The FReeper Foxhole Profiles Chief Cochise - Feb. 2nd, 2004

http://www.geocities.com/~zybt/warriors.htm ^ | Paul R. Machula

[SAMWolf]

Lord,

Keep our Troops forever in Your care

Give them victory over the enemy...

Grant them a safe and swift return...

Bless those who mourn the lost.
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FReepers from the Foxhole join in prayer
for all those serving their country at this time.

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Chief Cochise
Shi-ka-she
(1812 - 1874)

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One of the most famous Apache warriors was the formidable Chiricahua Cochise. He is believed to have been born about 1805, and his father may have been an earlier Apache warrior called by the Mexicans "Pisago Cabezón." However, it is also possible that his father may have been "Reyes." There is no certainty in this regard. Reyes was killed by the American scalp hunter James "Don Santiago" Kirker near Galeana, Chihuahua, in July 1846.

Courtesy of Charles Parker California gallery owner Charles Parker recently uncovered this painting, identified as "Cochise, 1872," that Apache authority Edwin R. Sweeney says "appears to be the real thing."

At any rate, by the 1830s Cochise was already beginning to make a name for himself as a warrior. It must be remembered that the Chiricahua people roamed throughout southeastern Arizona and southwestern New Mexico to deep into the Sierra Madre of northern Mexico. There were basically three bands: the central Chiricahua, to which Cochise belonged, whose basic territory was the southeastern Arizona; the Mimbreño people, who were in southwestern New Mexico (Victorio later became chief of this band), and the so-called Nednhi (means "enemy people" in Apache), whose later chief was Geronimo's cousin, Juh. All of these Chiricahuas were bitter enemies of Mexico. They frequently raided both Sonora and Chihuahua. Cochise himself is first recorded to have been in a fight with Mexicans in May 1832 somewhere on the Gila River.

The next time we are definitely aware of Cochise is when he participated in a peace treaty at Arizpe, Sonora, in 1836. He may have then settled in the Peloncillo Mountains, just north of Janos, Chihuahua, in 1842 or 1843. The peace did not last long. From 1847 on, Sonora was laid waste by the central band of Chiricahuas, at that time led by "Miguel Narbona." Cochise was in this band. Narbona died in 1856.


This illustration of Cochise is taken from Samuel Cozzen's "The Marvelous Country," a report of his trip through Apacheria, begun in 1858. No photograph of the great Chiricahua chief is known to exist.

In 1859 Indian agent Michael Steck found Cochise to be friendly to Americans. Cochise hoped that the Americans would be helpful in his opposition to the Mexicans. However, there was an unfortunate incident in 1861 that was to end that prospect forever. On 27 January 1861 a young boy (later known as Mickey Free) was taken captive by Apaches from his home in southern Arizona. Cochise claimed the boy was taken by "Coyoteros" (White Mountain Apaches), or Pinal Apaches. But, some historians believe he was actually taken by Cochise's band. At any rate, a U.S. army officer, George Bascom, was dispatched to return the boy. Cochise was taken prisoner, but he escaped. Consequently, Bascom had six Indians hung. As a result, Cochise then killed four whites. Bitter warfare ensued. Within 60 days 150 whites were killed, and 5 stage stations were destroyed (the Butterfield stage line, contracted by the U.S. government in 1857, carried mail across southern Arizona). When the California Volunteers under Carleton reached the Chiricahua area (Apache Pass, Arizona) in July 1862, Cochise also threatened them. It was only after Carleton fired his howitzers at the Apaches that they retreated (Battle of Apache Pass, 15 July 1862).

Cochise's war continued until 1867, when a white man by the name of Thomas Jeffords fearlessly rode into Cochise's camp to converse with him. It was from this incident that the famous story "Broken Arrow" was taken. Jeffords was truly a remarkable individual. It has been hard for historians to understand just what kind of person he really was. Some consider him almost a scoundrel, while others feel he was just "a right person at the right time." Thomas J. Jeffords, government superintendent of the mails from Ft. Bowie to Tucson, walked into Cochise's camp to plead for the safety of his mail carriers, which Cochise granted, and thereafter the two men became close friends.



In 1869 Henry Clay Hooker, a contract supplier of beef to reservations, was surrounded by Apache warriors and boldly rode into Cochise's camp; there Cochise entertained him and returned his guns, and Hooker was allowed to depart in peace. When he evinced surprise at this treatment, Cochise said he had not been killed because he was supplying beef eaten by Indians.

In September 1870 Cochise went to Fort Apache and conversed with Army officers there. In 1872 he also talked with General Oliver Otis Howard in the Dragoon Mountains (Cochise's "stronghold"). It was at this time that Howard agreed that the Chiricahuas should have a reservation, which covered nearly all of southeastern Arizona, south of Fort Bowie. For a short time peace was maintained, while Jeffords was agent at Fort Bowie. In 1874, however, Cochise died, probably from cancer. It is believed that he was buried somewhere in the Dragoons, and the only white man to know where was Thomas Jeffords. Jeffords, however, never divulged the location. He was faithful to Cochise's memory to the last.


