Naiche/Natchez

[coeurrouge]

1.3.Corruption.

Returned in the sub-agency, Naiche and the Chokonens heard that Grijalva was fired by Hart because the interpreter accused the agent to rob the Apaches. The Chiricahuas certainly believed this information because for one year, their supplies were cut in half and during the winter 1878-1879, they suffered. It was a very cold winter and the lack of blankets and food made the Chokonens uncomfortable with the cold weather.
In fact, the agent Hart destroyed all Clum had built during the previous three years. The buildings crumbled, the police were no more efficient due of the departure of Clay Beauford and the reduction of the forces. Most of the employees of the agency were corrupted and did not much of their work like controlling the quantities and qualities of the supplies. The contractors thought only of their profit and delivered at heavy prices poor qualities of cattle, food or clothes.
Some contractors, linked or belonging to the mafia which Crook later called the “Tucson Ring”, did not only to have profits but also to discontent the Apaches. So, to control and to avoid Apaches to become renegades, militaries were necessary. The US Army during this period maintained, scattered in several forts, twenty percent of his forces in Arizona and New Mexico. These soldiers needed good supplies, carriers, food and mounts. All the Tucson Ring could sell and provide. Maybe discontent Apaches would revolt and killed sometimes white settlers or stole ranches, like Goyakla and Tandinbilnojui, but it would be away from Tucson.

Another aspect of the carelessness of Hart was all the residents felt freer. The last past year the Chokonens appreciated because they could live in mountains in the reservation most of the time away from the evil low lands of the Gila. But near the agency there were lot of plots which served interests to people who invented these. It also encouraged some bad white men, among called in the plain’s reservations “squawmen”, to spread rumors against rivals’ tribes in the Reservation. Often Naiche and the Chiricahuas were victims of these rumors.
During the winter Archie McIntosh, a former trust scout of Crook, said that a general uprising would occur. After investigation by the US Army, the officers concluded in late march that all the former scout said was false. In the same time, an inspector of the Indian Administration came to investigate about Hart’s work. He found the agent was not doing his job and preferred doing his own illegal business. Soon, 29th of March 1879, Hart resigned but the inspector let him, surprisingly, at his post until his replacement.

In the same time, in New Mexico, the blue soldiers tried to convinced Bi-duye that he was allowed to go in the Mescalero Reservation to join Kas-tziden. But apparently, there was a misunderstanding, Bi-duye believing the White Eyes wanted to send him in San Carlos again. And for the Chihenne’s chief, it preferable to die rather living in San Carlos, so he left again. He came with some of his warriors near the subagency in May 1879. 18th of May, he visited Naiche and the Chokonens. Apparently, he tried to enlist Chokonen’s warriors but he came more surely to get intelligences about the Chihennes living with Jlin-tay-i-tith. He wanted to look for his family and deliver them. Naiche and the other chiefs told him they lived near the agency always watched by policemen. Bi-duye, understanding he could not free his people at his time, returned in the Black Range Mountains in New Mexico.

Naiche certainly asked repeatedly the authorization to settle in mountains before the Spring, fearing evils would strike like in 1878. But to his disappointment because of the rumors of revolts, the problems with agent Hart and the visit of the renegades of Bi-duye, the White Eyes did not give passes to Naiche and his people. The Chokonens were forced to stay in the low lands of the Gila River during the Spring and the early Summer. Again, Malaria stroke. Lots of Chokonens and Bedonkohes under Pedes-kinjle died, mostly babies and very young children.
Naiche probably lost kinfolks because of the disease. Between 1877 and 1886, Yones, the other widow of Goci, one half-sister of Naiche, Goci’s brother Juan, Atelnietze’s mother disappeared from records, maybe victims of the Malaria. Some babies of Naiche, born between 1878 and 1881 certainly died from the disease. Naiche and his two wives, Nah-de-yole and E-clah-eh, had no recalled child born between 1878 and 1884.
It was surely a painful and a hard time for the young chief. Mourning because of the disease, suffering of hunger because of half rations and getting pressure, direct or circuitous, to leave the reservation by free Chiricahuas, Naiche kept his words he gave to his father to maintain peace with White Eyes but it was more and more unwillingly. The fact Kla-esch, Nahilzay and Zele did not schedule to escape, helped Naiche. It seemed that he found a strong support on his policy with Pedes-kinjle who was apparently the new chief of the Ne-be-ke-yen-de’s gota.

While Hart was absent, Naiche participated, in June, on a council with other chiefs of the reservation, Chiricahuas and certainly White Mountains, Pinals, Arivaipas, Tontos and Cibecues Apaches. They shared their observations of the lack of rations especially of beef. Maybe they were agreed to complain together at the inspector from Washington for the robbery of Hart which put them in hunger and the fact they were confined in area they did not like. The Cibecues, White Mountains wanted to come back North, the others wanted passes to hunt, to gather natural food and to plant corns and vegetables along fresh creeks in the mountains. Naiche and the Chiricahuas living at the sub-agency only wanted to live in mountains to escape evils, to be free from the agent and to get their traditional food.

Doing that, Naiche only used his responsibility as Chief. He wanted to do his best to take care of his people while remaining in peace with the Americans. But a sqawman alerted the American authorities that the chiefs during the council talked about war and planned to attack the forts on and near the reservation. This white man also added Naiche was the ring leader. 12th and 15th of July, Naiche was questioned of a possible uprising. Naiche twice denied any plan of a revolt and he said again he would never break the peace his father made with Americans.
The rumor was spread certainly by Apaches who hoped to remove the Chiricahuas from San Carlos. Naiche was obviously upset that the Americans, regularly in 1879, did not believe his sincerity of Peace. While it costed the life of his brother and surely of other members of his family, maybe some of his babies, he constantly expressed his desire to maintain peace with the White Eyes. He too advocated sometimes, for his Chokonens, a come back in their homeland but most of the times, the displeasure he talked was about the irregular and the scarce of the supplies given.

The Indian Administration asked the US Army to appoint, as in interim, an officer on the employ of agent in San Carlos. It was accepted and Captain Chaffee replaced Hart, 19th of July 1879, as agent of the San Carlos Reservation. This appointment made certainly Naiche suspicious. The civilian agents have been different, friendly and good advisor as Jeffords, arrogant but efficient as Clum, stealer but not disturbing as Hart. Naiche seemed to have been comfortable with all of them because they did not interfere much in their life. Chaffee was a blue soldier and Naiche always did not trust and like them.
Chaffee quickly understood he would have a big restoration to do. In his first decisions, he enlisted more forty policemen, mainly prominent men or chiefs like Kla-esch and Zele. If Naiche was approached, he did not enlist maybe because he did not want to have relations with soldiers. Soon after complains from the Apaches of the lack of beef, Chaffee gave passes to the Apaches to go looking for their traditional food in the mountains. In late July, Naiche and Pedes-kinjle moved their camps along Eagle Creek on George Stevens’ ranch. This white man was married to a White Mountain Apache woman.
Nicknamed Francesca, daughter of a White mountain chief, this woman was apparently a cousin of Naiche. Maybe she was a daughter of the great chief Esh-kel-dah-silah and of a half-sister of Dos-teh-seh. Naiche, Pedes-kinjle and their people liked this place much healthier. But a month later because of the raids made by Goyakla and Tandinbilnjui’s warriors in southeast of Arizona, Chaffee ordered the Chiricahuas to come back at the sub-agency. Based on his experience as a military man, Chaffee feared the Chiricahuas joined the renegades led by Tandinbilnojui or Bi-duye. Naiche and his band had to return in the evil place where fifty to sixty of them died from malaria, in the last Spring.

The young chief began to have enough of the lack of confidence from the Americans about his promises of peace and about his capacity as a chief. However, since September 1877, none Chokonen left San Carlos even numbers of them had died from disease, even the agent stole them, even they were homesick, even when the Chihennes escaped, when Goyakla left or when Bi-duye looked for reinforcement. But the White Eyes expressed to Naiche their doubts about his sincerity, the higher principle transmitted by his father.
All the Chokonens returned near the low lands of the Gila River. Zele and his Bedonkohes followed, I think by Nay-zar-zee’s family, joined Jlin-tay-i-tith near the agency, fifteen miles west of the sub-agency. Like their agent they soon knew Bi-duye, Kas-tziden and Esquine left the Mescalero Reservation in late August and began to raid and kill everyone they met. The officers also learnt that the Haiahende’s gota asked for peace in Janos.
Lieutenant Haskell from Fort Bowie was in charge of the peace mission. Four Chiricahuas were hired as emissaries like Nay-zar-zee, an old friend of Tandinbilnojui. Nahilzay would join them at the end of the mission as Thomas Jeffords. The mission took time but on 7th of January 1880, Haskell was able to bring peacefully and voluntary Tandinbilnojui, Goyakla and their people. Maybe some Nednhis stayed at this time in the Sierra Madre. They asked and obtained the right to camp near Naiche and his band.
If they denied to the whites to avoid possible problems, they certainly told to the Chokonens what Bi-duye and his followers were doing. They were in a total war against Americans and Mexicans. Bi-duye fought to have the right to live on his homeland. Raids and battles were numbered against the blue soldiers. Bi-duye had several victories. Tandinbilnojui and Bi-duye fought together in October 1879 and had a great victory among the Mexicans in the Candeleria’s Mounts, Chihuahua, where they ambushed and killed thirty-five Mexicans. Unfortunately, Thastine, half-brother of Dos-teh-seh was killed too.

