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| How Apache Indians tried to defend their land in a war with the US Army |
| 2025-10-21 |
| Direct Translation via Google Translate. Edited. From the History page at V Kontakte 145 years ago, the Battle of Rattlesnake Springs took place—the decisive battle of the conflict known as Victorio's War. The Chihenne tribe, a Chiricahua Apache nation, were routed by American forces. This was the last stand the Apaches, led by Chief Victorio, faced against the US Army. Previously, the Chihenne had successfully defended their right to live on their native land. Guerrilla tactics brought them victories, but ultimately, the Indians' resistance was broken, and Victorio himself was killed in battle. On August 6, 1880, the Battle of Rattlesnake Springs took place in what is now western Texas. A band of Apaches led by Chief Victorio was routed by the U.S. Army. The Indians' attempts to defend their homeland and seek justice were doomed to failure. Victorio was born around 1825 in the northern regions of Mexico, later conquered by the Americans. Very little is known about his early life. He lived among the Chihenne tribe, a branch of the Chiricahua Apache people. In the mid-19th century, Victorio gained authority among his tribesmen in conflicts with the Mexicans and became a chief. Victorio had been involved in clashes with the Americans since the 1860s, when he supported another Chiricahua Apache chief, Cochise. However, after some time, he considered war against the United States futile and reached an agreement with the US authorities that his tribe would live on a reservation in their native lands, the Cañada Alamosa region of New Mexico. There, they could hunt for food, and if any Chihenne fell ill, they were treated at the hot springs of Ojo Caliente (known in the US as Warm Springs). "For Victorio and his tribe, Ojo Caliente was not just a place to live, but a sacred religious center of their spiritual universe. The Chihenne were deeply attached to their land." In the early 1870s, Ojo Caliente was visited by Secretary of the Board of Indian Commissioners Vincent Collier, who advocated forcing Native Americans to live a "civilized" life. He disliked the fact that the Chihenne's land was unsuitable for farming. Furthermore, the official was disturbed by the Indians' unregulated commercial relations with white traders. He decided to send the Chihenne against their will to the Tularosa Valley—away from the whites. Collier hoped that the Apaches would take up agriculture in their new home. But the swampy lands, which, according to Indian legend, were the haunt of evil spirits, were categorically unsuitable for the Chihenne. Victorio and his cousin, Loco, another tribal chief, represented the Chihenne to negotiate with the US authorities. While Loco had a reputation as a fierce and ferocious warrior, whites considered Victorio level-headed and predictable. He didn't drink alcohol and never tortured his captives. The chiefs tried to persuade the Americans not to relocate them from their homelands, but ultimately gave in. In reality, the Tularosa area turned out to be even worse than the Chihenne had imagined. The water there was filthy, and attempts at farming failed due to freezing temperatures. The Indians were starving and dying. Young warriors fled the reservation, and Victorio feared they would come into conflict with the Americans. Soon, the Indian Commission changed hands, and the chief convinced officials to return the Chihenne to their former territories. However, two years later, another group of Chiricahua Apaches, the Chokonen, quarreled with the Americans over the closure of their reservation and asked the Chihenne for refuge. Victorio agreed, but U.S. civil authorities viewed this as complicity in the conflict and decided to send the Chihenne to the San Carlos Reservation. "The place was uninhabitable: a poor climate, malarial mosquitoes, corrupt agents who stole food intended for the Indians. Victorio and his men found themselves in dire conditions." Eventually, Victorio and Loco, along with several hundred of their tribesmen, left San Carlos. However, the American army blocked their way home. The Chihenne then surrendered. The military, wishing to avoid further escalation, took advantage of the Apaches' presence in their jurisdiction and sent Victorio's men to the Ojo Caliente area. The chief forced his people to farm and ensured that the warriors did not raid white people. But a year later, the military again transferred the Chihenne to civilian control, and Interior Minister Carl Schurz demanded their return to San Carlos. Enraged, Victorio fled with part of the tribe into the mountains. However, ultimately unwilling to subject his people to further hardships, he again decided to surrender, but only on the condition that they not be driven back to San Carlos. The Bureau of Indian Affairs compromised. The Chihenne were allowed to move to a reservation with