Wife of Cochise

In 1876 the Chiricahua's reservation was terminated, and the people were supposed to move to San Carlos. Some did move, but many escaped to the Mimbreños at Warm Springs, New Mexico, or Mexico. Later, the Chiricahuas suffered captivity with their leader, Naiche, and Geronimo. The few remaining Chiricahuas eventually settled in Oklahoma and New Mexico, where their descendants live to this day. (There are also a few Chiricahua descendants who still live on the San Carlos Reservation, and probably also on the White Mountain Reservation.)

The best book, unquestionably, to read about Cochise is: Sweeney, Edwin R. Cochise, Chiricahua Apache Chief. Norman: Univ. of Oklahoma, 1991.

[Darksheare]

Okers.
Over on a zot thread messing with the paranoid type who just got blasted to dust.

[snippy_about_it]

Evening w over w.

[SAMWolf]

Evening w_over_w.

Just finished BBQing some ribs.

UMMMMMMMMM!

[Victoria Delsoul]

Evening all!

[SAMWolf]

Evening Victoria. Shake that cold yet.

[Victoria Delsoul]

Evening Mr. Wolf… getting better little by little, but my ears are burning and my throat hurts a bit.

[Victoria Delsoul]

How are you doing?

[snippy_about_it]

Good evening Victoria, nice graphic.

[SAMWolf]

Not bad, feeling a lot better.

[Victoria Delsoul]

Evening Snippy. Thanks.

[Victoria Delsoul]

Oh, that's good, Sam. Hopefully, you should feel better everyday.

[SAMWolf]

I'm trying. :-)

[GailA]

Broken Arrow was one of my favorite programs on TV when I was a kid.

[SAMWolf]

Finally! Someone else who remembers "Broken Arrow"!!

Remember "Yancy Derringer"?

[PhilDragoo]

The Santa Fe Ring was an alliance of corrupt Republican officials during the territorial period led by (eventually) Senator Catron. Many were lawyers and they used the process to settle Mexican land grant claims to steal land from hispanics and Indians. They skimmed government contracts, took bribes and got rich. They were on one side of the Lincoln County War. Billy the Kid getting crosswise with them led to his death. Governor Lew Wallace (author of Ben Hur) was so frustrated by his inability to do anything about them that he resigned before the end of his term. ". The territorial press pleaded with him to stay. ``We believe Governor Wallace to be about the only reputable and worthy gentleman who was ever appointed to a federal office in New Mexico,'' one paper declared." LOL!

Catron firm still powerful in Santa Fe.

Heir to Spanish Land Grant (Guadalupe de Hidalgo) Rick Gonzalez said major block to returning confiscated land to rightful inheritors was the likes of Catron.

Worked for Congressman elected to Bill Richardson's vacated seat (when traitorrapist42 put him at Energy in 97, wheels within wheels), who'd run on the restoration of lands.

He was defeated by a Udall of the emetic envirowhacko Udalls, and for the Senate, by Bingaman, aka Beijingaman, an FOB who gave Charlie Trie a big boost, and whose wife made the Ripley's record two mill lobbying for Global Crossing, which made Terry McAuliffe aka Goebbels aka McAnus, eighteen mill.

First kill all the lawyers.

Lew Wallace had his study in Crawfordsville, Indiana, where my college was founded by six Presbyterian ministers kneeling in the snow to ask God for guidance in 1832.

Lew Wallace is best remembered for writing Ben Hur and for observing, "Decisions based on experience elsewhere fail in New Mexico."

traitorrapist's attorney David Kendall came out of my college four years ahead of me--and juggled National Enquirere as well as Sinkmaster.

It's really a very small world with seven facial shapes and a limited number of plots.

[snippy_about_it]

I should've known you'd know. ;-)

[SAMWolf]

Thanks Phil.

I had never heard of the Santa Fe Ring before Colorado Tanker mentioned it.

[PhilDragoo]

Remember "Yancy Derringer"?

They say that Yancy Derringer had ruffles at his wrist,
brocade and silver buckles,
and iron in his fists.

No, I don't remember it at all.

Jock Mahoney went to Iowa with my eighth grade teacher.

His Indian sidekick had a knife he'd throw from a scabbord over his shoulder--so fast, you wouldn't see it.

Had a name like the sound of the knife hitting a plank, Shingaplunk, phonetic.

[SAMWolf]

No, I don't remember it at all.

LOL! I remember the sawed off shotgun his Indian sidekick carried under his pancho. My mom had a "thing" for him. She like Zorro and the guy on 77 Sunset Strip with the thin moustache. Hmmmm they all had thet pencil thing moustache.

[Professional Engineer]

We Poles can only help you, that's all. We help you, but it's just symbolic and practically means nothing.

That's not true Matthew. During WW2 the free Poles did a tremendous amount of good. In the last few weeks, you have taught me, and likely many others, about the contributions of Polish conscripts(bad marksmanship indeed) and others. Look what Leck Walesa did. All of that was of immeasureable value. It set a beacon for others to follow. The more I learn about the Poles, the more impressed I become.

I'm sure you're blessed by Almighty God and you got a mission from Him. If it weren't for America, evil would spread all over the world like a cancer. I know it sounds like cheap flattery but it's obvious for those who have at least a pound of brain in the head.

It's not just Americans. We know there are other Freedom loving people out in the world. God has blessed all of them that fight tyranny.