Apparently, during his first six months, Chaffee succeeded to restore order in San Carlos, to put again on work the employees, to have again efficient police and to diminish strongly the corruption but he could not revise everything Hart sowed. Corruption habits, angry feeling about the robbery, irregular and poor rations, dead from disease, jealousy and rivalry between tribes with violent clashes made a lot of quiet dissatisfaction in San Carlos. The general corruption during Hart’s period impacted up to Washington DC. The Indian Commissioner Hayt was dismissed and charged for corruption.

NEXT : 1.4 Discontentment and Troubles.

[juan]

A lot of your pics dont come up the ones that have the funny fellow looks like an egg goes to a Russian website and the picture is nowhere to be seen. Its all Russians i cant make heads or tails out of it

[Diane Merkel]

If you are looking at the beginning of this thread, those photos were posted more than ten years ago. We'll try to get the links corrected, but it will take some time.

Diane

[las]

Just returned to your site and found all photos replaced by a stupid icon. This no longer makes viewing or reading your material very interesting.

las

[grahamew]

Unfortunately, Tinypic was used as an image-hosting site by several members and it shut down, leaving the 'stupid icon' in place of the photos. There's nothing we can do about it, otherwise we would have. I don't see how that affects reading the material, however.

[Dietmar]

Unfortunately we are dependent on the reliability of the image host services.

As Grahame said, Tinypic has ceased service last year. There is no way for us to recover the images.

Wikipedia lists some image services in the link below. If you have any advice on which service to recommend, feel free to write us.

en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_image-sharing_websites

[grahamew]

I'm now using Postimage, but they've gone down once and changed their URL, so we lost some images then too.

[coeurrouge]

1.4. Discontentment and Troubles.

Naiche and Tandinbilnojui developed a mutual respect. They were the only Chiricahua chiefs to have kept the unity of their band. This fact and for what he has done, gave Naiche the respect of the Nednhi’s Chief, more than Taza had. Tandinbilnojui certainly impressed Naiche, because he succeeded to live with his band, freely in their Dzil-dotl-izhihi (Sierra Madre) strongholds inviolate by Mexicans. If the Nednhi’s warriors had a risky life by raiding often, their families were most of time in safety in Dzil-dotl-izhihi. Sure, the Nednhis had suffered too by heavy losses but it was in US territory or by Mexican treacheries. By his experience and as an old allied of Goci, the chief Tandinbilnojui had a great influence upon Naiche, more than Goyakla I think, during this reservation’s period. But not always in good direction because the Nednhis and their chief were very skittish. They were always ready to flee at any sign they read as a threat. By time it certainly made nervous Naiche and the Chokonens.

Another factor influenced deeply the Chiricahuas during this period. It was the relationship between the different Apache tribes living in San Carlos. Most of the Chiricahuas had good relations with the Eastern band of the White Mountain Apaches. It was better before 1870, but in 1880, it was relatively good, except for the Chihennes because during their escape in 1877, some Eastern White Mountain, under Bylas, helped the US army to chase down the Chihennes. The Bedonkohes and the Chokonens had a special bound with the clan of the chief George.
With the Arivaipas, the relation was good or neutral. Their chief Eskiminzin was well respected by Naiche and the other Chiricahuas, it seemed. But the Chiricahuas disliked or hated the Pinals, the Tontos, the Cibecue Apaches and the Western band of the White Mountain Apaches. Because these Apaches helped the White Eyes as policemen, mostly the Pinals and the Tontos, to remove the Chiricahuas from their homeland or helped the blue soldiers as scouts, mostly the Western White Mountain and the Cibecue, to attack and to kill Chiricahuas including women and children.

The San Carlos reservation included most of the Pinal tribe homeland. So, The Pinals disliked the Chiricahuas and the Tontos, because they considered them as intruders in their homeland, even these tribes did not choose to come here. They hated the Cibecue and the Western White Mountains because they helped Colonel Crook’s troops to defeat them. The Tontos, hardly stroke in 1872-1873 and while in low profile, they were discontented because they were homesick and they hated the Cibecue and the Western White Mountains because they killed much Tontos under the order of Colonel Crook.
The Eastern White Mountain seemed jealous of the Western Band. Chased by the Cibecue in the 1850s, the Western Band under the chief Hacke-yanil-tli-din (Pedro) were allowed by the great chief Esh-kel-dah-silah of the Eastern Band to live in their territory. But in 1875, when Clum removed the White Mountains, the Western Band was authorized to stay near Fort Apache because most of the men were scouts while the Eastern band was forced to move south. It seemed that Hacke-yanil-tli-din had not much advocated the Eastern Band situation. In 1880, the Eastern band had no more a great chief. Each clan followed its own chief like Bylas or George.

In the 1850s, the powerful and aggressive chief of the Cibecue Apaches, Esh-ke-iba (Miguel), forced the Western White Mountain, after some bloody clashes, to leave their country along the Carrizo Creek. In 1869, the Cibecue Apaches showed to the blue soldiers where to build a fort in the White Mountain country. This fort was Fort Apache. When Crook enlisted scouts, most of them were Cibecue and Western White Mountains. In the same time to please the soldiers, Esh-ken-la (Diablo) a young brother of Esh-ke-iba killed a White Mountain, in 1872, and provoked a two year of sporadic fights between the Cibecue and the Western White Mountains. It finished with the murder of Esh-ke-iba in 1874. In 1875, the Cibecue were removed to San Carlos against their wish.
The killing of his brother and the forced removal put a great resentment in Esh-ken-la’s mind. This chief felt betrayed by the White Eyes and hated more the Western White Mountains, led by Hacke-yanil-tli-din and his two sons Petone and Al-chesay, because they had the favour of the US Army. Thanks to agent Hart, the Cibecue Apaches could return along the Cibecue creek. Esh-ken-la took advantage and launched several bloody raids against the Western White Mountains without punishment from the agent or the US Army.

At the beginning of the 1880s, by these all feuds between the tribes, by the homesick for several of them, the impacts of Hart administration and by the encroachment of White Eyes’ cattle on the reservation lands, the San Carlos reservation was like a volcano. It was not exploded yet because the reservation was watching by several US Army’s forts and their troops. Inside the reservation, on the North was Fort Apache in the White Mountain Apaches’ country. Outside were Fort Thomas on the East along the Gila River, near the Chiricahuas and the Eastern band of the White Mountains and Fort Grant on the South.
The winter of 1880 was hard as the previous year. The lack of blankets, poor water made discontented the Chiricahuas, especially the newcomers. The Bedonkohes also learnt that Esquine’s ranchéria, separated from Bi-duye, was attacked, in late 1879, by Chihuahua’s soldiers and much of people killed. Esquine’s Bedonkohes joined again Bi-duye and his fate. After the winter, Chaffee allowed the Chiricahuas of the subagency to go living in mountains. It was good news for them, escaping the shaking sickness’ season.

But Bi-duye and his warriors approached San Carlos in late April 1880. After a fight against soldiers where Nayila was killed, Bi-duye and Kas-tziden led their warriors to San Carlos. The Chihenne chief had two schedules. One was to take revenge on Bylas’ clan and the other was to rescue their family living with Jlin-tay-i-tith just near the agency. Hearing the coming of Bi-duye, Chaffee like in 1879 in the same occasion, ordered the Chiricahuas to come back at the subagency. This order discontented deeply Naiche who feared other death because because of malaria.
Bi-duye stroke 7th of May and killed Bylas and some of his family in cold blood. This act was an irreversible one. Since this time, plenty of Eastern White Mountains enlisted as scouts to fight the Chiricahuas. Bi-duye did not attempt the second and too risky schedule of his plan and returned in New Mexico. Acting for Colonel Carr Jeffords tried, in mid-May, to enlist Naiche and Tandinbilnojui in a peace mission towards Bi-duye.

Naiche certainly happy to see the only White Eye he completely trust, refused. He surely also explained that he had enough of the mistrust of the Americans and that the only thing the Chokonens obtained living in the subagency was death by disease. He expressed to Jeffords his though to escape San Carlos to look for his band a healthier place to live free. At this period, Naiche was in a very bad and angry mood.
During this discussion, Jeffords told maybe Naiche, he had candidate to become the new agent, but the government chose someone else named Joseph C Tiffany. The news certainly disappointed Naiche. Tiffany took his post 1st of June. He continued what Chaffee had done to restore order in the reservation. He seemed during his employment as agent to coax the Chiricahuas thinking they were he only Apaches able to escape the Reservation and to ruin his career as agent.

