Post by coeurrouge on Mar 13, 2022 9:30:14 GMT -5
4.3. Apache Retaliations.
The summer of 1885, in the Sierra Madre, was hot and very rainy, some thought because of Goyakla’s diyin. This moisty heat in this very rough country made very difficult purchase of the Chiricahuas outbreakers by the US soldiers even for the Chiricahua’s scouts. This summer would have an impact on men such like Pedes-klinje and Lieutenant Davis.
After the hot and useless pursuit of the outbreakers in US territory during May, General Crook prepared and launched troops in campaign in Mexico. He recalled “Tall Chief” Crawford from Texas to lead one of the two columns Crook would launch in the heart of the Sierra Madre. Early in June Captain Crawford penetrated with his troops, about fifty cavalry men, two pack trains of mules and ninety-two Apache’s soldiers among them twenty-two Chiricahuas, led by Pedes-klinje. Crawford was second by Captain Kendall, Lieutenant Elliot for the white soldiers, Lieutenant Davis and Al Sieber for the Apache’s soldiers.
Crook had about one thousand men patrolling or guarding waterholes north of the border, hoping to discourage the outbreakers to come back in Arizona. The other column entered Sonora in early of July. This column was commanded by Captain Wirt Davis, seconded by Lieutenants Walsh, Erwing and Day. They led about forty cavalry men, two pack trains and one hundred and two Apache’s soldiers, mostly Cibecues and White Mountains, but also sixteen Chiricahuas. Apparently, Sam Bowman was present too. Bylas, the Apache White Mountain, whose uncle was killed in 1880 by Bi-duye in retaliation, was also member of this column as sergeant.
Bylas like most of the Apaches, obeyed to the custom of retaliation. When a relative or a close friend of a warrior was killed by a man, this warrior had to retaliate by killing the murderer or someones of his family. Bylas did not forget the killing of his uncle and the killing of the Mestas’s family by Goyakla’s followers, in April 1882. His life was only spared because of the intervention of Naiche . This Apache’s custom of retaliation was resumed with sadness by Betzinez “an Apache never forget and never forgive.” This time the officers fully confident of their scouts, let them to go ahead and to act by theirself if necessary, with orders to spare women, children and men who surrendered. While Crawford’s column purchased northwest of the Sierra Madre, Davis’s column penetrated in the heart of the old Nednhi’s territory.
But it was Crawford’s men who stroke first attacking Kla-esch’s group. Only the Apache’s soldiers fought the outbreakers, the white soldiers arrived after on the battlefield. Pedes-klinje led the track and the attack. It was not the first time that Chiricahuas killed another kinfolk, but before it was only because of tribal affair. Some Chiricahuas’ warriors had already weared the blue coat of a US soldier, but it was the first time that a Chiricahua led an attack to kill another Chiricahua for the US Army.
Pedes-klinje, by doing that, created another schism in the Chiricahua’s tribe and put Kla-esch and Ulzana in the situation to respect the Apache custom of retaliation. After the attack, the only goals of the two brothers were to free their relatives alived and to avenge their dead relatives by killing Pedes-klinje and the other Apache’s scouts who attacked them.
The relative failure of the previous raid with Goyakla and Mangas’ followers seemed to have convince Naiche to unite again with Kla-esch and to raid only with all the Chokonens. His acts showed Naiche raided only for supplies and stock for his people. Revenge or killing was not his purpose even he was ready to kill to protect his women and children. Kla-esch and his followers were not in the same mind, they wanted to draw blood. But Kla-esch needed Naiche’s warriors to also get mounts and ammunitions. The two chiefs seemed to make a kind of deal, they would unite to raid and to rest and when Kla-esch would stay in the warpath, he would act away from Naiche’s camp.
I think their raids were to get supplies, stock but also mounts, guns and ammunitions in schedule to prepare a foray in Fort Apache. Kla-esch wanted to attempt the release of his group’s relatives. The plan was also to avoid “Tall Chief” and the other blue soldiers operating in Dzil-dotl-izhihi, by raiding only west or north of these mountains. 20th and 21st of July, by three attacks, five civilians slained, ambushed and drove back Mexican’s soldiers with two killed by them, the Chokonens had what they wanted, supplies, cattle and horses enough to hide quietly for ten days before needing another raid. But Kla-esch wanted to test if the road Pedes-klinje took during his 1883’s raid to enter in USA, was less guard by Nantan Lupan’s soldiers.
