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Post by dT on Aug 22, 2012 22:59:11 GMT -5
Jasper - thank you! A good reminder that the Mexicans were helped by the local Tarahumara Indians. Hence undoubtedly the tracking and scouting skills of the Tarahumara probably were the reason why this group pursuing Victorio got so close - before his warriors became aware of their presence.
Also, I made a mistake above in one of my comments when I said the final hand-to-hand fighting by the Apaches involved knives and tomahawks. Apaches did not use tomahawks usually. So the final fighting would be with knives, clubs (rifles used as clubs), spears (lances) and improvised weapons.
And the final comment on your post is very true. The state of Chihuahua in Mexico is now dominated by ruthless drug cartels who pose a serous danger to any visitors. In fact, it's fair to say their behavior today is so evil that they are worse than terrorists.
dT
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Post by dT on Aug 22, 2012 16:12:07 GMT -5
In that case you may be quite right - and so is the visitor. It would seem then that Victorio's warriors were mostly on foot, and could not fight very much from horseback. Perhaps most of their horses were dead (or eaten), or they did not have enough ammunition to fight effectively on horseback. Their situation must have been critical - forcing them to take whatever cover they could find or build quickly.
dT
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Post by dT on Aug 22, 2012 11:43:46 GMT -5
Here are some things that remain puzzling about Victorio's final battle at Tres Castillos. At least - these things are problems for my understanding. :-)
1. Why was Victorio so far south into Mexico at this stage. He was travelling on territory that was less familiar (perhaps), and did not offer really good protection for the woman and children. So why was he in this part of the land, instead of further north where the Apache strongholds were located?
2. Why was Victorio surprised by the Mexican forces who were trailing him? Did he fail to post scouts on the rear of his group who would see an enemy approaching from behind? Or did he post those scouts, but the Mexican forces were clever and found a way to distract or kill them silently?
3. Why did Lozen choose not to travel with her brother on this journey?
4. How many horses did Victorio have when he fought this final battle? The availability of horses would have given him more choices for defense, because he could have split his warriors into different attacking parties. But with few horses, his men would have been confined to the hills and piles of rock. Pehaps the Chihennes had already killed a lot of their horses, because they were low on food.
5. If some women, children and old men could escape in the night, before the final fight when all of the warriors were killed, then why didn't Victorio attempt to use his warriors to break out at night through the Mexican lines?
Perhaps we will never know the answers to most of these questions. But there may be some answers still within the Chiricahua community today, and some other answers that could be researched by people who look into old information from Mexico.
dT
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Post by dT on Aug 22, 2012 9:35:14 GMT -5
gregor - thank you for the photo's ... which were better than the one that I posted. They show the landscape much more clearly. Also, those were very interesting comments from the Mexican visitor.
When the visitor says he found trenches - I would think those actually belonged to the attacking Mexican forces. I have not heard of Apaches digging trenches, but maybe I am wrong about this. There are hills and rocks at the site of the battle, so there is enough cover for apache warfare. The problem was that Victorio's warriors were surrounded. I do agree that it is interesting that some relics still exist there today.
I think a couple of the Mexican visitor's guesses are not entirely right. The small hils at this location only provided temporary cover for Victorio. He was headed towards distant high mountains with his people - they were moving as fast as possible to get off these plains. Victorio knew he was vulnerable there, especially with women and children in his group. As I said earlier, the presence of entire families meant that Victorio's band moved a lot slower - otherwise I believe that the warriors would have escaped. The Apaches were physically exhausted because of a lot of travel and not enough food and supplies.
It appears that Victorio was surprised by the Mexican forces when they trailed him at Les Castillos - he did not know about them until they were less than a mile from his men. That would indicate that Victorio had not posted his own scouts at the rear of his band of warriors, perhaps because he felt that the enemy was not so close.
It is written that some Chihenne believe that because Lozen was absent from this battle - that Victorio had no special warning about an approaching enemy. It is said that Lozen had the special power to tell when her enemies were close. But she was not at Tes Castillos at the time of the battle. These things fall into the realm of Apache lore - so you will have to make up your own mind about this :-)
Tres Castillos was a battle that brought an end to a truly great chief and many outstanding warriors for the Chiricahua - it was a major turning point at the end of the Indian wars.
