George Armstrong Custer

Most Americans know at least a little about Custer’s Last Stand, also known as the Battle of the Little Bighorn. The incident has an epic quality worthy of Homer’s Illiad or Virgil’s Aeneid.

The battle took place on June 25^th & 26^th, 1876 between the combined forces of the Lakoda, Northern Cheyenne, and Arapaho tribes led by Crazy Horse and Chief Gall on one side against Lieutenant Colonel George Armstrong Custer and the U.S. 7^th Cavalry on the other.

To say that this battle on the plains of Montana Territory was a huge success for the Indians would be an understatement. Not only was Custer killed, along with two of his brothers, a nephew, and a brother-in-law; five of the 7^th Cavalry’s 12 companies were annihilated. Including scouts, the U.S. Army lost 268 dead and 55 injured.

The 700-strong 7^th Cavalry was simply overwhelmed by more than 2,000 enraged, well-armed, and well-led Indian warriors inspired by the great Lakota medicine man and tribal leader, Sitting Bull.

While the Plains Indians clearly won the battle, they soon lost the war. Sitting Bull surrendered to the U.S. Army in 1881.

The Battle of the Little Bighorn is famous in part because it had enormous consequences; for the Indians, the Army, and the horde of white settlers who sought cheap land on the Great Plains and and miners who sought mineral wealth in Black Hills.

The Bascom Affair
By contrast, almost no Arizonans, let alone other Americans, know about another battle that also had enormous consequences. It’s called the Bascom Affair and took place in Southern Arizona at Apache Pass in 1861 between the Chiricahua Apaches and the U.S. Army. It’s called the Bascom Affair because a poorly prepared West Point graduate, 24-year-old Lieutenant George Bascom, earned the wrath of Cochise, the great Chiricahua leader. The incident ignited the Apache Wars that resulted in the deaths of several thousand people: Anglos, Mexicans, and Apaches.

Lt. George Bascom

While it started as a relatively minor skirmish compared to Custer’s defeat, the Apache Wars saw Mexicans and Americans terrorized for the next quarter century. In the end, it took 5,000 U.S. soldiers and a couple hundred Apache scouts to finally run Geronimo, and his fast-dwindling band of hostiles, to ground in 1886 at Skeleton Canyon; not far from the town of Douglas in Arizona Territory. When the Apache Wars ended, the once proud Chiricahua Apaches were all but annihilated.

The few hundred humiliated and desperately impoverished Chiricahuas who survived the war, including the Army scouts that had made Geronimo’s capture possible, were shipped to Florida as prisoners of war. They were never allowed to return to their beautiful highland home we call the Chiricahua Mountains, a little more than an hour drive east of Tucson.

The Kidnapping
The Bascom Affair began on January 27, 1861, when Coyotero Apaches raided the ranch of John Ward at Sonoita Creek, stole some livestock, and kidnapped Ward’s 12-year-old stepson Felix. Ward complained about the raid to the commandant of Fort Buchanan, Lieutenant Colonel Morrison. Morrison ordered Lieutenant Bascom and 54 infantry soldiers to attempt to recover the boy and livestock by whatever means necessary. Ward and Bascom mistakenly believed that the raid was carried out by a band of Chiricahua Apaches led by Cochise, whose mountain homeland included, not only the Chiricahuas, but also the Dragoon and Dos Cabezas Mountains in Southeastern Arizona.

Apache Pass
Apache Pass separates the Dos Cabazas Mountains from the Chiricahuas. Here Apache Springs was the only reliable source of water for many miles in any direction. Ft. Bowie was built here to support the Army’s many, mostly ineffective, campaigns against the Chiricahua Apaches. Today, I-10 runs very near Apache Pass and the ruins of Fort Bowie 25 miles east of Willcox.

Ruins of Ft. Bowie in Apache Pass.

Back then, Anglo and Mexican stagecoach drivers and passengers, as well as wagon train teamsters and all their horses, mules, and oxen desperately needed that water on their arduous east-west journey. The problem in 1861 was that the Chiricahua Apaches had held sole possession of the Pass for several hundred years and they were not inclined to share it with these foreign invaders.

When Bascom arrived at Apache Pass with his soldiers in February 1861, they set up camp and sent word to Cochise that they had come in peace and just wanted to talk.