So, Naiche and Kla-esch decided to divide and to join together in the Azul Mountains for antoher raid, in ten days. At this time only the warriors of Kla-esch’s group follow him, the women and the children of their group stayed with Naiche. Naiche led the other Chokonens, thirty-three in all, to the Pinito Mountains twenty-five miles southeast of Nogales in order to butch the cattle and to restore themselves after two months of runs without enough rest. I think after less than one week there, Naiche ordered to move discretly to make camp in the Azul Mountains, twenty miles southeast from their Pinito’s camp. There they waited for Kla-esch and his warriors.
1st or 2nd of August, Kla-esch joined Naiche ready to launch another raid to get the supplies and food the people needed. They certainly understood that Sonoran’s soldiers in the vicinity were not a great threat to them and that Apache’s soldiers of “Tall Chief” were looking for them in Dzil-dotl-izhihi, not west of el Rio Sonora. The two chiefs decided to make a decisive raid away from their camp to not risk the life of the women and children if they were trailed after the raid.
Their next target would be the very little town of Cumpas, seventy miles southeast from their Azul’s camp. I think they let their women and children in the Azul camp under the guard of older warriors like Cathla, Nah-dozinne and Sta-losh or La-zi-yah with the youngest teenage boys Pel-coy, Biete and Satsitnitsu. Naiche and Kla-esch moved with all the other warriors and teenage boys, during the day 2nd of August, to Cumpas. Their raid on Cumpas, 3rd of August, was fully a success for them. They returned without casualties and enough supplies for the ten days followed, to their camp in the Azul Mountains.
During their quiet week in this camp, Goyakla and Mangas faced dramatic events that the Chokonens would heard only two months later. Bylas had his revenge upon Goyakla and his followers and upon Bi-duye’s Chihennes. 7th of August, Captain Davis’ Apache soldiers, under Lieutenant Day, surprised and attacked Goyakla and Kas-tziden ranchéria at Bugatseka. Bylas led partly the Apache’s soldiers. It seemed that, like sometimes in Goyakla leadership history, the Shaman and Kas-tziden did not put sentries because the Apache’s soldiers succeeded to approach the outbreakers’ camp during the morning and the early afternoon without be spotted by Chiricahuas. Only the bray of a mule saved most of the outbreakers.
Two women and a teenage boy were killed. The dead women were maybe a widow of Tandinbilnojui, Kildigai’s wife or Nachol’s wife and the teenage boy killed by a random bullet right in the head was certainly a son of Nat-cul-baye. Several women were injured and seventeen women and children had been captured. All Goyakla’s family was among them.
The captured were Chee-hash-kish, Taz-ay-slath, her sons Fenton and the two years old, the children of She-gah, her five’s years old daughter and her son nicknamed Little Robe, Dohn-say and her daugther Nina, Ha-dun-key, Loozah; Tascenola, Dolan and her daughter Bessie; Tze-gu-jun, Tonse, Counteza and her son. The daughter of She-gah was sent weeks after to her mother in Fort Apache and the two youngest sons of Goyakla would die of dysentery in Fort Bowie. Goyakla was in the same position than Kla-esch living without his family except his son Naclede.
Naiche was the only chief of the outbreakers to not have lost members of his family and to not have been surprisingly attacked by enemies. It showed that Naiche had learnt of the previous period of life in Mexico and that he was more cautious than the other chiefs. I think in the attack of Bugatseka, Goyakla lost his last credit as a leader outside his extended family. While they were in their camp in the Sierra Azul, Naiche and Kla-esch prepared their next step and raid. I think they planned to launch several raids north of their position, while some older warriors would go south with most of the women and children. After getting enough supplies, Naiche and the warriors of his group would return beside the women. Kla-esch would continue north to find a way to Fort Apache.
Between 14th and 18th of August, Naiche, Kla-esch and their warriors made three attacks, marching north since the Sierra Azul. They killed or wounded about ten Mexicans, sparing no one by sex or age. They got what they wanted, supplies, food, mounts, guns and ammunition. Their raids a success, Naiche and his group of warriors returned southwest beside their families. Certainly 20th or 21st of August, Naiche and his warriors joined the camp in the Sierra de la Huerta, southwest of Moctezuma. Again, they stayed quiet ten days, eating all the food they had by raiding.