The threat of Bi-duye for a long time expulsed in Mexico, after the chief was hardly defeated along the Palomas river by Parker’s scouts, in late May, Colonel Carr visited Naiche and the Chiricahuas at the subagency. To show his goodwill he enlisted as interpreter Jeffords. He met the chiefs around 5th of July 1880. Were present Naiche, Tandinbilnojui, Goyakla, certainly Kla-esch, Bénito and Pedes-kinjle. Naiche always stingy of talking with White Eyes, especially the soldiers who he deeply untrusted, with Jeffords’s present, spoke freely.
He recalled he kept the words of Peace of his father with the Americans and that the Chokonens lived at peace since 1876 they were in San Carlos. He explained that they had irregular rations, mainly in beef and that near the subagency they could not hunt or gather traditional foods to complete the lack of rations. He also complained that living there provoked a deadly sickness among his band and that plenty had died since 1878. Some days later, he sent his count of one hundred and twenty-five death of sickness since they arrived in San Carlos. In front of Carr he advocated that his band should be allowed to return in their sacred mountains or at least in a place healthier to live. After a similar speech of Tandinbilnojui, Carr understood that if the agent did not act quickly, Naiche and the other Chiricahuas would certainly revolt.
The new agent Tiffany acted promptly by giving sufficient rations and above all allowed the Chiricahuas to live elsewhere in San Carlos on the mountains which contented apparently the young chief. Naiche’s speech shows that he was not the shallow and not serious young chief, often described years later. After his speech, supported by Tandinbilnojui, the Chokonens could move on a healthier location. By his words and by his friendship with Jeffords he convinced the White Eyes to let the Chokonens to live as and where they wished peacefully in the reservation. It proved he was a real chief and not only the son of Goci.

Another tribe was put in a terrible mood in the reservation during the summer. Regular fights between the Cibecue and Western White Mountains increased this summer. Enough of the Cibecue’s raids, the Western White Mountains retaliated. Along the White river, a big fight occurred, 30th of August 1880, and about ten warriors were killed. Among the killed was the Cibecue’s chief Esh-ken-la. This death put the Cibecue’s Apaches in a bitter and despair feeling. They seemed to have come back near the agency of San Carlos, after the fight.
If Tiffany took care of the Chiricahuas and was an efficient agent to restore order, he was another corrupted agent. He turned away a part of the rations to feed the cattle of his ranch near the reservation. He sold some lands west of the reservation on public domain. New mines opened on these lands and were included in Globe county. And with the Apaches, less with the Chiricahuas, he interfered in their social life, forbidding traditional habits. He did not hesitate to punish, unfairly and very severely the Apaches who did not follow his rules. Sometimes later the summer, he was efficiently assisted by the new chief of the San Carlos’ Police, Albert Sterling. Tiffany’s corruption, his interferences and his punishments made a lot of San Carlos residents discontented.

[coeurrouge]

The autumn of 1880 was the happier for the Chokonens since they lived in San Carlos. They received regular rations and could camp in the mountains on the vicinity of the subagency. The pugnacity of Naiche to have the right to move freely in the San Carlos, paid off, finally. The skittish Nednhis were seemly contented, too. Outside the reservation, the called Apache’s renegades by the White Eyes were far away from San Carlos following Bi-duye and Kas-tziden in Mexico.

But at the beginning of the winter, a tragic news was spread in all the reservation certainly by the scouts. Bi-duye and his followers had been surprised and totally defeated at Tres Castillos, in the low lands of Chihuahua State, in Mexico. 14th and 15th of October 1880, two troops of Mexicans soldiers led by Joaquin Terrazas and Juan Mata Ortiz trapped Bi-duye. Seventy-eight Apaches were killed among them thirty-four Chiricahuas, the others were Mescaleros. Sixty-eight women and children were captured, forty-eight were Chiricahuas.Bi-duye was killed or killed himself at Tres Castillos. Horache, Nayila and the oldest son of Bi-duye were killed too by Americans or Mexicans, during this war.
It was a terrible blow for the Bedonkohes. All whom followed the Chihennes in September 1877’s escape, had been killed or captured during the 1879-80’s war. All the warriors accompanying Esquine, died. I think Esquine lost his life during this war, as Francisco and Goonah-leenah. Two third of the old Mahko’s gota had disappeared. All the remaining of this gota were in San Carlos. They were divided on two extended families. The one led by Zele living with the Chihennes at the agency. The others followed Goyakla camping near the Nednhis. The last real gota of the Bedonkohes was the one of Bénito.
For Naiche and his family, it was another time of mourning. Dos-teh-seh lost again two younger brothers, Thastine and Cassori and certainly nephews and nieces. More than these cousins, Naiche knew Ponce Junior died during the war. I do not know what happen to his wife, Chie’s sister. Had she been killed, been captured or did she live with Jlin-tay-i-tith?

The Chiricahuas heard surely quickly that half of the Chihenne’s followers of Bi-duye survived, with them twenty to twenty-five warriors. The old chief Kas-tziden led them. Some his headmen were Tah-ho-klisn, Mangus and the young warrior Kaathenay. Among the men were Eskineltze, the eldest son of Tudeevia, Nezulkide, Pet-zhan, Nachol, Chinche and two very young warriors Len-sey and Seltoe.
These survivors made raids in New Mexico at the end of 1880. The US Army looked for more scouts to chase down Kas-tziden and his warriors. If Kla-esch, Ulzanna and other Chokonen warriors enlisted, Naiche did not. He accepted to be a police man under the command of Sterling. Scout or policeman were the only jobs the Chiricahua’s men accepted to do despite all the men of the other tribes did other jobs like farmer, carrier or builder. In their mind, they accepted to live in San Carlos in exchange of their homelands and Peace, not to become a white man.

Under the appearance to be content of their situation, the Chiricahuas became more and more suspicious. The Nednhis and the followers of Goyakla, always ready to escape, prepared this by buying ammunitions. If the Chiricahuas were grateful to Tiffany by letting them to camp where they pleased and to give them regular rations, it seemed that Naiche and the others saw what kind of agent he really was. In 1881, some tensions, whom the agent, the subagent and the militaries did not worry very much, happened between Tiffany and the Chiricahuas.
Tiffany and his Police’s Chief acted more than the previous year against Apaches social way of life. They arrested some adults, mostly women, for drinking and making tiswin, which was forbidden. Making good tiswin was a social recognition for the women. The Chiricahuas always protested peacefully against these rules which they fairly thought it was American's intrusion in their traditional life. If Naiche did not say his objection, he seemed to share the feeling expressed by Kla-esch when this chief came back for scouting time to time and did protestations.
Another subject of annoyance was the interpreter used by Tiffany when he conversed with the Chiricahuas. His nickname was Mickey Free. He was a previous captive, captured, raised and sold by the Pinals to the Eastern White Mountains who finished to raise him as an Apache warrior. The Chiricahuas disliked or hated him for two main reasons. The first was unfair but understandable in their way of thinking. When he was the teenage boy, named Félix whose stepfather was John Ward, he was captured by Pinal Apaches. It was because of his capture that Goci’s War began and Naiche held as a young child because Bascom wanted the release of Félix. The Chiricahuas and certainly Naiche thought, unfairly, Mickey free was responsible of the war which caused so much misfortunes to the Chiricahuas. They considered Mickey Free brought bad luck.
The second reason was more real. It seemed that Mickey Free was not a good interpreter but had good skill to fool the White Eyes pretending to be a good translator. The Chiricahuas who understood some English’s words, thought the interpreter made bad translations to please the White Eyes and showed the Chiricahuas more bellicose than they really were. The Chiricahuas often accused Mickey Free to lie by wrong translations made in purpose.

Around the Chiricahuas, in the reservation, the other native residents entered gradually in desperation. The interference by the agent and his police, on their social life, occurred more and more often. There were few great leaders in the different tribes unlike Eskiminzin and the aging Hacke-yanil-tli-din. This absence of leadership put the Apaches in a lack of landmarks. Also, all could watch the agent stealing some of the supplies intended to the Apaches, as they saw previously, powerless, Hart doing the same things. But this time the agent seemed to have the support of the militaries, the old-time allies of the Cibecues and Western White Mountains.
And in February 1881, it became worst when the Western White Mountains lost temporarily their leaders and felt betrayed by the troops of Fort Apache. In a revenge act, Cibecues’ warriors attacked the ranchéria of Hacke-yanil-tli-din and his sons. Several warriors from both sides were killed or wounded. Petone, the oldest son of the chief was killed, the aging chief had a bad injury by bullets in the legs and Al-chesay, his youngest son, was badly hurt in the chest. In the great disappointment of the Western White Mountains, the militaries did nothing against the attackers. The low morale and the hiding feelings of the Apaches were not seen or ignored by the Americans, civilians or militaries.

At spring 1881, Tiffany authorized the Apaches who wanted to move where they pleased, except the Chihennes always watched carefully by the police. As usual since he arrived, the agent gave passes to the Chiricahuas which allowed them to escape malaria by moving in the Mountains. The Cibecues were authorized, in mid-May, to return along their beloved river, the Cibecue Creek. During the spring this tribe found a new leader, a chief, a shaman and a preacher, named Nock-ay-det-klinne. The goal of the chief, returning on their homeland, was to pray by new ritual and peaceful dances. Nine years before the Ghost’s dances in the Plains, the preacher swore he could bring back from the spirits world, the great chiefs of the Cibecues and a better life to his people.
In June, he had more and more proponents, Cibecues but also among the White Mountains. Hearing of his dances, Tiffany send some Policemen to watch the dances. They returned without their arms and seemly convinced by the preacher. Sterling tried after to arrest Nock-ay-det-klinne, but the preacher avoided the Police and was not arrested. Failing to resurrect the dead chiefs, the preacher said it was because of the White Eyes presence and apparently asked for more dances. The disheartened Apaches, always looking for new hope, joined the preacher in numbers during July and August 1881. In mid- July, the agent met Nock-ay-det-klinne and ordered him to stop the dances to avoid troubles. The preacher swore that he had peaceful intentions.
None of the Chiricahuas came to see what were doing the dancers. They stayed away of this excitement. It seemed that much Eastern White Mountains participated of the dances as some Western White Mountains. Among them the chief George and his friend Bénito, the Bedonkohe chief, born White Mountain. But the Chiricahuas were more concerned by other news from New Mexico. Since Mid-July, Kas-tziden led a bloody raid to avenge Bi-duye from the Americans and showed no mercy with all the White Eyes, Mexicans or soldiers his warriors met. The US army was unable to prevent Kas-tziden to did his damages. It was possible but not proved that in January 1881, in the following Summer or both times, Kas-tziden met his brother-in-law Goyakla.

