Who were the Civilized Ones?

In the Southwest, guerrilla war between the white settlers and the Apache had become long and bloody in the 1860s.  Cochise and Mangsr Coloradas had allied together and with 700 of their warriors, ambushed and ravaged the Southwest until the Gila River country in southern Arizona was cleared of all ranchers - except for one.  Pete Kitchen turned his hilltop adobe ranch house into a fortress and dealt out punishment and grief to the Apache raiders until they left him alone. 

There was another idea - Thomas Jeffords dealt with the problem by talking.  Jeffords was a six-foot New Yorker with a flaming red beard.  As superintendent of mail between Fort Bowie and Tucson, he had lost 14 drivers in just 16 months.  He had had enough.  He rode alone to Cochise's mountain stronghold where the only reason he wasn't killed was because he startled the Apache by his confidence.  Jeffords dropped his guns and requested to speak to Cochise.  Cochise was a courageous kind of guy and found the same in Jeffords.  They formed an immediate friendship with Jeffords staying on with Cochise for several days.  After that, the Apache never again attacked one of Jeffords drivers. 

The war between whites and Apaches went on however.  Mangas Coloradas was weary of battles and certain of coming defeat when we went to talk with General Joseph West in 1863.  He wanted peace - what he got was murdered.  Cochise doubled his raids, yet wanted peace as well.  The adds against him were too great.  In 1871, 128 unarmed Apache were massacred by a mob of Arizonans.  Humanitarians in the East wanted a stop to the slaughter on both sides.

Who were the uncivilized???


Next Time - Was peace possible?
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Today on Pioneer History: "On November 20, 1843,  the growing community along the banks of the Missouri River adopts the more impressive St. Joseph as its name. It was established as the Blacksnake Hills trading post in 1826, and as with many early western towns, St. Joseph began as a fur trading post. 

Walker's New Plan

During those 3 months, Walker had not lost a man and only 2 or 3 were wounded by the Apache, none seriously.  Six Apache were killed.  Walker's party was no closer to Arizona than before so Walker devised a new plan - kidnap Chief Mangas.  Now Mangas was about 6'4" - 6'7" by all historical accounts.  The plan:  if white men were allowed to pass through Apache territory without harm, Mangas would be released unharmed. 

Walker did kidnap Mangas, but the military disregarded Walker's plan and killed Mangas.  After that, the military sent troops to kill some 20 Apache.  Walker left Fort McLane  in disgust.

Walker's party stopped to explore the upper waters of the San Francisco River and then on to Tucson in April of 1863.  They came to present day Phoenix and then on to Prescott. By Christmas of 1863, there were so many newcomers in the area that Walker had had enough and relinquished command of the party.  He is recorded as saying "We opened the door and held it open for civilization and now civilization will do the rest."

Next time...Civilized Arizona?

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Today in History:  On January 22, 1870, pursuing American soldiers badly beat Cheyenne Chief Dull Knife (Mountain Star) and his people as they make a desperate bid for freedom. In doing so, the soldiers effectively crushed the so-called Dull Knife Outbreak in Wyoming/Montana.

Walker vs. Mangas

Mangas Coloradas, the only Apache chief with enough influence and reputation to work with other
tribes, met with the calvary military at Apache Pass in Southeast Arizona.  Along with his son-in-law, Cochise, and 200 Apache, Mangas fought well.  After 6 hours of battle, he was wounded and forced to retreat.  By the time Captain Joseph Walker and his men came along, the Apache wanted revenge.

It was a human chess game between the two old veterans.  Walker wanted to get out of Apache territory and to the Continental Divide in southern Arizona.  Mangas wanted to harass and stop Walker altogether.  Both wanted as little bloodshed as possible.

Since Walker and his men were outnumbered 3:1, they were relatively safe in the open with their sharpshooters inflicting ocassional wounds, while Mangas tried to lure Walker into an ambush and raided his livestock. 

Walker's party went up and down New Mexico, staying to the east of the mountains and looking for a way through.  Constantly dogged by the Apache, they eventually ran out of water and had to travel through Apache territory to a spring.

In the end, they outwitted the Apache, made it to water and out again to present day Sioux City and Fort McLane in January 1863. 

Next time...Walker's New Plan

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Today in History: On January 19, 1847,  Mexicans, angered by the abusive behavior of American soldiers occupying Taos,  strike back by murdering the American-born New Mexican governor Charles Bent.  (refer back to earlier posts in Pioneer Pieces for Captain Joseph Walker in Taos)

Bullies of the Southwest

The Apache occupied most of south central New Mexico and Arizona and were the most dangerous in the SW as far as whites were concerned.  Their economy depended on robbery and they preyed on agricultural tribes like the Hopi, Pima, and Pagago.  They took supplies, women and children for slave markets, weapons, ammunition and particularly horses.  Unlike the plains Indians, they didn't keep large horse herds, nor did they value them as Indians in the north or east did - to the Apache a horse was disposable.  Even the Spanish and Mexicans couldn't deal with the Apache. 

In the first half of the 19th century (1850s), the American ranchers and settlers began arriving and the Apache turned on the settlers for profit - with the goal of ridding the area of all white men which they came very close to doing.  I
n 1861-1862, travel through the area was actually stopped and settlers fled to Tucson and Mesilla. 

Next Time...After the Gold Rush

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On This Day in History:  On January 8, 1877,  Crazy Horse and his warriors--outnumbered, low on ammunition and forced to use outdated weapons to defend themselves--fight their final losing battle against the U.S. Cavalry in Montana.

Apache!

Fort Craig, where Captain Walker's party camped, was the last military post on the river below Albuquerque. After a  gift of a whiskey party, Walker was ready to get serious.  They were entering dangerous Indian territory, so from now on campfires in the middle of the camp with the men's beds in a circle around it was the rule.  Saddles nearby to provide cover and horses would graze beyond the men and on the perimeter armed guards would patrol in shifts throughout the night.

Three days out from Fort Craig it happened.  Around midnight a group of Apache slipped through the guards, attempted to stampede the livestock - but it failed. The Apache escaped unseen but Walker gave the guards a piece of his mind and went back to bed.  In the morning light, smoke signals on the hills were visible and Walker explained to his greenhorn men that they were telegraph signals.

Next time....Bullies of the Southwest

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This Day in History...On January 5, 1846, the U.S. House of Representatives passes a resolution calling for an end to British-American sharing of the Oregon Territory,  boldly reversing its long-standing policy of "free and open" occupation.