They fought Spanish conquistadors and Mexican soldiers for centuries. In Texas, Arizona and New Mexico, they engaged with American troops during and after the Civil War. Their powerful chiefs, like Cochise, Nana, Mangas Coloradas, Victorio and Geronimo were feared and loathed throughout the southwest United States and Mexico.

THE FAMILY

The Apaches were bands of nomadic, desert-dwellers. Their numbers ranged between 250 to 400 members. Mostly, they comprised of three families, Mescaleros (sp?), Cotoye and Chiricahua or Chokonen meaning “central” or “real”. Apache groups shared similar facial features. This similarities were often shared with their cousins, the Yavapis and Pinos. The latter two weren’t considered Apaches. And while most Apaches practiced raiding and war, Yavapis and Pinos practiced peace and friendship with whites. Unfortunately, they suffered reprisals from atrocities committed by Apache bands.

An Apache warrior brought about fear from his enemies. Men formed devestating, war parties. These bands raided hundreds of miles outside their “rancheria”. A rancheria was an adobe constructed dwelling that housed families. Desert Indians lacked the existence of buffalo to use to clothe and feed themselves, and build their tepees with. Apaches made their dwellings from their earth. They also resided in caves within the mountains. They were very knowledgeable about the terrain.

The Indians made great use of surveillance. They watched from great distances at army movements, especially cavalry. They used tumbleweeds and other brush to conceal their footprints and to create fake trails. Apaches rarely ran about barefoot. Some wore long boots made of animal skin. They provided relief while walking on the hot desert floor during the day, and warmth on cold, desert nights. Those without boots wore sandals provided by the Mexican civilians they killed on their deadly raids.

Within the tribe, men groomed young boys to be warriors. Older boys mentored the younger ones as Big Brothers. They taught them to shoot bow and arrow or rifles. They took them out foraging trips. Adult women groomed young girls to be homemakers. Women stitched up their men’s clothing. They cared for sick or wounded warriors. They watched over the children and the elderly.

THE WARS

The Mexican government battled Apache Indians for generations. War parties frequently attacked settlements in Mexico, and then retreat in the United States and vice versa. For years, American and Mexican soldiers refrained from invading each others’ borders. Apache bands struck with lightning speed and brutality. They were expert marksmen with bows and arrows carbines and rifles. In addition, they carried hunting knives, clubs and tomahawks. They possessed savage, hand to hand fighting skills.

Mexicans waged war on Apaches by murdering members of the tribe. Unfortunately, American soldiers fell into the same trap.

In 1861, members of a Chiricahua tribe were seized by a young and inpatient lieutenant named George Bascom. They were accused of raiding an Arizona settlement and kidnapping a 12 year old boy. Actually, Cotoye Apaches committed the crime. The Chiricahuas held were a brother and two nephews belonging to a chief named Cochise.

At first, Cochise was a friend to the whites. He refused to wage war despite their increased incursions on Apache lands. However, his braves kidnapped several white settlers in response to Bascom’s actions. The ill-fated “Bascom Affair” ended with Cochise killing and dismembering his captives with lances. Bascom retaliated by hanging his prisoners. Both egotistic men displayed their victims as a way to intimidate each other. The tactic only ignited desert warfare.

Cochise joined his father-in-law, Mangas Coloradas and attacked white settlements throughout the southwest. However, he felt the brunt of Mexican forces pressing their attacks over the border. For the next thirty years, they, Nana, Victorio, Delshay and Geronimo fought both Mexican and American armies.

Mangas Coloradas was taken under a flag of truce (1860s?). He was later killed by federal troops. When he joined his son-his-law, Coloradas signed his death warrant. But, other chiefs chose the freedom and spoils of war instead of confinement and becoming “farmers” on a reservations.

During the early 1870s, Victorio went on the warpath. His Indians killed about 700 Mexican and American settlers and miners. He and 80 Apaches died when Mexican forces assaulted their canyon camp in northern Mexico. His band of 400 or so was obliterated. Hundreds of captives were later sold into slavery (1879?).

Delshay attacked dozens of ranches around Arizona and New Mexico which incurred the wrath of Washington. He and 70 Apaches died when General George Crook’s army attacked their hideout at Skull Cave, New Mexico (1872). In an earlier, dawn attack, a Tutte Buttes “rancheria” was destroyed by Crook’s army. Around 20 Apaches were killed.

When Mexican soldiers his family Geronimo began a life of war. He, himself, personally murdered 40 people from 20 years off and on raiding the American Southwest and Mexico. He eluded 5,000 U.S. troops sent to destroy him and Apache band. Geronimo, his 30 warriors and their families surrendered to Nelson A. Miles in 1888. They were sent off to prison in Florida.

Only the chiefs, Cochise and Nana survived their wars and lived peaceful lives. To this day, the Apaches remained the only tribe photographed as “enemies in the field”.

Sources: Geronimo: an TNT Original (1999) rerun in (2008) Robert Duvall, Jason Patric,
Matt Damon and Wes Studi as Geronimo

Wikipedia (Cochise)