A day later, Cochise arrived unarmed with several family members. Bascom invited Cochise into his tent for a parley.

The following quotes are from a fine new book; The Wrath Of Cochise, by Terry Mort.

“This was the first time Bascom had been in such close contact with an Apache … It would not be surprising if Bascom felt a little uneasy at first. He was staring into the eyes of someone entirely different from anyone in his experience, a nearly perfect representative or embodiment of “otherness”.

“All accounts of Cochise portray him as an imposing figure. Indeed, he could be, and often was, a frightening presence, even to his own people. Said Lieutenant Joseph Sladen, “He carried himself at all times with great dignity and was always treated by those about him with the utmost respect and, at times, fear.” At this stage in his life, he was in his late forties, still vigorous, and no doubt menacing, especially when alarmed or annoyed. He had a ferocious temper … “

Taza, oldest son of Cochise. He was transported to Washington D.C. so see for himself the futility of contesting White expansion. While there, he died of pneumonia. People said he looked like his famous father. There are no known photographs of Cochise.

“Everything about Cochise – his dress, his long, black hair streaked with silver; his prideful demeanor – all of this and more must have been startling and weirdly fascinating to Bascom. There in front of him was the perfect barbarian, [like a wild Germanic chieftain] who might have stepped out of Caesar’s Commentaries …”

“… facing [Bascom] was this older Apache, this visitor from another time and place. He looked different, he dressed differently, he spoke an impenetrable language, and was said to be a murderer and thief. Unquestionably, Cochise had personally shed human blood with an edged weapon, which meant he had looked into the eyes of his victims as he was killing them. Bascom had never done anything like that; he had yet to injure, much less kill, anyone, even at a distance with a rifle shot.”

Cochise would not have been impressed with Bascom. “[He] had no understanding of the complexities of white culture. His only contacts had been with a few miners, transient emigrants, corrupt traders, Butterfield (stagecoach) employees, and soldiers. Few of these inspired much admiration or respect. He had no idea of the size of the gathering storm.”

In the tent, Bascom accused Cochise of stealing Ward’s livestock and stepson. Cochise was insulted. He told Bascom that neither he nor his warriors had anything to do with that incident. He also told Bascom that he would try to find out who was involved and return the boy and livestock.

At this point Bascom, in effect, called Cochise a liar and a thief … to his face! BIG MISTAKE! Amazingly, Cochise managed to escape the confines of Bascom’s tent, but his wife, children, and nephews were taken hostage in an attempt to force Cochise to cave to Bascom’s demands.

What followed over the next few days were several failed attempts by Cochise to exchange hostages. He tortured to death 4 Mexicans just to assuage his anger, but kept 3 Americans hostages alive to trade for his family.

But Bascom wouldn’t trade. He kept replying to Cochise’s entreaties by saying he could have his family back when the boy and livestock were returned. The Chiricahuas became more and more frustrated. To get his family back, Cochise and his warriors mounted a wild frontal assault on Bascom’s well-established defensive position. When that failed, Cochise became even more enraged and one barbaric cruelty followed another … by both sides. Cochise’s war of revenge was on.

Whites Call For Extermination
The White settlers and miners clamored for the Army to protect them. The vast majority advocated extermination. This editorial in the Tucson Star reflects the general sentiment toward the Apaches that grew louder and more hysterical as the seemingly endless war continued.

“The very ground is moist with the blood of our murdered people. The very air rings with the shrieks of the victims of Apache atrocities. The glare of the frontiersman’s burning cabin signifies the fact that the Apache is on the warpath … not because he is [in] want of food; not because the whites have molested him in any manner, but purely in the spirit of fiendish rapine and murder; not to seek food or shelter, but to seek victims to satiate his devilish disposition to kill and destroy. The Apache is by nature bloodthirsty, and having no sense of responsibility, gratifies his cruel, heartless thirst for blood by murder an rapine.” Reprinted in the New York Times on November 29, 1885, the headline read: ‘Whites Advised to Attack and Slaughter Them”.

The U.S. Army, unlike the Mexican Army, had some ethical qualms about exterminating a people. But its officers were caught between the demands of the civilian population and their own rules of engagement. They had no problem killing Apache combatants, but were not willing to deliberately kill Apache women and children. The following quote is by Lt. Colonel Pitcairn Morrison, commanding officer at Ft. Buchanan and Bascom’s direct report.

