The Apache Indian Wars

BGES Civil War Field University: The Apache Indian Wars

Anyone who has ever driven in the great Southwest feels the expansive desolation. Miles upon miles of sage brush, sand, daunting mountain ranges, oppressive heat and bone chilling cold. It was the home of the Apache Indians. As America expanded westward and California produced gold, it became a battleground and it too became part of the American Civil War.

The names are legendary: Cochise, Geronimo, Mangus Coloradus, Victorio, Kit Carson, George Crook, Phil Sheridan and Nelson Miles. Most everyone has seen Fort Apache with John Wayne. This is the story of a struggle for control and a way of life. The Apaches in various tribes living the land and the settlers and soldiers trying to protect this right to transit or mine in the region. The great white presence delivered by the Santa Fe Trail and other routes to and from California created conflict. The white solution of confining the Indians to reservations would generate conflict for nearly four generations. This tour will cover the conflict from 1850- 1886 with a special emphasis on the Civil War period—it affected both Union and Confederate forces. It is a fascinating story to experience.

Sunday, April 6, 2014

8 PM: Meet at the headquarters hotel to pick up reading books. Neil will offer some thoughts about the week to follow. You should understand up front that we are going to cover a lot of ground—nearly 1,500 miles in a week. Because of that,, the wide open expanses and the range of years involved (1850-1886) it will be important to use your reading book to keep perspective. We may literally jump 25 years with a stop or between stops. Also should we be in two vans as is likely, there is plenty of time for Neil to move between vans to give everyone the same material. Should we be in vans, you will appreciate the wisdom as we go to various locations. I know you will enjoy this program

Monday, April 7, 2014

8:30 AM: Today is a round trip from Phoenix as we will go north and then west returning to the headquarters this evening. Today Mr. Peabody’s “Wayback Machine” will cover a range of 30 years of the wars. Our first event is the 1872, Tonto Basin Campaign led by the great Indian fighter George Crook. Crook commanded the 8th Corps in the Civil War in the Shenandoah Valley and he earned a legend as one of the greatest of Indian fighters only to run afoul of General Philip Sheridan. We will stop at Fort McDowell and see the mass grave of Indians killed in the Battle of Skeleton Cave. The mountains were the refuge of the Apaches when fighting the whites and we will now ride the rim of the Mogollion Mountains past the Big Dry Wash Battlefield (1882) en route to Fort Verde which was Crook’s HQ during the Tonto Basin Campaign. It was here that the Apaches formally surrendered. We will return to Phoenix via Whipple Barracks where we will visit the Indian Wars Museum there. Lunch is provided, dinner is on your own.

Tuesday April 8, 2014

8:15 AM: Have your bags on board by 8. We are on the road ending the day in Socorro, New Mexico. Today we are going to focus on understanding the Apache culture. Our first major stop is at Cibicue Creek to learn about the uprising on the White Mountain Reservation. The Apaches were incited by a medicine man named Nakaidiklini. He had developed a religion unique to the culture known as “Ghost Dance” which was a blend of Christianity and nativism. The ramification so concerned the government agent that he asked the army for additional protection. In response, Colonel Eugene Carr (another Civil War name) arrested the medicine man only to see his Apache Scouts mutiny against him. The result was a battle at Fort Apache in 1881. The medicine man was killed and Geronimo did not like the options so he fled the reservation for Mexico starting a five year period on the run. He would surrender in 1886 at Skeleton Canyon (we were there yesterday) We will then power on to Socorro. Lunch is again provided. Dinner is on your own.

Wednesday April 9, 2014

8:15 AM: Today we head for Silver City so bags onboard by 8. Yesterday was a Geronimo Day today we will spend time with Cochise and Mangus Coloradus. Our first stop is at Ojo Caliente—a very lush and favorite camping spot for the Apaches. It is easy to understand—with a warm spring it was the perfect spot for a reservation—unfortunately the army didn’t see it that way and conflict with the Chiricahua Apaches resulted. This is also a spot where Geronimo was captured—he of course had more lives than a cat and he will live a long life and achieve a great deal of fame as a trophy prisoner of the army. We wil then go to Fort Craig and interpret the battle of ValVerde (1862). Our next destination is Silver City and the mining community of Pinos Altos. He is a core area of contention—mining speculators looking for gold and silver wanted the Indians out of the picture. Pinos is infamous because of white duplicity—Mangus Coloradus was betrayed under a flag of truce and then murdered while “trying to escape.” Lunch is again provided. You may very well want to experience the Buckhorn Saloon for dinner and a show this evening.