About 2nd of September, Kla-esch regrouped with Naiche. Kla-esch surely explained that there was not one column of blue soldiers but two chasing them in Dzil-dotl-izhihi. They had to stay away west of the sacred mountains of the Nednhis. Kla-esch, resoluted to release and to avenge his relatives, needed Naiche’s help to distract the Blue Soldiers while he and Ulzana led their men to Fort Apache. All the outbreakers thought their families caught by Nantan Lupan’s soldiers had been sent back in the Chiricahua’s camp near Fort Apache.
I think Naiche and Kla-esch made a plan. They would move north in schedule to reach la Sierra de Teras just below the US border with all the people. First, they went to the mountains between Baviacora and Ures. Their women and children certainly moving north across the mountains, the warriors attacked in the western valley two ranches fifty miles northwest of their previous camp, 4th of September. Some days later, always moving north, in the eastern valley along the Rio Sonora, they stole stock. Because they were nearer from Dzil-dolt-izhihi, fearing Blue Soldiers’ encounter, Naiche and Kla-esch decided to divide again their Chokonens.
I think Naiche led all the women and children and most of the warriors, discretly as possible to the Sierra de Teras, about eighty miles northeast of Arispe. These mountains were the last before the Guadalupe Canyon, the favorite enter of the Chokonens in USA. To attrack away enemy’s forces, Kla-esch would launch a raid near Cumpas forty miles southeast of Arispe. About 16th of September, Naiche certainly reached la Sierra de Teras, waiting for Kla-esch and his diversion’s group.
But Kla-esch did not arrive alone, 21st of September. Captain Davis and his Apache’s soldiers followed Kla-esch’s trail. They were spotted by the Chokonens. Naiche and Kla-esch decided to make a stand and built an ambush. They needed to give time to their women and children to put distance between them and the soldiers. The chiefs ordered to let some mounts behind them, certainly to pretend a panic retreat and to invite the Apache’s soldiers to get valuable loot of the outbreakers, while the warriors were put in position above and waited to fire onto the enemies.
22nd of September, late in the afternoon, the ambush worked. While the advance scouts stopped to secure the abandoned horses, like most of the Chiricahua’s ambushed led by his father, Naiche certainly fired the first shot, giving signal to the other warriors to shoot. After several hours of gunshots, one Apache soldier killed and another wounded, a relative of Kla-esch, the fight stopped. In favor of this ambush and the darkness of the night following, Naiche and Kla-esch had what they wanted. They had prevented four times outnumbered enemies to advance to their people.
Kla-esch made some loudly talks during the night, to provocate and to announce they were still there. A Chiricahua’s scout, Nahn-tee-nesn, a relative to Kla-esch responded they wanted to talk hoping to stop the war. Kla-esch, with the blessing or the inducement of Naiche, seized the opportunity and proposed a meeting during the night. The two chiefs waited to nothing , surely with great disappointment for Naiche. In his mind, it maybe more obvious that offers of peace talking by Nantan Lupan’s men had to be taken caustiously.
Finally, thinking they had given enough time to their people, Naiche ordered to his warriors to break out and to left the ambush. After some days of resting and slow moving, avoiding US soldiers patrolling Guadalupe Canyon, undetected, the Chokonens crossed the border during the night between 27th and 28th of September. They splitted again. Kla-esch and Ulzana led north, along the Peloncillos Mountains, warriors who had left the reservation without their family or warriors who, like the brothers, had their family members captured or killed by Pedes-klinje and other Apache’s soldiers. They began their foray to Fort Apache. With the two brothers were, by my guess, Cathla, Eskinye, Moh-tsos, Chinche, Shoie, Tah-ni-toe, Itsah-dee-tsa, Zhonne and the dikohes Dodostenay and Bictonsewah.
I think after secured for some days the women and children in the mountains near Mud Springs, southwest of the Chiricahua’s Mountains, Naiche would raid in the Sulphur Springs Valley with two goals in mind, getting enough mounts to allow a quick return to Mexico for all the people he had in charge and diverting the soldiers from Kla-esch and his warriors. After he was quite sure the women and children were relatively secured near Mud Springs, Naiche moved north longing the western side of the Chiricahua’s Mountains, 30th of September.