In August 1881, the activities of Nock-ay-det-klinne and his followers and the raid of Kas-tziden's Chihennes made very nervous Tiffany and the militaries in Fort Apache and Fort Thomas. The agent questioned or spied the Chiricahuas to know what they did and if they could attend to dance with the preacher. It seemed that Naiche several times said he would never join the preacher. The others chief said the same thing. The watching of the policemen confirmed that the Chiricahuas never participated dancing with the Cibecues and the White Mountains.
Tiffany urged Colonel Carr from Fort apache to act against Nock-ay-det-klinne. He thought the preacher organized a general uprising after the harvest of the corn. 29th of August, Colonel Carr took eighty-four soldiers and twenty-five scouts from the Cibecues and Western White Mountains. He decided to arrest the preacher, took him in custody and the fate of the chief would depend of the investigation about the possibility he was the ring leader of a plot to a general Apache revolt. His officers had doubts about the loyalty of the scouts.

30th of August, in the afternoon, the preacher was arrested in his camp without problem. While returning towards Fort Apache, half an hour after, the supporters of Nock-ay-det-klinne, maybe around one to two hundred warriors attempted to free their chief, along the Cibecue Creek. At the beginning of the fight, all but three of the scouts deserted and fought the soldiers. The casualties were about ten soldiers, killed or wounded and eighteen Apaches killed, mostly warriors but also some women and children. Nock-ay-det-klinne, certainly mortally wounded, was executed in cold blood in order of Carr by crushing his head with an ax.
The death of the preacher provoked the eruption of the volcano. Years of frustrations, humiliations, unfairness and angers accumulated, since 1875, exploded. Warriors scattered on the reservation looking for soldiers and Whites Eyes to kill. 1st of September together, all the hostiles, mainly Cibecues, Eastern White Mountains and some Western White Mountains, attacked Fort Apache in a skirmished fight. The US troops repelled them. Nobody could know, but the fights were over. On the hostile side were George and his warriors accompanied by Bénito with two of his men. It was not sure they participated at the Cibecue Creek’s battle but Bénito and his two men were the only Chiricahuas to have fought the soldiers during this revolt.

Naiche, as the spokesman of the Chiefs in the subagency, came to Fort Thomas, 1st of September. He informed Captain Viven he knew about the fight and swore he would not let any of his men to join the hostiles. He repeated again that him and the other Chiricahua chiefs were at peace with the Americans. At this time or few days later, the commander of the US Army in Arizona, General Willcox asked, through Jeffords, Naiche to enlist as a scout against the hostiles. First Naiche seemed to accept but when Jeffords and lieutenant Haskell came in the camp to recruit scouts, 9th of September, he refused as all the men camping near the subagency.
In fact, 2nd or 3rd of September, the Chiricahuas learned Bénito was involved and researched by the US Army as a hostile. Even he was, by birth, a White Mountain, since his marriage in the Bedonkohe’s band, Bénito became a Chiricahua. And after been a renowned warrior close to Goyakla, Nahilzay and the most bellicose Chokonen’s warriors, he became chief of his gota in replacement of Chiva. Also, the Chiricahuas heard the Apache version of the Cibecue Creek’s battle. So Naiche and his men did not want to enlist to chase an appreciated Chiricahuas chief who seemed to have fairly reacted to a soldiers’ attack against peaceful Apaches, as Naiche and the others certainly thought. Dos-teh-seh surely advised his son that the White Mountains were the only tribe friendly to them in San Carlos, more numerous than the Chokonens and in their camps were some her kindfolks, then it would not be a good idea to enlist as a scout to go fighting this tribe.

The US army overreacted, after the events in San Carlos in August, at each stage of the command, like they would do during the Ghost dances, nine years later. General Sherman gave pressure to his subordinates to find hostiles, to punish or to kill them. He was ready to send all of the Army in Arizona. When Kla-esch and the others Chiricahuas scouts were discharged, 6th of September, new troops arrived to reinforce the garrisons at Fort Thomas, Fort Apache and Fort Grant. General Willcox put his headquarters in Fort Thomas, the fort nearer of the Chiricahuas’ camps. He ordered his troops to patrol in the reservation in research of hostiles to arrest or to fight. In late September general Willcox would have two thousand soldiers under his command, half cavalry, half infantry.
All these soldiers around the reservation and their many patrols inside the reservation uncomforted deeply the Chiricahuas. They became suspicious and very nervous, especially the Nednhis, Goyakla and his followers. In mid-September, after the big thrill passed, most of the hostiles came back and surrendered. Regularly the Chiricahuas expressed to Tiffany their anxiety, they questioned the presence of all these troops and they reasserted their peace feelings. The agent tried to reassure them by telling the soldiers did not considered the Chiricahuas as hostiles and that he believed them about their friendship towards the Americans. For agent Tiffany, the situation was calm down.

But for General Willcox, it would not. General Sherman was clear, he wanted results against the hostiles. Since he was arrived at Fort Thomas, general Willcox could not sent reports with a list of hostiles killed or arrested, he had none. So, he took in charge the situation in his way and overstepped the agent and his Apache police. His officers made a list of warriors involved in the fights. This list would contain more than two hundred names in October. Most of the names on the list were based on rumors spread by jealous or rivals’ tribes. Certainly, seventy five percent of the accused warriors were not guilty. Not innocent, the chiefs George and mainly Bénito were on this list. Willcox ordered his soldiers to arrest all the warriors on this list.
One month after the Cibecue Creek’s battle, General Willcox acted. Friday 30th of September 1881, was the weekly ration’s day. Apparently, some messages informed the warriors on the list to surrender this day. At the agency forty did and were put, by the soldiers, in custody, most of them without proof. The soldiers tried to do the same thing with George and Bénito in the subagency. George promised to surrender in the afternoon, while Bénito seemed to not promise anything. The latter maybe knew custody with Goyaklla and others men in April 1877, when Clum arrested them in Ojo Caliente. He certainly did not want to come back in jail.

George did not keep his words and found refuge with Bénito in the Chiricahuas’ camp where lived the Chokonens, the Nednhis and Goyakla’s followers. Soldiers captured the entire ranchéria of George and most of his women and children. George explained to the Chiricahua’s chiefs that the soldiers could come to arrest and put shackles on them. The soldiers could also capture or kill their women and children and finally send all the Chiricahuas away from San Carlos.
George did not stay a long time and after his departure, the Chirichauas held a council. Reminding their custody’s period, Goyakla and Pedes-kinjle advocated to leave. Tandinbilnojui dominated the council with Goyakla, was agreed with his old comrad, fearing to be punish from his past war actions against the White Eyes. The two warlike chiefs when they came in San Carlos knew that certainly one day they would have to escape. At this time, it was the opportunity. Bénito knowing he would be arrested or killed, followed.

His own experience, the influences of his close friend Pedes-kinjle, of his last living mentor Goyakla, mainly of the old ally of his father Tandinbilnojui and surely of his mother convinced the young Chokonen’s chief. Naiche decided to carry on his band leaving the reservation, fearing for the life of the Chokonen women and children. At 10h30 PM, with the help of Kla-esch and Nahilzay, more reluctant to escape, Naiche led his band, following Goyakla and Tandinbilnojui to Mexico.

NEXT : 2.Warpath Again.

[coeurrouge]

Hello,

I read that Naiche was one time injuried by a bullet through his chest. It hapenned during a fight against soldiers.

Was it true?
If it was, how old he was? And at what fight it hapened?

[ouroboros]

11 August 1886. The skirmish took place ca. twenty miles from Cumpas. Geronimo and Naiche ambushed six Americans. One of the Americans shot and the bullet grazed Naiche’s arm and chest before striking his leg.

The incident is described by Sweeney (From Cochise to Geronimo) and David Roberts (Once they moved like the wind)

[coeurrouge]

Apr 28, 2020 9:53:31 GMT -5 ouroboros said:

11 August 1886. The skirmish took place ca. twenty miles from Cumpas. Geronimo and Naiche ambushed six Americans. One of the Americans shot and the bullet grazed Naiche’s arm and chest before striking his leg.

The incident is described by Sweeney (From Cochise to Geronimo) and David Roberts (Once they moved like the wind)

Thanks a lot

[coeurrouge]

2. Warpath Again.

2.1. Naiche could not anymore.

Why Naiche, described as a cautious man, took the decision to follow Goyakla and Tandinbilnojui? His decision was not spontaneous made by a too young chief very influenceable as often written. He was not under the influence of Goyakla. Naiche took a quick thoughtful decision after listening the elders and after thinking of what he knew. The influences on his decision were multiple: other chiefs’ arguments and decision, his mother advises, family ties, previous Americans’ acts, his experience in San Carlos and the confidence he put on Tandinbilnojui’s plan and project of life in Mexico for the Chiricahuas.