dT
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Post by dT on Aug 21, 2012 15:22:07 GMT -5
This photo below shows Tres Castillos in Chihuahua, Mexico where Victorio and his warriors died. The hill and rocks offered good lookout positions, but not enough protection from a large enemy force that could surround them. Victorio's warriors ran out of bullets here, and fought to their deaths. Based on some written accounts - we can make a good guess about what happened. At the time of this incident Victorio's forces were tired or exhausted, they were low on food, and had very little ammunition for their rifles. Unfortunately, the Mexicans who were pursuing them had men who were fresh for battle, with a lot of arms and ammunition, and an experienced leader who knew Apache tactics. The Chihenne Apache's were also outnumbered by about 3-to-1. They were overtaken near Tres Castillos because they had to travel slowly - they had women and children with them. During the initial fighting in the afternoon and evening the Apaches used up their remaining bullets. That night Victorio and the warriors knew they could not survive the fight that would come the next day. So in the middle of the night they sang their death songs for a long time. At the same time, Victorio gave permission for any women, children, and old people to escape during the darkness - if they could. In fact, some did escape, including the wily old chief Nana who crawled out between the Mexican soldiers and went on to become the greatest tactical fighter for the Chiricahua. All the Chihenne warriors remained at Tres Castillos and fought to their deaths the next morning - no doubt trying to protect their families. Their only strategy was to attempt to fight hand-to-hand with knives and tomahwaks - not easy to do when you are exhausted, and out of food and water. They were all killed ... with a loss of almost 80 warriors. This was a huge setback for the Chiricahua, since many great fighters were gone forever. This is why the photo at the start of this section shows many women and children captured after this battle. It must have been a very frightening experience for them - during the final night when the warriors were singing death songs, and then the next day when their husbands and fathers all died in battle nearby. dT Attachments:
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Post by dT on Aug 21, 2012 14:39:49 GMT -5
It is difficult to read fine details in the photo's. But the woman with white hair appears to have a deep scar above her right eye. This is circumstantial, but could be consistent with serious scratches from a lion.
Scalping is a very disturbing practice - but it has been with the human race for thousands of years. It was widely practised in the old West, and not just by/against Native Americans. White soldiers in the Civil War (especially certain confederate bands) used it against their white enemies (soldiers on Union side). Given the deep feelings of anger between the Nde people and the Mexican villages ... it is not surprising in these photo's. But it is terrible to hear about it being done against women and children.
dT
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Post by dT on Aug 20, 2012 13:03:13 GMT -5
If you stop to look at the details in these different accounts - it becomes clear that many things are confusing about Mickey Free. Probably we will never know the real truth about him.
For example, look at these words: "Mickey Free was born in Santa Cruz, Sonora, about 1847, the son of Jesusa Martínez and Santiago Tellez. Tellez was reputed to be Irish, or part Irish. Tellez died when Mickey was just a child, and Jesusa lived with John Ward in the Sonoita Valley of Arizona. On 27 January 1861 Mickey was stolen by Pinal Apaches"
If this account is true, then Mickey Free was the son of a Mexican mother and a father who was either Mexican or Mexican-Irish (confusion exists about this). Later his mother became a common law wife for a Caucasian rancher. But at no time did Mickey Free have Apache blood. So in that case, how did he become an Apache scout? And why did he later retire to live out his life on the land of the Western Apache's?
Some accounts say that Mickey Free's father was Apache and not Mexican - that would explain some things. But it seems to be in conflict with some historical research.
If you look at things from this perspective, it's not hard to understand why One Who Yawns (Geronimo) was unhappy with Mickey Free. In fact, the word unhappy would be a major understatement! No doubt he saw the man as an imposter, and not someone who was devoted to the traditional Apache lifestyle.
In addition, you have to wonder whether Mickey Free was feeding information directly back to General Crook - regarding the "hostiles" (e.g. Gernomino) and their activities while at San Carlos.
And finally, it is possible that Mickey Free got detailed knowledge of the Apache hiding places (like the Sierra Madre in Mexico). More than anything else, this knowledge held by a few Apache Scouts is what eally brought down Geronimo. If Geronimo, Lozen and others had been able to take refuge in these lost places and remain undiscovered - they could probably have avoided the US Cavalry indefinitely.
It is possible that Mickey Free learned about the hiding places in Mexico while he spent time with the Pinal Apache's who captured him during his youth. Certainly Chatto, who turned against Geronimo in later years, knew about the Sierra Madre from his upbringing. So these two men were hated by Geronimo because the secret knowledge they had about hidden strongholds and tracking methods.