Naiche had very few warriors to guard the people and in the same time to get enough mounts. I think he let the saisoned warriors Nah-dozinne and Stalosh with the dikohes Pel-coy and Biete to take care of the women and children, the time to raid, a day or two. Accompagnying Naiche were surely Atelnietze, his dikohe’s son Satsitnitsu, La-zi-yah and Tsilnothos. Even there was a cow-boy and a dog to guard the corral, the raiders succeeded to stole fifty horses and mules, at 3 AM, 1st of October. A white man hearing noise in the corral, quitted his cabin to watch what was happening. He faced a very tall Apache, on a horse, threatening him with a rifle. Remaining quiet, the white man was spared by the tall Apache when the raiders had finished. The tall Apache was certainly Naiche because Atlenietze who was the only outbreaker taller as Naiche did not show mercy towards enemies.
I think, Naiche ordered his loyal “brother”, maybe with Tsilnothos to make diversion trail to the Dragoons mountains, while with La-zi-yah and Satsitnitsu, Naiche brought the mounts to Mud Springs. Atelnietze and his companion killed a rancher in the Dragoons and returned beside their nantan. The next day Naiche and his warriors were surprised to see Kla-esch and his warriors. Kla-esch avorted the risky foray because there was too much blue soldiers, Whites or Apaches, in Arizona between the border and Fort Apache. What they did not know was their relatives were not at Fort Apache but, some forty miles north of them, at Fort Bowie.
The Chokonens to avoid patrols along the border went east, in New Mexico and crossed at Alamo Hueco to enter in Mexico. Understanding the two columns of blue soldiers had returned to USA to rest and to get new supplies, they certainly reached their camp location in the Carcay Mountains 7th or 8th of October, north of Dzil-dolt-izhihi, all alived and safe. 10th or 11th of October 1885, Goyakla, Kas-tziden and their followers joined the Chokonens. The feelings during the reunion were certainly mixed and the necessity to unite prevailed to arguments and revenge between Kla-esch and Goyakla. Naiche acted perhaps as a mediator or simply as the Nantan on all the outbreakers there, Kla-esch and Goyakla included.
The summer of 1885, in the Sierra Madre, was hot and very rainy, some thought because of Goyakla’s diyin. This moisty heat in this very rough country made very difficult purchase of the Chiricahuas outbreakers by the US soldiers even for the Chiricahua’s scouts. This summer would have an impact on men such like Pedes-klinje and Lieutenant Davis.
After the hot and useless pursuit of the outbreakers in US territory during May, General Crook prepared and launched troops in campaign in Mexico. He recalled “Tall Chief” Crawford from Texas to lead one of the two columns Crook would launch in the heart of the Sierra Madre. Early in June Captain Crawford penetrated with his troops, about fifty cavalry men, two pack trains of mules and ninety-two Apache’s soldiers among them twenty-two Chiricahuas, led by Pedes-klinje. Crawford was second by Captain Kendall, Lieutenant Elliot for the white soldiers, Lieutenant Davis and Al Sieber for the Apache’s soldiers.
Crook had about one thousand men patrolling or guarding waterholes north of the border, hoping to discourage the outbreakers to come back in Arizona. The other column entered Sonora in early of July. This column was commanded by Captain Wirt Davis, seconded by Lieutenants Walsh, Erwing and Day. They led about forty cavalry men, two pack trains and one hundred and two Apache’s soldiers, mostly Cibecues and White Mountains, but also sixteen Chiricahuas. Apparently, Sam Bowman was present too. Bylas, the Apache White Mountain, whose uncle was killed in 1880 by Bi-duye in retaliation, was also member of this column as sergeant.
Bylas like most of the Apaches, obeyed to the custom of retaliation. When a relative or a close friend of a warrior was killed by a man, this warrior had to retaliate by killing the murderer or someones of his family. Bylas did not forget the killing of his uncle and the killing of the Mestas’s family by Goyakla’s followers, in April 1882. His life was only spared because of the intervention of Naiche . This Apache’s custom of retaliation was resumed with sadness by Betzinez “an Apache never forget and never forgive.” This time the officers fully confident of their scouts, let them to go ahead and to act by theirself if necessary, with orders to spare women, children and men who surrendered. While Crawford’s column purchased northwest of the Sierra Madre, Davis’s column penetrated in the heart of the old Nednhi’s territory.