“I cannot see any other course but to feed them or exterminate them.”

If you enjoy Arizona history, I wholeheartedly recommend Terry Mort’s The Wrath of Cochise (copyright 2013). Well researched and well written, Mort reveals a compelling true story of flawed characters, poor judgment (in hindsight), and sweeping historical forces that initially brought Cochise and Bascom together; and then set the stage for a generation of all-out war that raged over the vast expanse that is the American Southwest and Northern Mexico. Moreover, Mort shines a penetrating spotlight on their respective cultures, the personal experiences that led to the decisions they made, and the tragic consequences of their choices. Like so much of Southern Arizona history, the facts are far more interesting than the myths.

For more features about Southern Arizona’s extraordinary past, visit SouthernArizonaGuide > Local History.

San Pedro River. Photo by Francie Hills.

I received a flyer in my email the other day about some upcoming events that look interesting. On one of our Sunday day trips last January, Ms. Karen & I visited the San Pedro River at two locations: the San Pedro House and the ghost town of Fairbank. The San Pedro House is the visitor center for this riparian conservation area. From here you can take a walk on a short nature trail near the House or take another trail that winds along the river for miles. At Fairbank, you can visit the ruins of this mining community on the east bank of the San Pedro. There are trails from here that go down to the river and also to the Fairbank Cemetery and the ruins of Santa Cruz de Terrenate.

You will find some interesting images of the San Pedro on our SouthernArizonaGuide.com.

Fairbank Post Office

On Saturday, March 2nd at Fairbank the Friends of the San Pedro River are putting on a show and I’m pretty sure we will be there to see it. Included are:

• Presentations by the Old Pueblo Archeology Center on the peleo-Indians and Hohokam who lived along the River.
• Spanish soldiers from El Presidio San Agustin de Tucson representing the Spanish colonial era.
• Re-enactments representing events from the Old West.
• Hikes, tours of the Fairbank townsite, including the restored school house, and demonstrations.
• Music + Food
• Displays including: Amerind Foundation,  Empire Ranch Foundation, Friends of Brown Canyon Ranch, Friends of Kentucky Camp, Friends of the San Pedro River,
  Tombstone Archives, Tubac Presido, U.S. Bureau of Land Management

• The 8 AM docent-guided hike to the ruins of Presidio Santa Cruz de Terrenate is considered a moderate 4-hour, 5 mile walk with two river crossings. Bring suitable trail shoes, hat, water, and snack.
• To view the flyer, click HERE.

Fairbank is about 10 miles west of Tombstone between Whetstone and Tombstone on Hwy 82, just east of the San Pedro River.

Click on this link to view our short article about our January 2013 visit to Fairbank.

For our 1776 video interview with a Spanish soldado at the Presidio, click on this link.

Camp Grant Parade Grounds

Camp Grant, named for the famous Civil War general, was an Army post built at the confluence of the Gila and San Pedro Rivers so that U.S. soldiers could protect local settlers and miners who had begun to flood into this area near present-day Winkelman in the late 1860′s. From this vantage point, 70 miles north of Tucson, the Army hoped it would also be in good position to protect the San Pedro River overland freight route that ran from New Mexico to California.

The Apaches: Hated and Feared

This area had long been home to various bands of Apaches. The Apaches had few friends among other nearby tribes. Long before the coming of the Spanish, Anglos, and Mexicans, the Apaches had raided other Indian groups and were hated by their neighbors, including the Papago Indians we now call Tohon O’odham or Desert People.

When the Spanish, and later the Anglos and Mexicans began to settle here, the Apaches were happy to raid their ranches, mining camps, settlements, stagecoaches, and wagon trains. Raiding was their way of life. To be a respected Apache male, you had to be a successful raider, which meant you had to be a skilled thief and murderer.

Generally, the Apaches were after anything they believed would benefit themselves, particularly horses, mules, and ammunition, but also items they could trade, such as slaves, for whiskey and better weapons. They were utterly unconcerned about others. As such, they were “good” raiders in the sense that they were usually successful, at least in the early years before the Civil War and the arrival of the U.S. Army. The Apaches excelled at lightening fast ambushes and seldom left their victims alive. It took the Army a quarter of a century to solve the “Apache Problem”, which they accomplished by both force and treachery.

