battle of pinos altos

[Deleted]

We must now turn our attention to the Battle of Pinos Altos. Formerly called Birchville, Snively and Birch discovered placer gold at the junction of Bear Creek and Cherry creek in 1860. A gold rush occurred and by 1861 there was a major gold rush in the area. (Pinos Altos is 7 Mi. North of Silver City, NM) The Chihenne did not like the miners in their territory and on Mar 27 1861, Mangus Coloradas and his son-in-law Cochise launched a full scale frontal attack on Pinos Altos... Warrior numbers between 100 and 500 depending on who you read, at the "peep of dawn." At first they attacked the satellite camps of the miners outside of Pinos Altos. The miners were so terrified they hid in their diggings or behind trees and very few fired on the Apaches. (At this point the only firearms the Apaches had were some old muskets they had stolen from the Mexicans, still mostly bow and arrow) The Apaches advanced down a mile and half what is now NM HWY 15 to the center of what is now Pinos Altos, also called Mainstreet. They started to meet heavy resistance from the townspeople, hand-to-hand, and around 12:00 noon the townspoeple wheeled out a small canon from Roy Beans store (this was an ice cream parlor until several years ago when it was purchased and converted into a private residence) They loaded the canon with shot and old silverwear and fired directly into the main body of Apaches on Mainstreet. The Apaches were desimated and retreated post-haste. This ended the battle of Pinos Altos, but it didn't end further attacks on Pinos Altos thru the years by the Apaches. The number of whites killed in this Apache attack is said to be seven, Apache death ten. One of the whites was Capt. Mastin, a twenty three Y/o California volunteer who arrived in Pinos Altos the night before the attack and commanded the defenders. He was shot in the engagement and died 7 days later of sepsis. You can see his grave today in the Pinos Altos cemetery next the old Catholic church. It is in the SW quadrant of the cemetery, and his last name is misspelled as Martsen. His brother is also buried next to him, and both tombstones say "killed by indians" His brother's name is also misspelled Martsen
The battle of Pinos Altos was the first and only time the Apaches mounted a full scale shoulder-to shoulder frontal assault on the white eyes. From then on it was abuscade. Mangus Colorads was murdered in 1863 after parlaying for peace at Pinos Altos was taken to the abandoned Ft McLane near present day Hurley, NM to meet Usen.
Cochise went on to be the Chicahua "chief".
Pinos Altos is a cool place to visit. It is three hours from Tucson, four hours from Phoenix and three hours from El Paso It is 7000 ft elevation and in the Pinos Altos mountians and tall pines abound. You must visit the Buckhorn bar (circa 1863) and the Opera House.
Anyway, much of what I wrote here I give credit to Ed Sweeney, and his book "Mangus Coloradas" I give some credit to myself because I have the privlege to live in Pinos Altos.

Redpaint

[Deleted]

Sorry,
Just reviewed my post. The date for the Pinos Altos battle was Sept 27 1861 not March. The store that the towns people wheeled the small canon out to shoot the Apaches
was Roy Beans store, he owned with his brother, He later became " Law Of The West of the Pecos". The Ice Cream was Norton's store.
Have a nice day
redpaint

[chatto]

Thanks redpaint great post..Ever time i pass Apache Tejo i think of Mangus

[jasper4]

The combined force of Mangas Coloradas and Cochise numbered well over 300 strong when they turned their attention to Pinos Altos in the early morning of September 27, 1861. The Apaches hoped to achieve another victory as they had had at Tubac and had attempted at Placito. The natives attacked simultaneously the nearby mining camp and the town itself.

The assault completely surprised the town's population. Many miners, at their camp, were trapped in their diggings and subsequently killed. Some survivors stayed underground, too afraid to venture out, thus contributing nothing to the town's defense. Two forces of the Arizona Guards were on patrol when the Apaches attacked; Mastin commanded one while the other portion patrolled elsewhere. Apache forces first attempted to burn several log cabins which ran along the perimeter of the settlement: this failed, and the natives were repulsed.