Thursday April 10, 2014

8:15 AM: Tonight we are headed for Sierra Vista so bags on board by 8. We will revisit Mangus Coloradus and Cochise today. The most important site will be the fight at Apache Pass; but we have other Civil War events that include the Bascom Affair of 1861. Here Cochise was captured; but, like Geronimo, he was loosely held and escaped. The Apache Pass battle in July 1862 had the two Apache Chiefs attacking United States forces coming from California to reinforce federal forces in the New Mexico territory. The battle convinced the Union that they needed a fort to protect not only the region but the precious water source at Apache Springs and Fort Bowie was established—we will visit that as well. If able we will try to get you to Skeleton Canyon the site of Geronimo’s surrender in 1886—no promises though many sites out here are just too hard to do based on conditions. Lunch is provided

Friday April 11, 2014

8:15 AM: Back to civilization today with destination Tucson, bags on by 8. I remember in the Air Force when working with the Aerostat balloons that we deployed to interdict drug runners that we placed one at Fort Huachucca. It was the end of the earth—now Neil presents it as civilization. Well having done this tour with him before—after the past few days, I see his point. From here is the origination point for the final campaign to defeat Geronimo and end the Apache wars. This well preserved site is still an active army installation. As seems to be mandatory there is a Buffalo Soldiers monument that honors the black troopers that served there in the 19th century. We then move on to a western legendary town— Tombstone. We will give you time there for lunch on your own and to look around. We will go to Boot Hill Cemetery and those of you interested can go to the OK Corral. We will then go one to the Dragoon Mountains to visit several sites there. We will visit a museum in Wilcox and go on to San Carlos where we will discuss Geronimo’s escape to Mexico in 1881. Since I put you on your own for lunch we will do a group dinner on our last evening together.

Saturday, April 12, 2014

8:15 AM: Our final day and it will end in Phoenix so bags on board by 8. Tucson is so important and we will start first with Mission San Xavier del Bac. Missionary work is so important to the development of the Southwest and this is one of the finest and best preserved. Established in the early 18th century it is still an active catholic church. We will then visit the Arizona Historical Society that has put together a Geronimo exhibit that includes his rifle. Our travels then take us to Fort Lowell, a very well preserved fort from the Apache era. We will then press on towards Phoenix and stop at the site of the western most battle of the Civil War at Picachio Pass. We will be back by 7 PM. Most of you may need hotels and that is on your own—others may decide to fly the Red Eye flights back east leaving after 11 PM.

Sunday April 13, 2014

Depart at your leisure. Thank you for joining us.

About the Faculty:

Neil Mangum is one of the nation’s foremost Indian War experts and is an expert on the Native American culture. A retired National Park Service official, Neil served as Superintendent at the Little Big Horn National Battlefield as it transitioned from Custer National Battlefield. The popular Mangum only allows himself four or five tours a year and BGES is fortunate to enjoy his favor. He enjoys the cliental and the small folksy nature of the group which is usually well prepared. Neil looks like and sounds like a cowboy. He likes small town America, having successively lived in Alpine, Texas and now Payson, AZ. His view is one stop light is too many. Neil is author of The Battle of the Rosebud: Prelude to the Little Big Horn. He has a following and most people on this trip will have travelled with him before which makes this event even nicer.

Hotel Information:

This program will originate and end in Phoenix with four nights lodging included in the registration fee (April 8, 9, 10, and 11.) The hotels will be announced by December 23rd on this site. Registrants must make their own reservations for the evenings of April 6th and 7th. We can suggest the HQ hotel and there will be a block there for you to register against. It is suggested that you also make reservations for April 12th unless you can safely commute home on that evening. Most of us will stay that evening.

Transportation:

The servicing airport is Phoenix Sky Harbor (PHX). We expect the hotel we select will have a shuttle to and from the airport. We will make arrangements if you drive into the area to leave your cars at the headquarters hotel.