Anyone living in Southern Arizona and Southern New Mexico or Northern Sonora and Chihuahua Mexico who wasn’t Apache was rightly terrified of them. When confronted with a superior force, such as the U.S. Cavalry, the Apaches were adept at guerilla warfare. From the establishment of Camp Grant in 1871, it would be another 15 years before the legendary Apache shaman, Geronimo, would surrender for the 4^th and final time. Even then, it took a brilliant General named Crook, 5,000 soldiers, and several hundred Indian scouts to run him to ground.

Apache “Feeding Stations”

During this time, one Apache band after another surrendered as the number of warriors declined from old age, but more often death in battle.  Following surrender, most were sent to reservations where sickness – particularly malaria, malnutrition, exposure, and hopelessness further reduced their numbers.

In 1870 the commander of the Army in the Arizona Territory established “feeding stations” to provide rations for those Apaches who surrendered. By doing so, the Army hoped to convince all “renegade” Apaches to cease raiding and accept reservation life.

Lt. Royal Whitman

Soon, some Apache bands indicated a willingness to give up raiding and adopt a sedentary lifestyle in return for adequate rations.

In February 1871, five old, hungry Apache women in ragged clothes came to Camp Grant looking for a son of one of the women who had been taken prisoner. The senior commander, Lt. Royal Whitman, had just arrived from the east and had not yet learned to hate all Apaches.

He fed these women, treated them kindly, and sent them off with a promise of similar treatment for others of their band if they would come to Camp Grant in peace. Word spread and other Apaches from Aravaipa and Pinal bands soon came to the post seeking rations of beef and flour. Among them was a young Apache war chief named Eskiminzin who told Lt. Whitman that he and his small band were tired of war and wanted to settle on nearby Aravaipa Creek.

In return for rations of beef and flour, Chief Eskiminzin and his Apaches turned over their weapons to Lt. Whitman and promised to stop raiding. Whitman accepted their promise and, in addition to rations, offered them pay for field work.

Chief Eskiminzin

As more Apache arrived, Whitman created a refuge or “rancheria” along Aravaipa Creek about a half mile east of Camp Grant, and wrote to his superior for instructions. Due to a bureaucratic mix-up, no reply was forthcoming.

By early March there were 300 Aravaipa and Pinal Apaches camped near Camp Grant, and by the end of March there were 500. During March the flow of Aravaipa Creek declined and Lt. Whitman authorized the Arivaipa and Penal Apaches to move five miles upstream from Camp Grant, to the mouth of Aravaipa canyon, which today is a beautiful Nature Preserve.

Fear And Anger In Tucson

Seventy miles south in the small, dusty, predominantly Mexican town of Tucson, there was considerable animosity toward the soldiers stationed at Camp Grant. The citizens of Tucson felt surrounded by a vast desert controlled by Apaches who continued to raid and murder despite the growing presence of the Army.

On the one hand, Tucsonans had negative feelings toward the Camp Grant soldiers.  They blamed the Army for not keeping American citizens safe. Truth-be-told, most Anglo and Mexican residents of Southern Arizona, and their influential newspapers, were at this time demanding that the Army simply exterminate all Apaches, rather than feed and clothe them.

Moreover, the San Pedro River overland freight route guarded by the soldiers at Camp Grant was taking business from the valuable overland route that went through Tucson.

On the other hand, many Tucson businessmen were profiting handsomely from the experimental Apache “feeding stations” operated by the Camp Grant soldiers. They were also profiting by providing substantial supplies, including a lot of beef, for the maintenance of the soldiers there and other garrisons around Southern Arizona. Yet, if the Army was successful in teaching the Apaches to be self-sufficient farmers, the military posts all around Arizona would be disbanded and this lucrative trade would dry up.

In early 1871, as the population of peaceful Penal and Araviapa Apaches continued to grow near Camp Grant, other Apaches, most notably the Chiricahuas, continued to raid and slaughter Anglo and Mexican settlers throughout Southern Arizona. The good citizens of Tucson considered these raids and atrocities related to the Camp Grant experiment. Everyone in town was either angry, afraid, or both. Bellicose meetings were held to determine a course of action. Later, no one would accuse the good citizens of Tucson of being indecisive.

