorful Spanish ‘Mangas the Red’, we get ‘Big Rump’ and Charley-Pan. Where natives may be found are given preference to what the no love lost nicknames whites gave.
Climate change?
One question arises - was the Apacheria region more habitable when the Apache first arrived in there in time immemorial? Probably so - it’s harder to imagine the ancestors of the Apache landing in Arizona and New Mexico in its present state than it is to imagine a climate change from greener, wetter lands that dried out over the centuries. The people living there probably started from a better place and able to adapt and evolve with the harshening conditions over time. Similar to the path of Egypt as breadbasket heartland to desert modern state.
Manhunt for Big Rump
[1] June 1868. A party of soldiers under Sgt. Lemon depart from Camp Reno. Their task is to deliver mail, mostly greenbacks, to Fort McDowell. They cross the Reno Pass and head down where they are ambushed by 100+ warriors.
One of the private Murphy’s is killed first with private Merrill. Seargent Lemon makes it a few hundred yards before falling from his saddle.
[2] The second private Murphy ran to the top of a hill, where he fortified, himself, and made a hard fight, but was overwhelmed.
[3] Private Theely flees to Sunflower and finds a stockade to fight from. Theely shelters there until night and then slips away under cover of darkness, escaping the Apache, living to tell the tale.
The mail bag and torn envelopes are found on the scene with the dead soldiers. The money gone. This area is Big Rump territory. Big Rump is an Apache chief named Wah-Poo-Eta. So Big Rump is the prime suspect in the murder robbery.
One year later. Summer 1869
[1] Some Apache walk into an ambush setup by Maricopa and Pima warriors in a canyon river bottom. The Maricopa are led by the warrior Juan Chiveria.
[2]
“The Maricopas, waiting until they were sure of their prey, opened fire. A few of the victims broke and ran back up the canyon, thereby denying the Pimas a chance to get in on the fight. One heavy-set Indian was chased about one hundred yards up the canyon, then up a draw to the north, where he was slain. This ended the bloody career of Big Rump.” - Thrapp. pg. 61
The warriors bring Jack Swilling and Lt. McCleave to the scene - scraps of paper and greenbacks found on Wah-poo-eta’s corpse to implicate him in the Reno Pass mail raid of a year before.
Ballad of George Banghart’s Cow
George raised this cow upon the River Thames.
In the spring of 1857 George drove her to Atchison, Missouri.
The next spring the cow walked the Santa Fe trail to Bear Spring, west of the San Francisco Mountains.
The cow stayed for 1.5 years at Fort Stanton.
In 1861 George drove her via the Rio Grand through Tucson to Los Angeles County.
In 1866 George drove her to Prescott, AZ.
Through it all the cow had given 10-20 quarts of milk a day and produced a calf each year.
At last the Indians stampeded her away. A stricken George swore he would trade away his remaining herd in return for the cow. To no avail, only a pathetic trail remained.
“The faithful animal was stampeded away by Indians, her swollen udder banging painfully against her worn hind legs as she managed for a time to keep up with the other stock.” - Thrapp pg. 62
Phew! That was one epic cow.
In connection to the story of George Banghart’s cow, the story of the warrior king Vishvamitra fighting with the sage Vasistha over his prized cow Nandini.
Related
General Sherman was also in the story of Roman Nose.
What was happening outside Apacheria in the 1860s?
The war between the states from 1860-1865 pulled the best officers and soldiers away from the frontiers of Arizona, New Mexico, Texas, Colorado, Kansas, Nebraska and other interior states east.
References
Gwynne, S. C. (2010). Empire of the Summer Moon: Quanah Parker and the rise and fall of the Comanches, the most powerful Indian tribe in American history.
Cornelius C. Smith, Jr. Fort HuaChuca The story of a frontier post.
Thrapp, D. L. (1975). The conquest of Apacheria. University of Oklahoma Press.
Worcester, D. E. (1979). The Apaches Eagles of the Southwest. University of Oklahoma Press.
Melody, M. E. (1989). The Apaches. Chelsea House Publishers.