The White Mountain’s chief George, after his all camp’s people was captured except most of the men, was certainly in a panic mind. When he was with the Chiricahuas, his explanations that the Chiricahua’s chiefs would be arrested with shackles, the women and children could be killed, was believed by Naiche and the other Chokonen’s leaders. During the council after the departure of George, Goyakla and Tandinbilnojui, dominating the debates, reminded everybody all the treacheries done by the White Eyes, especially the soldiers, upon the Chiricahuas. Always attentive at any threat against them, Goyakla and Tandinbilnojui decided to leave. Fearing to be put again in jail, the young chief of the mixed Bedonkohe-Chokonen’s gota and close friend of Naiche, Pedes-kinjle followed his war mentor, Goyakla, like Bénito. Dos-teh-seh expressed surely to his son that the Chokonen’s women, as her, scared a fight happened between the warriors and the soldiers when the latter would come to arrest Bénito. Maybe the majority of the women were ready to leave to escape the soldiers.

The closings of the Chiricahua and Ojo Caliente’s reservation were because of the action of few warriors. Naiche knew it could be possible the Chiricahuas would be punished because of actions had done Bénito. But for the Apaches’ point of view, the hostiles only revenged what they considered the murder of Nock-ay-det-klinne. Bénito was not an evil man like Pionsonnay, he was a liked Bedonkohe’s chief and a great warrior who got plenty of supporters in each Chiricahua’s band. Maybe when the soldiers came to arrest him some warriors would fight for him and certainly some women and children would be shot down during the fight.
Naiche would have to choose to fight or not. Bénito was the chief of a gota closely allied to his own from decades. Chiva the previous chief, still living, was a very close friend of Naiche’s father and the grandfather of Nasdlala, Naiche’s nephew whom the young chief considered as his “son”. To keep his chieftain on his band, Naiche would have certainly to help Bénito and risking death for him and his band.

Naiche, who, by his personal life, did not trust all the blue soldiers, remembered each time Chiricahua’s reservations were surrounded by American’s soldiers, its signified removal for the Chiricahuas on a location to live they did not want and like. This time it could be a removal in a place they did not know at all. Also, since the Cibecue Creek’s battle where soldiers lost fellows, the blue soldiers were nervous, upset to not have their revenge, yet. And the US Army did not like Apaches, especially the Chiricahuas. When they went in Nock-ay-det-klinne’s ranchéria, the troops were in a peaceful mind but it finished with the murder of the shaman and several of his people were killed among them his wife and his son. Naiche could be anxious of how the soldiers would act with him and his Chokonens when they would arrest Bénito.
Naiche swore with Taza to his father, just before Goci died, to always listen their good friend and agent Jeffords and to stay in peace with the White Eyes as long as Taza and Naiche could. Naiche had always kept his words he gave to his father. But it was not without deadly costs. Supporting his brother, he saw his nephew, maybe in reality his first child, died during a turmoil with Eskinye’s gota. To maintain peace and the unity of the Chokonens, he had to kill his father-in-law, the powerful war shaman of the Chokonens. But these actions did not avoid the removal in San Carlos, in a very bad place.

Since he was in San Carlos, Naiche never saw again his beloved brother after he died in an unknown country in the East. As a chief he was unable to prevent that one third of his band died from disease. The most who died from the shaking sickness were the children much loved by Chiricahuas’ parents, maybe some of his babies were among the casualties. When Nahilzay in 1876, the Chihennes in 1877, Goyakla in 1878, left the reservation, Naiche always stayed with his band, keeping his words of Peace. When he had enough in the Spring 1880, he listened Jeffords and still stayed in San Carlos.
Despite of his good behavior, what have done the Americans in return? Their Army broke the Peace words of general Howard by removing the Chokonens to San Carlos. The soldiers killed some Chihennes relatives of Naiche outside the reservation. In the mind of Naiche and his family, they may be deadly poisoned Taza and at last the agent Clum was responsible of his death by bringing him East for nothing. Each time, when Apaches made raids in USA, the Chokonens were confined in the subagency even they were dying of illness. Since the departure of Clum the agents had not given regular rations, had stolen the Apaches and a new element was that the agent and his Police interfered in their social life. All these years in San Carlos, Naiche’s sincerity about Peace was regularly questioning by the White Eyes. Honesty was the higher principle that his father passed on him and the fact the Americans doubted of him, Naiche was certainly very upset and disappointed.

Naiche had the option to not follow Goyakla and the others but he did know what would happen if he stayed. It could highly probable that his band would again be confined in the subagency, carefully watched by the Indian Police like the Chihennes of Jlin-tay-i-tith or, worst, removed again with the Chihennes in a place completely unknown. As the chief, Naiche certainly did not understand who controlled the reservation, Tiffany or the Army but both were well known to arrest unfairly Apache’s chiefs. His loyal “brother”, Atelnietze, surely would not let his chief arrested without fighting like other Chokonens warriors and some of them would be killed as maybe some women and children. Probably it would be very dangerous, for his life and the ones of the women and children, to Naiche and his band to not leave the reservation.
Naiche had promised to Goci to always listen Jeffords but their first agent was no more agent and if he gave best advises, Jeffords was unable to avoid tragic events on the Chokonens. Naiche gave his words to his father to stay at Peace as long as he could. Facing the untrusty behavior of the Americans and all these risky uncertainties in San Carlos, he decided to leave the reservation in the footsteps of Tandinbilnojui. Friday, 30th of September 1881 at 10:30 PM, Naiche could not anymore.

The plan of the Nednhi’s chief was not to go in the Chokonen’s country fighting hopeless to obtain a reservation there like has tried Bi-duye for Ojo Caliente. Tandinbilnojui proposed to lead all the Chiricahuas in Dzil-dolt-izhihi, joining Kas-tziden and his followers. United they would live surely a risky life because of the raids to find supplies and food but free from the White Eyes and the Mexicans. Their families would be most of the time safe and healthy on the Nednhi’s strongholds, relatively unknown by the Mexicans, at Guaynopa and Butgeska in Dzil-dolt-izhihi.
To leave San Carlos all together, it needed great leaders. Goyakla was acquainted of every rock, trail or waterholes from all the Chiricahua’s territory and he was the most powerful War Shaman the Chiricahua perhaps had ever known. Tandinbilnojui was the last Chiricahua chief alive to master a band movement, safely, in a hostile country. The two comrades had certainly prepared the leaving just before and since they arrived in San Carlos, studying the different escaping’s roads possible, hiding weapons, ammunitions and other thing in caches as usual done since decades by the people.

Great fighter’ chiefs or warriors like Bénito, She-neah, Pedes-kinjle, Ischi, Nat-cul-baye, Dje-likinne, Kla-esch, Ulzanna and Nahilzay accompanied them. All the warriors were very well armed and provided with plenty of ammunitions. They were lack of mounts but easily findable by raiding the ranches, farms and travelers along the flight’s road they would take. Naiche had the support of his family and was followed by his two wives, his two children, his mother, his two sisters, his young “son” Nasdlala, his half-sister Ee-Lodl-Lahm and his husband Nah-dozhinne. Also followed if they were still alive Yones, the third widow of Goci and the second half sister of Naiche. Naiche could depend on his loyal “brother” Atelnietze who joined him with his family and his strong mother if she was not dead.
Did Naiche take a bad decision leaving the reservation to Mexico? The young chief did not take a bad or good decision, he simply took a logical decision. The mistake that had done Naiche, like other chiefs, was to put too much confidence in Tandinbilnojui’s wisdom and knowledge with the Mexicans.

It was not the first time Naiche had to flee with his band along a hostile country and under the threat of enemy’s forces. But the last time it was his father who supervised and led the march, now it was under the responsibility of Naiche to lead the Chokonens to Mexico. Although Kla-esch and Nahilzay supported him, Naiche had to take care of two hundred of his people, men, women and children. As a man he was considered a reservation Apache, he never proved his skills as a chief of a free band or at last of a free gota. It was a huge challenge for him and his twenty-five years old. As a chief he took his responsibilities as good as he could following the example of Tandinbilnojui.
With the full weekly rations, they got the morning, first the Chiricahuas escaped east along the Gila River, during twelve miles and after divided in four groups, they travelled south to reunite all together at Black Rock, a prominent mountain in the Santa Teresa Mountains. One of the groups was the Chokonens, leading by Naiche. During this time Goyakla led raids to take mounts. The dry season and the bright moon helped them to move during the night. They stopped to rest, only in late afternoon October 1st, about thirty-five miles southeast from their camps in San Carlos. In twenty hours, they travelled about forty miles as they wished.
The subagent Hoag informed, through Mickey Free and another scout, Tiffany who transmitted, October 1st 01:00 AM, the news to the militaries stationed in San Carlos. Colonel Carr got the news in Fort Apache but did nothing. When general Willcox had confirmation by Hoag of the escape, he sent patrols to find the trail. And only on October 02:00 PM, troops left Fort Thomas in direction of Naiche and the other runaway Chiricahuas. Most of the US Army troops in Arizona looked for White Mountains and Cibecues renegades north east of the reservation.

