Cochise

Cochise was most likely born in 1812 in either Arizona or New Mexico. There are conflicting reports and supporting documents about the exact date and location of the celebrated Apache chief's birth. The Chiricahua were migratory. They followed the seasons for their hunting and farming, so they relocated often. This constant relocating makes knowing exactly where any tribe or anyone in a tribe was, at any specific time, almost impossible. Also, as is the case with many notorious historical figures, in his early years, nobody knew that accurate records of Cochise's life would ever be useful or sought after. It was not until later in his life, when he became a chief and celebrated war leader, that the records start to become multitudinous and more accurate. Of course the interpretation of the records is always up to the reader. Cochise, like Geronimo, was revered by his people, and hated by the US Army and the settlers. Cochise never attained the level of notoriety that Geronimo reached, nor was he as feared.

In 1861, following over ten years of relatively peaceful living, Cochise was falsely imprisoned. Cochise had been charged with the kidnapping of a young white child – a very serious offense at the time. He escaped from his captors, and then he went immediately and joined forces with his father-in-law, Mangas Coloradas.

Mangas Coloradas was engaged in a long running guerrilla-style war against the constantly growing numbers of both the American Army and the settlers. To the band led by Mangas Coloradas, there was a war going on, but to the Mexican and American armies, it was actually more of a nuisance, and often an embarrassment. This is not to say that the raids orchestrated by Mangas were not noteworthy and destructive, but in the grand scheme of it all they made little real difference to the military. In spite of the Civil War consuming the bulk of the US Army's resources, it was still able to relatively easily mount a massive, ongoing battle in the desert southwest. Mangas Coloradas was finally captured, and then killed by Union soldiers in 1863. This made Cochise the new Apache war chief.

Cochise and his loyal band of followers continued with their sporadic attacks for a while, and during these times they were visitors to the Tucson area on more than one occasion. Gradually the dwindling, weakening band retreated. Cochise led his group into some of the more remote, treacherous mountainous regions. Cochise knew that while his people would not be able to thrive in the environs he moved them to, thast the US Army would have a great deal of difficulty locating them, and then mounting any sort of effective attack. The United States Army captured Cochise in 1871. While the Army was preparing to transfer the Chiricahua to a reservation located several hundred miles away, Cochise escaped again. After his escape, he again initiated a guerrilla-style resistance campaign – and with a renewed vigor.

The year after Cochise restarted his war on the Army and settlers, he negotiated a new treaty which allowed the band of Chiricahua Apache to remain in their homeland. At the effect of the new treaty, Cochise surrendered and ceased all future hostilities. He died peacefully on the newly formed reservation.

- Finis -