Lots of speculation exists about Mickey Free - but the truth is hard to know.
dT
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Post by dT on Aug 19, 2012 15:54:58 GMT -5
All the plants and animals enjoy the rain that comes with the August thunderstorms. I have to say - it felt pretty good to me too :-) In August, when there are no visitors, the stronghold is very quiet. It is an excellent place to find solitude, to meditate, and to pray. Injustice has happened ... the Chiricahua people should be here ... but they are not. But what was once broken - can be fixed. What was once torn apart - can be mended. There are possible paths forward for the Chiricahua people ... there is no need for an impass. Hope exists for a better future. That is something that we should all work towards! dT Attachments:
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Post by dT on Aug 19, 2012 15:49:21 GMT -5
Plant life is quite abundant .. and since there are few visitors the plants are healthy and not damaged. I hope to explore this place a lot more in the future ... I am sure there must be many species in the Stronghold. Since it was August, I had to park outside the boundary (there is a gate that is closed) and so I could only walk in on foot. It is much easier to go hiking and to experience the Stronghold if you can stay in the campground. There is an asphalt road, except for about the last 5 miles. The remaining road is dirt and gravel - but not bad. And vehicle can do it. dT Attachments:
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Post by dT on Aug 19, 2012 15:43:14 GMT -5
I spent many years in the wilderness when I was young - especially as a rock climber. So I have a natural preference and love for certain types of rock - granite is always a great favorite. But the places where I used to climb were in the desert, and generally the plant life was not abundant. I was surprised - and impressed - to find that there are many plants and trees growing at the Cochise Stronghold ... due to its higher elevation in the Dragoon Mountains. It is truly a beautiful place. It is very easy to understand why Cheis (Cochise) loved this place so much, and why the members of his tribe buried him here. dT Attachments:
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Post by dT on Aug 19, 2012 15:39:32 GMT -5
If you go to the Cochise Stronghold, you should skip the time between late June and the end of August. Currently there is no camping during this summer time period. Apparently the number of visitors is too few during these summer months (weather too hot!), and it is too expensive to keep the camp facilities going. The place opens up in September. The granite is stained with a green lichen, making it quite picturesque. dT Attachments:
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Post by dT on Aug 19, 2012 15:36:23 GMT -5
About 40 miles east of the Chiricahua Monument lies the stronghold of Cochise. It is clearly visible as a jumble of granite when you stand on top of the Chiricahua monument. Unlike the rocks of the Chiricahua mountain, the rock at the stronghold is solid granite. This is an impressive and beautiful place. It is popular amongst visitors who enjoy rock climbing and hiking. This picture was taken with one of the August thunderstorms overhead. They occur almost every day, usually in the afternoon. dT Attachments:
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Post by dT on Aug 19, 2012 15:31:39 GMT -5
August brings the thunderstorms - which in Arizona are called the monsoons. This is actually when the state receives a lot of its rain. The thunderstorms bring with them shade, cool air, and raindrops. But if you get the actual downpour ... you can experience a lot of lightning, heavy rain, and big hail (2-3 inches across). I encountered one big storm down on the AZ/Mexico border while I was exploring around - these storms can pack quite a punch. The rain brings a lot of new life to the plants and animals. dT Attachments:
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Post by dT on Aug 19, 2012 15:26:43 GMT -5
A third photo of the rock formations. You can camp in the Bonita Campground - during August it was almost empty. A little hot in the daytime, but fine at night. You pay a $5 fee for a one-time visit to this monument, and camping was $12 per night. A pretty good deal overall. The top of the mountain is just under 7,000 feet, and that is the place to be during the day. Occasional thunderstorms bring cool air and some raindrops - a very welcome relief to the August temperatures in Arizona. The top of the monument is extremely quiet ... you can hear the sounds of the beating of birds wings as they fly overhead. Many of the animals seem to have had few encounters with people, and they are not shy. One blue jay almost landed on my arm - while he was picking up some crumbs from a granola bar. :-) dT Attachments:
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Post by dT on Aug 19, 2012 15:23:29 GMT -5
If you do plan to go to Arizona to see this place, I suggest that you wait until September or October. It was a little bit crazy for me to drive through Arizona in August. The heat in the deserts and lowlands of Arizona is absolutely intense - and really has to be experienced to be understood. Phoenix, AZ was at 114 degrees, with a danger warning (excessive heat), when I drove through in my Jeep. The good thing about this experience - was that I learned the great importance of understanding the land and how to stay cool. This was also something that the Nde (Apache) people knew extremely well - it was used very effectively by Cochise and Geronimo against their enemies. The second photo shows a different set of rock formations. dT Attachments:
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