At sunset, the fugitives continued their journey. With the description of the April 1882’s Chihennes “safety”, I tried to guess what did each leader during the march. Goyakla and Pedes-kinjle were surely, with some warriors, in vanguard opening the trail. Kla-esch led certainly the rear guard. The others leaders moved with the People to protect them. Naiche was among them listening and watching carefully Tandinbilnojui. On October 2nd, the People travelled in the southern foothills of the Pinaleños Mountains which Mount Graham belonged too. South of them were the main body of the warriors led by Tandinbilnojui and Naiche. Their goals were to be between soldiers from Fort Grant and their women and children and to attack every White Eyes to get supplies, mounts, weapons and ammunitions. By killing these Americans, they wanted to kill potential witnesses of their trail.
In midmorning they chased a man from the mountains, the vanguard informed Tandinbilnojui and Naiche that a large train approached Cedar Springs Station. It would be a very interesting plunder in schedule. The warriors showed no threats and let the convoy coming closer to them. They surrounded all the wagons and attacked. They surprised the White men and immobilized the first one by killing and wounding the teamsters of their wagon. The escort courageously responded and a fight occurred during one and half hour. The warriors killed between twenty to thirty men and seemed to have no dead. The loot was important with 14000 pounds of goods, around one hundred mules, three hundred cartridges and sixteen guns.

Warned by a sentry that enemies came, the warriors continued their road south, two hours after the beginning of the ambush at Cedar Springs Station. Soon after, they killed five other men, a civilian and four soldiers from Fort Grant. Certainly, confidents after their fight at Cedar Springs and regrouped, the warriors made an ambush against troops coming from Fort Grant. Around 02:30 PM the K.H Butte’s battle begun. The troops were approximately one hundred and thirty to forty cavalry men and Apaches scouts. Their principal officer was Captain Bernard who hit hard twice the ranchéria of Naiche’s father during the 1860s. While the soldiers inspected the four soldier’s corpses, the Chiricahuas launched fire behind rifle pits they made. The soldiers succeeded, after one-hour fight, to dislodged the warriors from their lower positions but were unable to do the same with their upper positions. But for the Chiricahuas being north of the soldiers, if their women and children crossed the valley the soldiers would be between the people and the warriors.
After six hours of fight, to allow their people to cross safely the valley, the warriors launched a powerful flank attack, on the right of the soldiers. When the warriors heard their people were safe in the Galiuro Mountains, southwest of the battle’s site, the warriors stopped fighting and joined their women and children. They camped in the valley just east of the Galiuro Mountains. The soldiers short in ammunition returned to their fort for supply. Tandinbilnojui was certainly the strategist of the ambush. Each leader surely led his own followers and fought ahead of them. Naiche seemed to have done that, improving as a fighter and headman, this day.

On October 3rd, the fugitives followed the eastern foothills of the Galiuro Mountain to go south and at the southern part of the mountains, they camped for hours before crossing the Sulphur Springs Valley and came back in the Chokonens’ homeland. The 80% full moon and the clear weather allowed them to break camp at 02:00 AM, on October 4th and went directly south to the Dragoon Mountains. Like before, Goyakla was certainly in front, Kal-esch behind and most of the warriors with Naiche and Tandinbilnojui between the valley and their People on the foothills walking or riding south. On East, there was a little town, named Willcox, just founded in 1880, in the Sulphur Springs Valley. This and new ranches showed to the Chiricahuas that the White Eyes colonized the territory that Goci and his Chokonens defended ten years ago.

At Dragoon Pass when penetrated in the Western side of the Chokonens’ homeland, the fugitives crossed a railroad, at 06:30 AM. This was the Southern Pacific Railroad who permitted the junction of Texas to California by train. It was a great surprise for everybody because when Tandinbilnojui and Goyakla surrendered, at the end of 1879, the railroad east of Tucson was not built. Except Cathla, no Chiricahuas knew to what these two steel lines were for. This railroad would have a huge impact on their life.
What they did not know was the US army used a train to transport cavalry troops. The soldiers and the scouts were charged with their horses at Willcox during the night. They quitted the train and entered the Dragoon Mountains by Dragoon Springs on the West side, several hours before the Chiricahuas crossed the railroad. They camped at Dragoon Summit around 04:00 AM. The mountains played tricks to the soldiers and to the Chiricahuas. The high summits did not allow the opponents to see each other. The Army scouts did not find trails of the renegades and the Chiricahuas focus their watching, south and northeast of their position, did not look in their west flank.
For the Chokonens, the return in the Dragoon Mountains was certainly special. There was more than five years that most of them did not see this homeland. The children of Naiche discovered it. For Naiche and his family emotions surely came when the People reached the Eastern’s Stronghold because Naiche’s father was buried near this place. It was there that Goci obtained his reservation that his two sons had to abandon five years ago. And when Naiche left his homeland, he was a young warrior just in responsibility of his family. In 1881, he had to care off all the band since less than five years.

During the morning they found cattle on grazing. The Chiricahuas killed and butchered some eighty beef. But in the midmorning, some scouts opened fire without orders, surprised the Chiricahuas but because the soldiers were not completely ready, the precipated fire helped the majority of the Chiricahuas to escape losing their recent loot. During thirteen miles to the south, the soldiers and the warriors fought while the women and the children fled in front. At South Pass, in the evening, the warriors held a rearguard stand and forced the soldiers to stop. At night, the warriors left South Pass because the soldiers with their horses certainly tired, camped. This surprise attack, if all the Chokonens were not convinced, desmontrated that their homeland was no more a safe place to live and that the plan of Tandinbilnojui to camp in Dzil-dolt-izhihi was the only good.

The Chiricahuas went East during the night and reached the Chiricahuas Mountains, certainly on October 5th. After they went to New Mexico and south hidden by the Peloncillo Mountains on their right flank. They finally crossed the border, on October 7th, travelled through the Pitaicache Mountains and joined Kas-tziden in the Carcay Mountains, Southeast of Janos certainly around October 10th. Was present beside Kas-tziden, Mangus the younger uncle of Naiche.
During the escape, the fugitives travelled around two hundred and sixty miles between San Carlos and the Carcay Mountains in ten days. Their casualties were slight with one man or two, two women killed and a woman and three children captured. They killed around some thirty civilians and five soldiers. Their raids gave them hundreds of mounts, a lot of food, new weapons and ammunitions. Several teenage boys who left the reservation on September 30th as dikohes had become warriors. They were at this time free from the White Eyes and united to the seventy Chihennes, survivors of the Tres Castillos battle. Because they were in Nednhi’s territory, altogether they followed Tandinbilnojui as their main chief.

Naiche changed in the eyes of his fellows. He was not anymore, a reservation’s chief and the son of Goci. Proving his skills as a fighter and a headman, he became more respected as a fighting leader. Well guided by Tandinbilnojui and Goyakla, certainly well helped by Kla-esch and Nahilzay to lead the Chokonen’s warriors, Naiche, after taking care of the women and children in the reservation, did the same thing during the escaping march. Naiche owned a new status during the 1881’s outbreak. Needing to learn more from experience’s chief, he followed the old ally of his father, Tandinbilnojui, for good and also for disaster.

[coeurrouge]

Just before or after the departure of San Carlos, an event consolidated the position of Naiche among the Chokonens. Finally, a strong tie was built between Naiche’s gota and Kla-esch’s gota. Kay-dahzinne, son of Is-pie-de and nephew of Kla-esch, married Das-den-zhoos, the younger sister of Naiche. When the fugitives joined Kas-tziden and his Chihennes, the alliance was sealed by a night dance. Soon after, Cathla and five others Chiricahuas scouts who had deserted arrived.

In Mexico, the plan of Tandinbilnojui, Goyakla and Kas-tziden was first to renew with the old Nednhis’ trading partners in Casas Grande, next to open negotiations with Chihuahua’s State to obtain a peace with this State in schedule to have a secure market to sell their plunder they would get mainly in Sonora and sometimes from USA. Early in November, they began to sell their loot they got in Arizona during their travel to Mexico. In the same time, Tandinbilnojui opened negotiations with the officer who defeated Bi-duye, Colonel Joaquin Terrazas, whose cousin was the State’s Governor.
The Chiricahuas’ chiefs, Naiche was surely among them, met Terrazas three miles East of Casas Grandes, 9th of november, 1881. The Chiefs let Tandinbilnojui expressed their wish. They wanted a land for them including the Carcay Mountains and the valleys surrounding these Mountains.

