,. , ZIM • CSWR Ovs. F 791 ~r0J11Ca .C7x c.l -Ia no.81 ~e Nuevo·Mexlco Il!> Published since 1976 ~ The Oiticiel Publication ofthe Historical Society ofNew Mexico C!J . October 2009 Issue Nurrrber 81 Lew Wallace and Victorio: A Study in Leadership and Strategy ByJason Strykowsai At first. the harsh conditions of the and waited for the Berbers to die of featured character. with eyes full of New Mexico Territory from 1878-1881. expansive desert provided the thirst. The plan worked and the Berbers fi~ht. It makes one wonder what his thoughts of colonial military resistance with ample opportunity to succumbed to their overwhelmtnq Victorio would have looked like as a. streteqy would be severely tested. evade their pursuers. Over vast thirst. In 1871. the resistant Alqertans younq man if he could still cast such a '.. '. In point of fact. Wallace was not a distances and endless expanses of sand fell to the french sword. The French shadow as an older man beaten by colonialist in practice. possibly because dunes. superior technology meant little had captured Alqeria. for the moment. I many years of war. Unfortunately. the the opportunity had not yet surfaced and the Berbers effectively dodged far from AI~eria. but in a desert photo cannot speak to the entirety of for him. His only military services french forces for a time. finally. only marqinally less oppressive. a Victorio's past. Since it is possible that outside the United States were two though. the french created a more seasoned captain attempted to protect he was more of Mexican than Native brief forays into Mexico.Yetthe story of effective strategy They took control of his people from another army and American descent. but that possible the French colonial empire in Algeria the strategic point of AI Golea, about another civilization no less frighterune. Itneaqe is not obvious in his face. fascinated him. in part. because he five-hundred miles south of Algiers. Victorio. with many of his Apache Yet another man of war. and a could claim no similar life experience. brethren confined and forced into the contemporary of both the Berbers and It also captivated him as a student of difficult terrain of the San Carlos Indian Victorio. saw a similarity between them military strategy. Much like the Reservation in Arizona desperately that was more than passing. On his way Apaches. they had a leader who sought a place for his people. His to the Territory of New Mexico in 1878. commanded ~reat respect and whose search involved a campaign of survival General Lew Wallace took a few death doomed their efforts .' Most dependent upon the ~un and his moments of rest to talk to a local importantly. Wallace looked towards knowledge of war. The travails of reporter in New York City. When asked Alqeria as an example of the successful Victorio in the mountains of New how he would handle the problematic thwarting of a rebellion engineered by Mexico ultimately led to the ~reat Apaches of the New Mexico Territory. local natives. He would need to keep in warrior's end. By the time he was shot Wallace replied that the United States mind the french military tactics to to death in the mountains of Northern ought to treat these rebels as the French succeed as he faced the leadership of Mexico in 1880. Victorio would be responded to their foes in Alqeria.2 A the Apache chieftain. known as one of the ~reatest Indian veteran of two wars and a hero of the As a boy Wallace was witness to a warriors ever to enga~e the forces of Civil War. Wallace had the military number of campaigns a~ainst Native the United States. pedigree to speak of such a campaign Americans who resided near Wallace's Today only one photo of Victorio with authority. He had worn several of boyhood home in the Midwest. The exists. The Image is of that an old man the US army's uniforms. Wallace. Black Hawk War took place not far Victoria. Warm Springs Apache with flowing Ionq hair and ~rizzled however. had not yet worn the suit of a from Wallace's home. The fi~htinq (Photograph courtesy NationalArchives) features. portrays a remarkably sharp- qovernor and as the Governor of the continued on page 3 1& • • • Stories of Survival as told by Eve'Ball ByLynda A. Sanchez The Jones boys said Eve Ballwas a ~raced by her presence as educator of their world. their time. and their "~utsy" lady and had a lot of qrit. The and even as a chemist during World place. descendants of early Hispanic settlers War II. Lonq before "Roots" became built her an adobe home in Ruidoso Eve had traveled throughout New popular. Eve insisted in her quiet atop Nob Hill and became her friends Mexico many times and