But it was Crawford’s men who stroke first attacking Kla-esch’s group. Only the Apache’s soldiers fought the outbreakers, the white soldiers arrived after on the battlefield. Pedes-klinje led the track and the attack. It was not the first time that Chiricahuas killed another kinfolk, but before it was only because of tribal affair. Some Chiricahuas’ warriors had already weared the blue coat of a US soldier, but it was the first time that a Chiricahua led an attack to kill another Chiricahua for the US Army.
Pedes-klinje, by doing that, created another schism in the Chiricahua’s tribe and put Kla-esch and Ulzana in the situation to respect the Apache custom of retaliation. After the attack, the only goals of the two brothers were to free their relatives alived and to avenge their dead relatives by killing Pedes-klinje and the other Apache’s scouts who attacked them.
The relative failure of the previous raid with Goyakla and Mangas’ followers seemed to have convince Naiche to unite again with Kla-esch and to raid only with all the Chokonens. His acts showed Naiche raided only for supplies and stock for his people. Revenge or killing was not his purpose even he was ready to kill to protect his women and children. Kla-esch and his followers were not in the same mind, they wanted to draw blood. But Kla-esch needed Naiche’s warriors to also get mounts and ammunitions. The two chiefs seemed to make a kind of deal, they would unite to raid and to rest and when Kla-esch would stay in the warpath, he would act away from Naiche’s camp.
I think their raids were to get supplies, stock but also mounts, guns and ammunitions in schedule to prepare a foray in Fort Apache. Kla-esch wanted to attempt the release of his group’s relatives. The plan was also to avoid “Tall Chief” and the other blue soldiers operating in Dzil-dotl-izhihi, by raiding only west or north of these mountains. 20th and 21st of July, by three attacks, five civilians slained, ambushed and drove back Mexican’s soldiers with two killed by them, the Chokonens had what they wanted, supplies, cattle and horses enough to hide quietly for ten days before needing another raid. But Kla-esch wanted to test if the road Pedes-klinje took during his 1883’s raid to enter in USA, was less guard by Nantan Lupan’s soldiers.
So, Naiche and Kla-esch decided to divide and to join together in the Azul Mountains for antoher raid, in ten days. At this time only the warriors of Kla-esch’s group follow him, the women and the children of their group stayed with Naiche. Naiche led the other Chokonens, thirty-three in all, to the Pinito Mountains twenty-five miles southeast of Nogales in order to butch the cattle and to restore themselves after two months of runs without enough rest. I think after less than one week there, Naiche ordered to move discretly to make camp in the Azul Mountains, twenty miles southeast from their Pinito’s camp. There they waited for Kla-esch and his warriors.
1st or 2nd of August, Kla-esch joined Naiche ready to launch another raid to get the supplies and food the people needed. They certainly understood that Sonoran’s soldiers in the vicinity were not a great threat to them and that Apache’s soldiers of “Tall Chief” were looking for them in Dzil-dotl-izhihi, not west of el Rio Sonora. The two chiefs decided to make a decisive raid away from their camp to not risk the life of the women and children if they were trailed after the raid.
Their next target would be the very little town of Cumpas, seventy miles southeast from their Azul’s camp. I think they let their women and children in the Azul camp under the guard of older warriors like Cathla, Nah-dozinne and Sta-losh or La-zi-yah with the youngest teenage boys Pel-coy, Biete and Satsitnitsu. Naiche and Kla-esch moved with all the other warriors and teenage boys, during the day 2nd of August, to Cumpas. Their raid on Cumpas, 3rd of August, was fully a success for them. They returned without casualties and enough supplies for the ten days followed, to their camp in the Azul Mountains.
During their quiet week in this camp, Goyakla and Mangas faced dramatic events that the Chokonens would heard only two months later. Bylas had his revenge upon Goyakla and his followers and upon Bi-duye’s Chihennes. 7th of August, Captain Davis’ Apache soldiers, under Lieutenant Day, surprised and attacked Goyakla and Kas-tziden ranchéria at Bugatseka. Bylas led partly the Apache’s soldiers. It seemed that, like sometimes in Goyakla leadership history, the Shaman and Kas-tziden did not put sentries because the Apache’s soldiers succeeded to approach the outbreakers’ camp during the morning and the early afternoon without be spotted by Chiricahuas. Only the bray of a mule saved most of the outbreakers.