After two hours of talking, to gain the confidence of the suspicious chiefs Terrazas gave food, supplies and allowed the Chiricahuas to trade. Kas-tziden and his Chihennes left, certainly uneasy with the slayer of their relatives at Tres Castillos. They went to El Paso, in Mexico, to open their negotiation. During two weeks, in Casas Grandes, Terrazas brought gifts and rations to the Chirichuas and tried to convince the chiefs to come in the city to act a treaty. But the chiefs were too suspicious upon Terrazas to come inside Casas Grandes. How were sincere the Chiefs?
They wanted the release of the Chihennes held in captivity since the Tres Castillos’ Battle and certainly a truce with the Chihuahua’s state to dispose of trading markets and to ensure the safety of their family in the East side of the Sierra Madre while the warriors would raid in Sonora and USA. Otherwise Terrazas tried to trap the Chiricahuas like it was done with Nolgee. At the end of November, Tandinbilnojui led all the Chiricahuas at Guaynopa, one of the Nednhi’s strongholds. Kas-tziden arrived soon after with bad news.
At El Paso, the officials let the Chihennes and their Mescaleros’ allies thought that a truce would be possible. But the Mexicans made use of the peaceful feelings of the Apaches to attack them. Most of the people escaped, but some were killed apparently mostly Mescaleros. Some Chihennes’ warriors were killed too. This event should have alerted the chiefs and mainly Tandinbilnojui. Chihuahua State would use any means, everytime, to exterminate the Chiricahuas. Time had changed under Porfirio Diàz, the States followed the orders of Mexico and the cities obeyed to each governor. Decades before, it was common for the Chirichuas to be at war with Galeana’s citizens and at peace with Janos’ citizens. In the 1880s, it was not possible anymore.

During the councils, early in December, a talking point was on every discussion: the Chiricahuas stayed in San Carlos. The Chihennes seemed to be the ones who brought again and again the subject on the table. They wanted to be reunited, away from the White Eyes, with their relatives living with Jlin-tay-i-tith. They did not see each other for three years. They also maybe feared the US Army deported them in another place. In fact, the Indian Affairs of the US government thought during the winter to remove the Chiricahuas camping in San Carlos to the Indian Territory, but it was quickly abandoned.
The Bedonkohes had too, families or friends from their gota in San Carlos. On third of Bénito’s gota were still, under Chiva, in the subagency and the chief wanted them with him. Bedonkohes from the old Mahko’s gota were with Zele near the agency and Jlin-tay-i-tith’s Chihennes. In all some forty to forty-five percent of the Chiricahuas still in San Carlos would be surely ready to leave to join the fugitives under Tandinbilnojui. But it would be a very dangerous expedition with plenty of soldiers both side of the border. Enough of the discussions, Guyan, wife of Kaathenay and mother of Kaywaykla, urged the men to decide.
Stroken on their proud, Kas-tziden and the other chiefs decided to act. They would bring every Chirichuas from San Carlos with them in Dzil-dotl-izhihi, even by forces for the people who would not want to go like certainly Jlin-tay-i-tith. They send Bénito and seven other warriors to San Sarlos to inform their kinfolks. Also, Bénito was certainly in charge to look for the better road to go for the warriors and to come back with about three hundred people among them two hundred and fifty women and children. Bénito and his men went in mid-december, while the other warriors left for raids to get the supplies they needed for the winter.

They divided in two raiding expeditions of about forty warriors each. Their families staying safely in Guaynopa. Tandinbilnojui led the one in the East side of the Sierra Madre and Goyakla on the West side. With Goyakla were certainly his Bedonkohes, the Chihennes of his brother-in-law Kas-tziden, Pedes-kinjle and his men and Kla-esch and his Chokonens. Most of the Nednhis followed their chief, Tandinbilnojui, like Naiche and his warriors.
Between mid-december and mid-January, Tandinbilnojui, Naiche and their men attacked travellers near Sahuaripa, the Trinitad and Dolores mines. Full of plunder and after killing about ten Mexicans, they came back at Guaynopa without loss. Soon after, Goyakla and his raiders arrived. All the warriors were safe and the families had supplies for the winter. The Mexicans inhabitants near Guaynopa were mostly Tarahumaras Native Americans. The Chiricahuas and the Tarahumaras were the best mountain’s fighters from Northern Mexico to Southern USA. These tribes hated, respected and feared each other. But the Sonoran and Chihuahan officials were unable to stop, to locate or to track the Chiricahuas’ raiders.

Early in February 1882, Bénito came back from San Carlos. He certainly reported that the remaining of his gota, Zele’s followers and the kinfolks of Kas-tziden waited to leave, they would have to force Jlin-tay-i-tith’s gota to follow them in Mexico. In fact, some Chihennes and their chief advertised the militaries and Tiffany that Chiricahua warriors would come from Mexico to bring them in Mexico in forty days. The schedule expedition would not be a surprise for the US authorities.
Moving north, Tandinbilnojui and the chiefs decided to attack Nacori Chico.This isolated village was in the middle of the Nednhi’s territory between Guaynopa and Bugatseka. 15th of February, at sunset, Tandinbilnojui launched his attack. The villagers repulsed the warriors. The Chiricahuas lost one to five men during the fight. Naiche surely participated to this battle but his role was unknown because details were sparses. Their next move was to approach Corralitos’ hacienda and to make an agreement with the owners. The Chiricahuas wanted to have the right to camp safely on this hacienda’s lands while most of the warriors would go to San Carlos. And perhaps they hoped a truce with Chihuahua’s State.

In march 18th, the talkings began at Casa de Janos. Naiche was present with Nahilzay, Djelikine, Goyakla and Tandinbilnojui. This first meeting allowed to have others with officials of Janos and militaries from Federal or Chihuahua’s troops. Again, 8th of April they met Joaquin Terrazas and Goyakla was the spokesman. The discussions were good but the two side were either unsincere. The Chiefs wanted a truce the time most of the warriors were away from the women and children. Terrazas wanted to use the old trick to lure the Apaches and to can slaughter as many as possible when the warriors would be physically very weak.
11th April of 1882, Goyakla and sixty-three to seventy warriors left the area, in direction of San Carlos, to accomplish a Chiricahua’ expedition never done before. They would try to deliver or to kidnap three hundred of their people living in a US reservation and to bring back with them to Mexico, in more than two hundred miles were large ennemies’ forces waited for them.

NEXT : 2.2.In a Rescue Mind.

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2.2. In a Rescue Mind.

The expedition was very risky. The fact Bénito informed the Chiricahuas, stayed in San Carlos, that rescuers would come to deliver and to guid them to Mexico put on alert the US Army and their Apache scouts. If the coming of the warriors from Mexico could be simple and discret, the return with several hundreds of women and children would be more complicate. The expedition needed a bold war leadership, great and disciplined warriors. But the warriors were confident because they had already done that in September 1881.
They were confident because they were well armed and even Jlin-tay-i-tith’s men were poor armed, it was certainly not the case of the men of Chiva and Zele. The warriors were also confident about their leaders. The chief of the expedition was Goyakla, the best war shaman the Chiricahuas had at this time. He was seconded by Kla-esch, Bénito, Tah-ho-klisn, Mangus and Djelikine the boldiest Chiricahua’s warriors at the time. The other important headmen were the promising young chiefs Pedes-klinje, Kaathenay and Naiche. Other great warriors were presents too. The determination of the warriors reinforced their confidence.

Their determintation was the consequence of multiple motivations to do this risky expedition. Missing their kinfolk and seeing Tandinbilnojui and Goyakla succeeded to escape with their people, without much casualties, convinced the Chihennes to deliver their relatives in San Carlos. Mangus had his wife, children, sisters, nieces and nephews in San Carlos. Bénito and his men had the same feeling and they knew Chiva and the others waited for them.
The followers of Goyakla and Pedes-klinje surely wanted to get back with them Zele’s followers and Nay-zar-zee’s family. But the main goals of Goyakla and certainly Pedes-klinje were to get reinforcement from the thirty warriors of Jlin-tay-i-tith. They knew some of them would be reluctant but the two chiefs hoped to seduce young warriors and teenage boys with the traditional life of Chiricahua’ warrior in Mexico. By this they also hoped to turn away from Jlin-tay-i-tith these young men and to break the leadership of the Chihenne’s chief. Goyakla and Pedes-klinje seemed to get a revenge on Jlin-tay-i-tith. They remembered the unwelcome of the Chihenne’s chief in 1876 and they maybe thought, unfairly, Jlin-tay-i-tith helped Clum to arrest and put in jail Goyakla and Pedes-klinje in 1877.
Some Nedhnis and Chokonens participated because they had relatives among the Chiricahuas at San Carlos, others just because they were asked too, some just for the venture and some, like Kla-esch, seemed to look for revenge upon the Indian Police and their young chief Sterling. All the warriors who took part knew this expedition would allow each to improve their social statut as a Chiricahua’s man.

Naiche participated surely because of several reasons. Goyakla, knowing the presence of Naiche would bring other Chokonens warriors, certainly asked Naiche to be part of the expedition. Secondly, man of responsibility and to improve his statement as Chief of the Chokonen’s warriors, Naiche maybe thought he had to participate to prove his skills. But his main motivation to go was, surely, to deliver his relatives still living in San Carlos. If she and her children were still free and alived, the widow of Ponce Junior, Chie’sister and cousin of Naiche was in Jlin-tay-i-tith’s camp. Naiche’s aunts, Dos-teh-seh’s sister or half sister, Nahke-desah and Ilthooda were there too with their children among them Chee, Chie’s son, whom Naiche considered as his nephew. Naslada’s paternal grandfather, Chiva, was camping at the subagency. Because of these last reasons, I think Naiche participated at this expedition in a rescue mind.

