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.