Two women and a teenage boy were killed. The dead women were maybe a widow of Tandinbilnojui, Kildigai’s wife or Nachol’s wife and the teenage boy killed by a random bullet right in the head was certainly a son of Nat-cul-baye. Several women were injured and seventeen women and children had been captured. All Goyakla’s family was among them.
The captured were Chee-hash-kish, Taz-ay-slath, her sons Fenton and the two years old, the children of She-gah, her five’s years old daughter and her son nicknamed Little Robe, Dohn-say and her daugther Nina, Ha-dun-key, Loozah; Tascenola, Dolan and her daughter Bessie; Tze-gu-jun, Tonse, Counteza and her son. The daughter of She-gah was sent weeks after to her mother in Fort Apache and the two youngest sons of Goyakla would die of dysentery in Fort Bowie. Goyakla was in the same position than Kla-esch living without his family except his son Naclede.
Naiche was the only chief of the outbreakers to not have lost members of his family and to not have been surprisingly attacked by enemies. It showed that Naiche had learnt of the previous period of life in Mexico and that he was more cautious than the other chiefs. I think in the attack of Bugatseka, Goyakla lost his last credit as a leader outside his extended family. While they were in their camp in the Sierra Azul, Naiche and Kla-esch prepared their next step and raid. I think they planned to launch several raids north of their position, while some older warriors would go south with most of the women and children. After getting enough supplies, Naiche and the warriors of his group would return beside the women. Kla-esch would continue north to find a way to Fort Apache.
Between 14th and 18th of August, Naiche, Kla-esch and their warriors made three attacks, marching north since the Sierra Azul. They killed or wounded about ten Mexicans, sparing no one by sex or age. They got what they wanted, supplies, food, mounts, guns and ammunition. Their raids a success, Naiche and his group of warriors returned southwest beside their families. Certainly 20th or 21st of August, Naiche and his warriors joined the camp in the Sierra de la Huerta, southwest of Moctezuma. Again, they stayed quiet ten days, eating all the food they had by raiding.
About 2nd of September, Kla-esch regrouped with Naiche. Kla-esch surely explained that there was not one column of blue soldiers but two chasing them in Dzil-dotl-izhihi. They had to stay away west of the sacred mountains of the Nednhis. Kla-esch, resoluted to release and to avenge his relatives, needed Naiche’s help to distract the Blue Soldiers while he and Ulzana led their men to Fort Apache. All the outbreakers thought their families caught by Nantan Lupan’s soldiers had been sent back in the Chiricahua’s camp near Fort Apache.
I think Naiche and Kla-esch made a plan. They would move north in schedule to reach la Sierra de Teras just below the US border with all the people. First, they went to the mountains between Baviacora and Ures. Their women and children certainly moving north across the mountains, the warriors attacked in the western valley two ranches fifty miles northwest of their previous camp, 4th of September. Some days later, always moving north, in the eastern valley along the Rio Sonora, they stole stock. Because they were nearer from Dzil-dolt-izhihi, fearing Blue Soldiers’ encounter, Naiche and Kla-esch decided to divide again their Chokonens.
I think Naiche led all the women and children and most of the warriors, discretly as possible to the Sierra de Teras, about eighty miles northeast of Arispe. These mountains were the last before the Guadalupe Canyon, the favorite enter of the Chokonens in USA. To attrack away enemy’s forces, Kla-esch would launch a raid near Cumpas forty miles southeast of Arispe. About 16th of September, Naiche certainly reached la Sierra de Teras, waiting for Kla-esch and his diversion’s group.
But Kla-esch did not arrive alone, 21st of September. Captain Davis and his Apache’s soldiers followed Kla-esch’s trail. They were spotted by the Chokonens. Naiche and Kla-esch decided to make a stand and built an ambush. They needed to give time to their women and children to put distance between them and the soldiers. The chiefs ordered to let some mounts behind them, certainly to pretend a panic retreat and to invite the Apache’s soldiers to get valuable loot of the outbreakers, while the warriors were put in position above and waited to fire onto the enemies.