With records of the foray, the 1883-1885 Chiricahuas’ villages men census, I make a list of fifty-five names of warriors who were or supposely be part of the foray. Under the leadership of Naiche and Kla-esch, the Chokonens Atelnietze, Nah-dozinne, Kay-dhazinne, Tah-ni-toe, Itsah-Dee-Tsa, Ulzanna, Is-pie-de, Espida (son of the previous), Beactinney, Cathla, Mahshooeediskoh (also named Skinya) and Nahn-tee-nesn were present.
From the mixed Bedonkohe-Chokonen’s gota, following Pedes-klinje, went surely Gonaltis (his brother), Cooney, Tuzzone and Bedazhishu. Some Nedhnis were there too like Djelikinne, Yahnoza, Dah-Ke-Yah and Nezegocheen.
The Bedonkohes were Goyakla, Ischi, Ettsohn’s young sons Yahe-Chul (Fun) and Tsinah (“nephews” of Goyakla and half-brothers of Ischi), Naclede, Clo-neh, Bénito, She-neah, Bedela (Binday, son of She-neah), Trataloris, Ninatchy, Na-guji, Talecha.
The more numerous were the Chihennes with Mangus, Tah-ho-klisn, Kaathenay, Chobegoza, Choneska, Bacuthlay, Nezulkide (the last two were full brothers of Kaathenay), Petzhan, Guydelkon, Mahgado, Askaddodelges, Chinche, Nachol, Behedo, Eskinzon, She-sauson, Lensay, Seeltoe and Goso.
Their family stayed in the Sierra Madre protected by Tandinbilnojui, Kas-tziden, certainly Nahilzay and thirty warriors mostly Nedhnis and Chokonens.

Led by Goyakla, the warriors entered in USA by several groups, on foot or mounted. They travelled across the Peloncillo, Animas or both mountains. They avoided everybody along their road to be undetected. The first to see them was a White Mountain Apache along the Eagle Creek, north of the Gila River. It was 16th of April, one hundred and fifty miles north of the border. He joined a camp of herders, half Mexicans and half White mountain Apaches like Bylas. They looked over the sheep herd of Georges Stevens. Their chief was a Mexican named Mestas, a former captive of the Bedonkohes, it seemed. They were about twenty, with Mestas’ family and also Bylas’ family.
Voices contact were made during the night. While Bylas tried to persuade Mestas to not trust Goyakla, the Mexican remembering the kindness of Goyakla when he was a captive, believed Goyakla when the shaman said that no harm would be done on anyone. Mestas welcame the warriors after daybreak, 17th of April, and his wife did a meal of mutton and pony meat. Apparently, Naiche ate with Pedes-klinje beside Bylas and the White Mountain Apaches.

At the end of the meal, when Goyakla ordered the warriors to execute Mestas and all the Mexicans, Bylas recalled the promise of no hurt done by Goyakla. Disliking free violence, torture and lies, Naiche interfered by asking Goyakla to change his order and to pay Mestas’s wife for the meal. The young chief wanted to spare the life of the Mexicans. With the support of Pedes-klinje, Naiche could weak the determination of Goyakla to kill, but Kla-esch, agreed with Goyakla, enhanced the decision of the shaman to murder the Mexicans and their fate was death this day.
The killing done, Goyakla angry upon Naiche and Pedes-klinje scolded them. It was certainly the first time the two opposed their war mentor. Revulsed about what the warriors have done, when Goyakla wanted to do the same thing with the White Mountains, mostly to eliminate witnesses of their presence but also to get revenge on Bylas, Naiche had enough. He showed he was the chief and Goyakla the shaman. Bylas later related Naiche ordered his nephews, rather they were Atelnietze, Kay-dhazinne and Nah-dozinne, to kill Goyakla if he ordered again a killing. The memory of Naiche shooting right in the head his father-in-law, changed the idea of Goyakla about Bylas and the other White Mountains. The attitude of Naiche encouraged some warriors to oppose other murder this day. Finally, the White Mountains would be held prisonners few days.

After resting the all day, the warriors moved to their goal during the night along the Gila Mountain. 18th of April, they waited, hidden in the hills north of the subagency. The first part of their plan, the easy part, was a success, they arrived near Chiva’s camp without being spot by enemies. The second part was clear, while Bénito and his men would lead away from the subagency the rest of their gota, Goyakla and the rest of the warriors would guide by force if necessary, the Chiricahuas of Zele and Jlin-tay-i-tith.
In the evening they went. They separated, Bénito came in Chiva’s camp where he was expected and they fled without alarming enemies. During this time Goyakla, conforted by his diyin, led to the San Carlos River, to the west, his warriors. The plan was with the benefit of the night, to convince Zele and Jlin-tay-i-tith to escape voluntarily or taking them in hostage to force their people to follow. Because Zele was one of the last chiefs to surrender in December 1883, while Jlin-tay-i-tith surrendered immediately to Crook in May 1883, accredits the fact Zele and most of his Bedonkohes were agreed to follow Goyakla. It seemed that the killing of the Indian Police chief was in the schedule too, to demoralize the other policemen.

Around 1 AM, 19th of April, Naiche, Pedes-klinje and Djelikine were in charge to convince or to force the two chiefs to move. Djelikine was sent to Zele’s wickiup, five hundred yards west of Jlin-tay-i-tith’s camp. Naiche, accompagnied by his friend Pedes-klinje, entered in Jlin-tay-i-tith’s home. Naiche certainly told the old friend of his father to come with the renegades and that Goyakla would not let witness behind them. The renegades wanted all the Chiricahuas united in Dzil-dolt-ishihi. But Jlin-tay-i-tith refused to go and negotiated to elude the escape of his gota.
About sunrise, Goyakla, Kla-esch and fifty warriors well armed appeared from the West. Apparently, Zele and his people arrived too. Jlin-tay-i-tith always reluctant to move and trying to negotiate, Pedes-klinje who did not like the Chihenne’s chief threatened to kill him with his gun if Jlin-tay-i-tith would not leave. Threatened of death, his warriors unarmed, his people surrounded and the renegades ready to kill everyone who did not want to follow, the Chihenne’s chief gave the order to flee with Goyakla and his men. About three hundred people, among them forty to forty-five men, escaped willingly or were pushed by the renegades across the Gila Mountain.
Goyakla managed well his men like he had done with Tandinbilnojui in September 1881. He, Bénito, Mangus, Tah-ho-klisn and most of the warriors protected the women and children and kept eyes on Jlin-tay-i-tith’s gota to avoid evasion. It seemed that they got the reinforcement of Chiva and Zele’s men during the return to Mexico. In advance guard fifteen to twenty warriors were in charge to open the trail and kill every witness they met. This group was led by Pedes-klinje and Naiche. The trail they followed was certainly the one Bénito recognized in January. The fact Naiche led the advance guard showed his improvement and the confidence older headmen put on him since Naiche left the reservation.

The rear guard was commanded by Kla-esch, as usual, it seemed. When every Chiricahua left the ranchéria, his group shot two fire to attract Policemen. They knew their chief Sterling was in the agency one mile, West of the camp. With the confirmation by telepgraph from the subagency that renegades were in the Reservation, Sterling and his sergeant, Sagotal, without waiting the rest of the police, went to inspect Jlin-tay-i-tith’s camp. They were ambush and the chief Sterling killed by Kla-esch and his men. Among the shooters was maybe Stalosh, a Chihenne from Jlin-tay-i-tith’s gota, who reached revenge for the mistreatement Sterling had often done on the Chihennes. Tsoe, a Cibecue Apache, maybe Stalosh’s son-in-law, had been one of his victims.
Sagotal retreated at the agency but came back with the other policemen. Kla-esch advised him to return and informed him that they did not want to kill any Apaches. It was not by Apache brotherhood but because Apache’s warriors fought by individual motivations. One of the main was revenge of a kinfolk killed. So, if the renegades avoided to kill other Apaches, perhaps the scouts would not be very motivated to track the Chiricahuas. But Sagotal did not listen the advice and wanted to continue the pursuit. So, Kla-esch and his men opened fire, killed Sagotal which convinced the other policemen to abandon.

The advance guard opened the trail by killing every White witness they could. At daylight raiders found three abandoned wagons loaded of alcohol and clothes. A binch occurred and the oldest wife of Jlin-tay-i-tith and twenty-six Chihennes, took advantage of the inability of most of the warriors to be concentrate, because they were too drunk. They escaped their kidnappers and moved to join the Navajos near fort Stanton in New-Mexico. The all band, after twenty-four hours of march, stopped east of Ash Flat to rest the entire day of 20th of April.
The band continued the night and after crossing Eagle Creek, pursued by troops and scouts they scattered in ten to fifteen groups. Warriors were in charge to raid settlers and miners between Eagle Crrek and the San Farncisco Creek, north of the Gila River. Naiche without his family, certainly led some of the raids. All together they reunited south of the Gila River, near the junction of this river with the San Francisco Creek.

22nd of April, they moved together, Naiche and Pedes-klinje always leading the advance guard. This day they spotted Felix Knox and his family. The man sacrified himself by fighting hopeless Naiche and his warriors. Respecring this courage, no warriors having been wounded, Naiche ordered to not mutilate the dead man. The youngest son of Goci seemed to have never tortured or mutilated any enemy during his life. Then Naiche and his warriors opening the way, the fugitives moved southwest in expectation to rest near Dzisl-lnoi-bi-yi-tu (Stein’s Peak). They reached this location at daybreak, 23rd of April. Since the departure of San Carlos, the advance guard had done good. Naiche and Pedes-klinje had avoided troops and scouts. The casualties seemed to be only several wounded among the warriors until 23rd of April.