Fortunately for the miners, Mastin's squad of fifteen men arrived back at the town not long after hostilities began, while the other portion was still on patrol. Mastin ordered his men, the remnants of the Minute Men, and the town's civilian defenders to take up defensive positions in the center of the settlement. For a while the two sides fought at medium to long range until the Apaches launched a full attack at about 12:00 noon, leading to hand to hand combat. When the battle at its climax around 12:30 pm, Captain Mastin realized something must be done to aid his overwhelmed militiamen. So he ordered the old cannon, which sat in front of the famous Sam and Roy Bean's store, to be loaded with rusty nails and buckshot; there were no cannonballs, as the cannon was only there for show. The gun was wheeled into the defenders' position and fired on the wave of oncoming Apache warriors, and many fell, dead or wounded. The Apaches decided to cease their effort and began to retreat. The Arizona Guards mounted their horses and gave chase, and civilians fired muskets from their house windows. The engagement was over by 1:00 pm, and the Apaches fled to the Gila River or to Mexico.

[jasper4]

Within the last half hour of the battle, Captain Thomas Mastin managed to turn an almost certain defeat into victory with his simple order to bring up the old cannon. At least ten Apaches were killed and left on the battlefield after the natives had retreated. Over twenty dead and wounded were picked up and dragged away by the Apaches, according to Confederate accounts. Captain Mastin was mortally wounded, sometime while leading the cavalry charge that decided the battle, he died a few days later at Pinos Altos. Other accounts say Mastin was killed by an Apache bullet, before the cannon was ever in use. Five Confederates were killed, including Mastin, seven other settlers or militiamen were severely wounded. Command of the Arizona guards passed to Lieutenant Thomas Helm.

Apache tactics changed at this point, other than at the Apache Pass engagement, Apaches ceased massing in large numbers and continued their cause by means of guerilla warfare. They stopped attacking well defended settlements, or settlements with large bodies of Confederate troops. Instead they continued attacking mining camps and smaller isolated communities. Captain Peter Hardeman of the 2nd Texas Mounted Rifles with twenty-five men were near Pinos Altos immediately after the Apaches retreated. Hardeman's troop came across the Apache trail and tracked them for days, all the way to the Gila River before turning back due to their rations which were running low. Confederate forces chased Apaches into Mexico several times in 1861 and 1862. The Arizona Guards penetrated as far as Lake Guzman in Chihuahua, without ever catching the elusive natives.

As for Pinos Altos, most of the settlers ended their stay at the camp. Despite their victory, many were afraid the Chiricahua would attack again. On October 8, Governor Baylor received a distress message from the miners of Pinos Altos so 100 men were sent to reinforce the Arizona Guards, the largest Confederate force ever sent to relieve a town threatened by natives. The Apaches never attacked again so the reinforcing company was withdrawn. Only about seventy miners remained in Pinos Altos after the battle, the Arizona Guards continued their garrison duty.

[jasper4]

The Battle of Pinos Altos was a military action of the Apache Wars. It was fought on September 27, 1861 between settlers of Pinos Altos mining town, the Confederate Arizona Guards, and Apache warriors. The town is located about seven miles north of the present day Silver City, New Mexico. PER WIKI

[Deleted]

Jasper, thanks for stealing my post. Very original of you! Looks like someone has gotten in your head. Full steam ahead!!!!

[Deleted]

Hey jasper
Who wrote your response to "Battle of Pinos Altos" post anyway? I'm pretty sure it wasn't you... the diction is too good to be you.. Come clean...who wrote it for you? Since you stole the idea from me, who wrote it for you? Golinka!!!!!!

[Deleted]

Jack Swilling, also Hank Smith.....

[natethegreat]

The Apaches on many occasions fought with bow and arrow and knife against rifles and cannon. Very brave.

[gregor]

en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Battle_of_Pinos_Altos

[natethegreat]

The Apaches were going to win until the women hiding in the center building fired the cannon. Delgadito was killed in the battle and were 2 other prominent war leaders.

[jasper4]

golinka aka schunk and source was wiki or belated response to a indaa