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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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.

[SAMWolf]

I guess a lot will depend on how many people complain

[Professional Engineer]

Wow, great thread Sam.

[Professional Engineer]

Howdy ma'am.

[SAMWolf]

Morning PE. Snippy is gonna be stuck in "classes" most of the day. :-(

[Professional Engineer]

2338 Data android character on Star Trek Next Generation

Ya' have a crytal ball Valin?

[Professional Engineer]

The picture rings a bell.

[PsyOp]

Morning Sam,

Neat Post. One of the most interesting military museums I have ever visited is at Ft. Huachuca, AZ. Most of the museum is devoted to the Apache wars, and the Buffalo Soldiers. If you ever get a chance to go there, check it out.

[Valin]

Well let's just say I have my sources, and leave it at that.

[Valin]

All together now,
GROOOAN.

[SAMWolf]

Morning PsyOp. That would be an interesting museum to visit, I think even my wife would enjoy that one. Didn't have a lot of museums dedicated to the Indian wars in Ill.

[SAMWolf]

No one does history better than Valin. :-)

[HiJinx]

Here's a link to Ft. Huachuca's virtual Historical Museum. Click the pic to visit! If you have the Adobe Reader installed, you're in for a treat. One of the features is an 11 volume set containing the entire history of the Fort and its surroundings with period photography from before the turn of the last century!

Here's one of my favorites from the collection, a Frederic Remington sketch:

[Darksheare]

At least Bascom got some punishment for his idiocy.
He died on a sandbar.

[stand watie]

Cochise was a GREAT man & a guerrilla fighter for the southland, as a result of his father-in-law being tortured to death by the damnyankees in 1862!

the damnyankee PAID for that STUPIDITY with lots of blood.

free dixie,sw

[Darksheare]

I had a few green army men, one of whom looked like he was doing either an overhead bayonet charge or surrendering.
And one that looked like he'd just been shot in the butt.
And the one who looked like he was dropping a mutant twinkie into a mortar.

[SAMWolf]

WOW! I can spend some quality time there. Thanks HiJinx.

[SAMWolf]

Morning Darksheare.

[SAMWolf]

Morning stand waitie. It seems that most of these "wars" got started by stupid decisions by the settlers or military.

[SAMWolf]

And the one who looked like he was dropping a mutant twinkie into a mortar.

LOL! I had that gut to. One of my favorites was the bazooka man and the guy kneeling with the 50 cal MG.