22nd of September, late in the afternoon, the ambush worked. While the advance scouts stopped to secure the abandoned horses, like most of the Chiricahua’s ambushed led by his father, Naiche certainly fired the first shot, giving signal to the other warriors to shoot. After several hours of gunshots, one Apache soldier killed and another wounded, a relative of Kla-esch, the fight stopped. In favor of this ambush and the darkness of the night following, Naiche and Kla-esch had what they wanted. They had prevented four times outnumbered enemies to advance to their people.
Kla-esch made some loudly talks during the night, to provocate and to announce they were still there. A Chiricahua’s scout, Nahn-tee-nesn, a relative to Kla-esch responded they wanted to talk hoping to stop the war. Kla-esch, with the blessing or the inducement of Naiche, seized the opportunity and proposed a meeting during the night. The two chiefs waited to nothing , surely with great disappointment for Naiche. In his mind, it maybe more obvious that offers of peace talking by Nantan Lupan’s men had to be taken caustiously.
Finally, thinking they had given enough time to their people, Naiche ordered to his warriors to break out and to left the ambush. After some days of resting and slow moving, avoiding US soldiers patrolling Guadalupe Canyon, undetected, the Chokonens crossed the border during the night between 27th and 28th of September. They splitted again. Kla-esch and Ulzana led north, along the Peloncillos Mountains, warriors who had left the reservation without their family or warriors who, like the brothers, had their family members captured or killed by Pedes-klinje and other Apache’s soldiers. They began their foray to Fort Apache. With the two brothers were, by my guess, Cathla, Eskinye, Moh-tsos, Chinche, Shoie, Tah-ni-toe, Itsah-dee-tsa, Zhonne and the dikohes Dodostenay and Bictonsewah.
I think after secured for some days the women and children in the mountains near Mud Springs, southwest of the Chiricahua’s Mountains, Naiche would raid in the Sulphur Springs Valley with two goals in mind, getting enough mounts to allow a quick return to Mexico for all the people he had in charge and diverting the soldiers from Kla-esch and his warriors. After he was quite sure the women and children were relatively secured near Mud Springs, Naiche moved north longing the western side of the Chiricahua’s Mountains, 30th of September.
Naiche had very few warriors to guard the people and in the same time to get enough mounts. I think he let the saisoned warriors Nah-dozinne and Stalosh with the dikohes Pel-coy and Biete to take care of the women and children, the time to raid, a day or two. Accompagnying Naiche were surely Atelnietze, his dikohe’s son Satsitnitsu, La-zi-yah and Tsilnothos. Even there was a cow-boy and a dog to guard the corral, the raiders succeeded to stole fifty horses and mules, at 3 AM, 1st of October. A white man hearing noise in the corral, quitted his cabin to watch what was happening. He faced a very tall Apache, on a horse, threatening him with a rifle. Remaining quiet, the white man was spared by the tall Apache when the raiders had finished. The tall Apache was certainly Naiche because Atlenietze who was the only outbreaker taller as Naiche did not show mercy towards enemies.
I think, Naiche ordered his loyal “brother”, maybe with Tsilnothos to make diversion trail to the Dragoons mountains, while with La-zi-yah and Satsitnitsu, Naiche brought the mounts to Mud Springs. Atelnietze and his companion killed a rancher in the Dragoons and returned beside their nantan. The next day Naiche and his warriors were surprised to see Kla-esch and his warriors. Kla-esch avorted the risky foray because there was too much blue soldiers, Whites or Apaches, in Arizona between the border and Fort Apache. What they did not know was their relatives were not at Fort Apache but, some forty miles north of them, at Fort Bowie.
The Chokonens to avoid patrols along the border went east, in New Mexico and crossed at Alamo Hueco to enter in Mexico. Understanding the two columns of blue soldiers had returned to USA to rest and to get new supplies, they certainly reached their camp location in the Carcay Mountains 7th or 8th of October, north of Dzil-dolt-izhihi, all alived and safe. 10th or 11th of October 1885, Goyakla, Kas-tziden and their followers joined the Chokonens. The feelings during the reunion were certainly mixed and the necessity to unite prevailed to arguments and revenge between Kla-esch and Goyakla. Naiche acted perhaps as a mediator or simply as the Nantan on all the outbreakers there, Kla-esch and Goyakla included.