the friendly Mescalero Apaches. However, this did not please the residents of the nearby American town of Silver City. They charged Victorio in absentia with various crimes. A judge and district attorney were dispatched to the reservation. Outraged by persecution, Victorio left the Mescalero reservation. On September 4, 1879, he and 60 warriors stole a herd of horses from the 9th Cavalry Regiment and killed several whites, including soldiers. The Chihenne decided to reclaim their home. A conflict known in historiography as the Victorio War began. "It was a desperate and suicidal attempt by a small band of Apaches to defend their homeland against the massive US military machine—a matter of honor, one might say. The Indians wanted to frighten the enemy and force them to retreat. The land itself was on the Apaches' side. Victorio's men fragmented the enemy's forces with traps in canyons, moved through hidden passes, and effectively employed lightning-fast attacks on the enemy's communications system." The military requested reinforcements, including Apache scouts who had defected to the U.S., and they tracked down the Chihenne. Victorio's force suffered losses, and the chief became more cautious. He launched raids in the Rio Grande Valley and retreated immediately. A detachment of the 9th Cavalry Regiment, commanded by Major Albert Morrow, pursued Victorio even after he crossed the Mexican border. However, the Chihenne successfully retreated through the arid terrain, and once, while retreating from the only water source in the area, they threw a coyote carcass at it. Morrow's soldiers traveled 1,800 km in 49 days, fought eight skirmishes, but were unable to stop Victorio. The Americans were forced to return empty-handed. After hiding in the mountains for a while, the Chihenne regrouped in the north, where they were joined by the Mescaleros. "Victorio's actions can be characterized as desperate resistance, the goals of which were to protect his people and return to their ancestral lands. He was a talented military leader, employing ambush tactics, particularly effective in the mountains. For example, he ordered the horses of American cavalrymen shot, knowing that this would impair their mobility. His experienced warriors inflicted significant losses on the U.S. Army, a rarity in Indian warfare. Victorio's war was not simply a series of raids, but an attempt to achieve recognition of his people's land rights." Returning to the United States, Victorio again attempted to settle the matter peacefully. He spoke with an American official he knew and even with Major Morrow, offering to surrender in exchange for the right to live on their lands. But the Bureau of Indian Affairs again demanded that the Chihenne return to San Carlos. The war continued. "The United States massed thousands of troops in the region, including cavalry and infantry. He was also opposed by Indian scouts from hostile Apache bands who knew the area well. Mexican troops also participated in the pursuit, blocking his escape routes." On May 23, 1880, a detachment of American scouts led by Texan Henry Parker surrounded the Chihenne. The battle lasted two days. The Apaches lost approximately 30 men, including women and children. Victorio received a slight leg wound. The Chihenne managed to escape, but their morale was shattered. Part of the detachment dispersed to various reservations, while Victorio and his closest comrades retreated to Mexico. However, local troops were already waiting for him there. The Chihenne moved into Texas and encountered a new tactic by the American military: blocking passes and access to water. Victorio managed to fight his way past the barriers and attempted to break through to his Mescalero friends. But the chieftain had little knowledge of West Texas, through which his route lay. On August 6, 1880, American cavalry overtook the Chihenne at Rattlesnake Springs. A battle ensued, and the Apaches lost. They lost several dozen men, some horses, and provisions. Victorio was forced to cross the border into Mexico again. On October 14, Victorio's detachment was overtaken by approximately 300 Mexican soldiers and their Native American scouts. The Chihenne warriors fought desperately: having fired their last rounds, they fought hand-to-hand. Victorio himself died. According to one version, he was shot by the enemy; according to another, he committed suicide. The captured women and children were sold into slavery. Only a small number of the Chihenne escaped. Victorio's war ended, and the Americans began to actively develop Apache lands. "The U.S. war against Victorio once again revealed the true face of Western colonialism—monstrous genocide for the sake of profit. For their part, the Apaches demonstrated desperate courage in their fight for their home, religion, and people. These events remain a symbol of resistance to American invaders to this day." Author: Svyatoslav Knyazev |
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