 The Mob

On the morning of April 28, 1871, an excited mob of 6 Anglos and 48 Mexicans left Tucson for Camp Grant, along with 94 Papago Indians. The Papago had easily been recruited from their reservation just south of town. They were traditional enemies of the Pinal and Aravaipa Apache with whom they had a long history of war. Like all the settled residents of Southern Arizona, the Papago hated and feared the Apaches.

William Oury: a prominent Tucsonan and a mob leader.

Tucson’s most prominent citizens were involved: Sam Hughes, William Oury, Juan Elias, Hiram Stevens, William Zeckendorf, and Tucson’s first elected mayor, Sidney DeLong.

When Lt. Whitman learned about the mob headed for Camp Grant, he immediately sent a warning to the Pinal and Aravaipa Apaches. It arrived too late.

At dawn on April 30, 1871, the Tucson mob mounted a surprise attack on the Penal and Aravaipa camps. A day or two earlier, the Apache men had left their women and children in camp and were up in the mountains hunting.

The Papago were in the forefront of the attack, clubbing, stabbing, and slashing their nearly helpless victims to death. Most of the Anglos and Mexicans stayed back and shot any of the Apache women and children trying to escape from the slaughter.

Chief Eskiminzin was present, but was one of the few to escape. The Papago captured about 27 of the youngest Apache children and took them to sell as slaves in Mexico. Once the fighting was over, the Papago mutilated and scalped their victims.

Whitman sent a medical team to render assistance, but they found no survivors. He had his soldiers bury the dead.

Aftermath

Following the Camp Grant Massacre, the Apaches learned once again that the Americans could not be trusted.

Camp Grant defendants pose in front of courthouse where they were acquitted.

In the East, where American citizens were no longer threatened by Indians, the reaction was outrage. Eastern newspapers demanded justice. President Grant threatened to place Arizona Territory under martial law if the the participants were not brought to trail.

In October, 1871, a grand jury indicted about 100 individuals thought to have participated in the massacre. The very public trial lasted 5 days. The attorneys for the defense focused their arguments exclusively on the history of Apache raids, murders, and depredations. No Apaches were invited to testify. The jury deliberated for 19 minutes and declared all defendants not guilty. What was a massacre in the East was justifiable homicide in Tucson.

That year, the new commanding officer in the Arizona Territory, Lt. Col. George Crook, undertook a survey of military posts and potential reservations sites. Crook had Camp Grant closed and ordered that a new Fort Grant built at the western base of Mount Graham.

Lt. Col. George Crook about 1871.

The new location in present-day Graham County was better located to subdue the remaining hostiles. In March 1873, Camp Grant at the junction of the San Pedro and Aravaipa Rivers was abandoned. Today, it’s the site of Central Arizona College. The new Fort Grant is no longer a military fort, but a location for state prisons.

Immediately following the massacre, a reservation was set aside for the Apaches at Camp Grant. But the following year all Apache reservations were consolidated and moved north to the intersection of the San Carlos and the Gila Rivers.

In the years following the massacre, relatives of the enslaved Apache children repeatedly petitioned the U.S. government to help repatriate their kidnapped children. Only 7 or 8 ever returned to their people.

Chief Eskiminzin later wrote,”When I made peace with Lt. Whitman, my heart was very big and happy. The people of Tucson and San Xavier must be crazy. They acted as though they had neither heads nor hearts … they must have a thirst for our blood. These Tucson people write for the papers and tell their own story. The Apache have no one to tell their story.”

Today, the massacre site, about five miles upstream from the abandoned site of Camp Grant on Aravaipa Creek, is unmarked.

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What? Guided tour about the history and accomplishments of Fort Huchuca Buffalo Soldiers conducted by the Southwest Association of Buffalo Soldiers.
Where? Fort Huachuca at Sierra Vista
When? November 17th between 1 and 3 PM
More Info: 520-417-6960 or 800-288-3861

After the Civil War, the U.S. Army formed regiments of Negro men, most of whom were former slaves, and many of whom had served in the United States Colored Troops (U.S.C.T.). The cavalry units were the 9th and 10th Cavalry, and the infantry were the 38th, 39th, 40th, and 41st which several years later were consolidated into the 24th and 25th infantry units. Black infantry troops often fought side-by-side with the black cavalry.