always had the manner on Iearninq the history of the for life. The Apaches called her "the old desire to find a niche that would fulfill Anqlo, Apache and Hispanic. She white lady with many stories." and they the ambition she had since childhood ­ became respected and trusted by all came to her with some of their own to write about the Apache people. The three ~roups and impressed upon each history. AIl three cultures shared with mountain vilIaqe of Ruidoso proved to the importance of preserving this her their "stories of survival" during be that niche. Not only were the information as part of their heritage. difficult times and especially when the beautiful natural surroundings Her sincere interest lead many reticent winds of war swept over the region. appealing, but the Mescalero Apache pioneers to ~ive her their papers. Eve Ball's lonq life spanned two Reservation was nearby. Eve was also family photos and treasured mementos centuries. the 19th and the 20th and an avid qardener so she searched for a thus fleshinq out their versions of upon her death in 1984. at the aqe of special site that would allow her to be events. 94. a vast reservoir of knowled~e and creative. yet at one with her In order to secure the Jones' family history of our beloved Southwest. and surroundings. She eventually history for "Ma'am Jones of the Pecos." in particular. southeastern New Mexico purchased property near Nob Hill. Wild she braved rough roads and the was lost. However. through her writinq Castilian roses cascaded blossoms of skepticism of the elder Jones. She even much was saved for future ~enerations. creamy ~old during the spring. and took shorthand notes while ridinq Eve BaIl When questioned about her own purple-hued irises. and apricot trees. fence! Table and chairs 'soon took the (portrait provided by Lynda A Sanchez) life. Eve was as elusive as were the peonies of all colors. and fra~rant lilacs place of horse and saddle and she everything else. Scholars suqqested ru~qed ranchers and valiant Apaches added their subtle beauty. Beyond that. completed her interviews of this she edit the faded chapters and she wrote about in over 150 articles she allowed the natural environment to remarkable family in their comfortable hopefully fashion it into some kind of and numerous best selling books. Her remain intact. It was a sanctuary for ranch home. Although some of their publication that would reveal roots encompassed the South. the wildlife. and of course. for Eve. family had ridden the outlaw trail. they intri~uinq. although sometimes one plains of Kansas and Texas. and She still had to make a livin~ so she believed she would qive that side a fair sided versions of life during those ultimately. the lure of New Mexico ran an antique store out of her home shake. Old Sam Jones was one of the violent years of early Lincoln County. brouqht her to the Ruidoso Hi~hlands and had a few apartments constructed toughest to convince. but eventually Eve supplemented the material with after World War II. At the turn of the around the property. Leasing them out she even won him over and they her own well documented versions to century there was no feminist to seasonal visitors to the pine clad remained qood friends until his death. complete the circle. A special ~em. movement. yet this spunky woman mountain country. she made ends The Lily KIasner story. and hand heretofore unknown. was a diary preferred to earn her own livinq and meet. and continued writin~ articles written manuscript hidden away for belon~in~ to cattle kin~. John Chisum. that was rare in those early years. She and qatherinSJ information. Included decades inside a dusty and leakin~ That in itself was a valuable document. received her university training in were incredible tales of people's trunk near Glencoe. was a major find Eve accepted the challenge and the English and education and taught strength and survival in a rough and and the family that owned the adobe in end result was a fascinatlnq story about several qrades in her hometown and rebellious country. Often times she which the trunk was stored showed it Lily KIasner and "her ~irlhood among later. junior college En~lish in Dodge was overwhelmed by the power of to Eve Ball. There were photos. outlaws." City. Several of the wild oil boomtowns their accounts and knew she must cltpplngs. and a neatly folded wedding Hispanic settlers and their of Texas and New Mexico were also incorporate them into viable narratives dress placed patnstazlngly on top of continued on page 2 W Mark Your Calender Now: New Mexico History Conference, Hobbs Special Events Center, Apri129-May 1, 2010.