These African-American soldiers were called “buffalo soldiers” by the Plains Indians. No one today is quite certain why.  Some say it was because the men were as rugged as buffalo and others say that it was because the Indians saw a resemblance between the Black soldier’s hair and the buffalo’s shaggy coat. It has also been pointed out that many Black soldiers favored long buffalo-robe coats. Although the name was primarily applied to the cavalry, it was sometimes extended to include the Black infantry.

After the Civil War, Blacks faced horrific discrimination. Some men enlisted to escape hopeless poverty and gain a certain respect, even though they were segregated from White troops. The Buffalo Soldiers fought in the Plains Indian Wars, the Apache Wars, the Spanish-American War, and The Punitive Mission against Mexico ordered by President Wilson and led by General John Pershing. Pershing had earned his nickname, ‘Black Jack,’ by leading Black regiments early in his career.

By all accounts, these Black regiments distinguished themselves in service to their country, despite being given inferior horses and equipment.

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What? 30th Annual Bisbee Historic Home Tour.
Visitors will see the miner’s shacks and other buildings that have been restored and decorated with Bisbee residents’ unique style. Ten homes, Saint Patrick’s Church and the Bisbee Woman’s Club building are featured on the tour.

Bisbee Festival of Lights
Also, Bisbee kicks off the holidays with its Festival of Lights all day Friday, Nov. 23 at City Park in historic Brewery Gulch. Live music, dancers, food, a craft fair, during the day, and the lighting ceremony that evening. Kids’ activities include an ornament-making class from 10 a.m. to noon and a decorating party from noon to 2 p.m. On Saturday, Nov. 24. Main Street will feature a “Small Town Holiday” with free horse-drawn wagon rides, carolers, window decorating contest, raffles and shopping until 8 p.m.
Where? Old Bisbee
When? November 23rd & 24th 9 AM to 4 PM
Cost? $15 for adults, children 12 and under FREE.
More Info: Bisbee Visitor Center at 520-432-3554 or 1-866-224-7233, www.DiscoverBisbee.com

Other Featured Homes

• “The Doll House,” a 1916 miner’s shack that and has been lovingly redone by the present owner. It’s a cozy 638-square-foot home with an eclectic combination of vintage shabby chic and Bisbee flair.
• A Mission-style bungalow built in 1915 during the Mexican Revolution and World War I. It features original woodwork and leaded glass in its inner entry door.
• A home built in the early 1900s as a miner’s shack. Much of the structure is made from mine timbers and 2” x 12” mine platform boards.

For our Bisbee Dining Recommendations, click HERE. Bisbee has several very good restaurants, including Santiago’s Mexican; Rose’s Little Italy, Hazel’s Table 10, and Cafe’ Roka.

For our Lodging Recommendations, click HERE. We particularly like Joy Timber’s Calumet & Arizona Guesthouse B&B in the Warren District, and the Eldorado Suites Hotel on OK Street overlooking Brewery Gulch in Old Bisbee.

What?

Starting at 10 AM, you will also be able to witness a vintage baseball game between the Bisbee Black Sox and Tucson Saguaros. Then around 2 PM, the 4th Cavalry Regimental Band will perform.

And of course you can visit the fine exhibits in the two restored Officers Quarters. One building features the U.S. Army soldiers who were stationed here to fight the hostiles. The other building houses the “hostiles” exhibits.

Where? Fort Lowell Park, 2900 N. Craycroft Rd., Tucson, AZ 85712

When? November 3rd; 10:00 a.m. – 4:00 p.m.

Cost? Free. Bring a chair or blanket to sit on.

More Info: Contact AHS Curatorial Aide Bette Richards at betterichs@live.com or 520-885-3832. Bette starred in 2 of our AHS videos. To see them, click HERE.

Hope to see you there.

So far, I have shared videos about the first four. You can view them all at my Southern Arizona Guide website.

1. Titan II Missile Museum
2. The Mini-Time Machine: Tucson’s Museum of Miniatures
3. Franklin Automobile Museum
4. Colossal Cave Mountain Park: La Posta Quemada Ranch and Stables.

Today, I want to share two videos I created about two little known museum gems: Fort Lowell and the Downtown Tucson Museum. Both are treasures of the Arizona Historical Society. Let me know if I’ve missed your favorite Least Known Attraction.