The Battle of Fort Apache was an engagement of the

Apache Wars The Apache Wars were a series of armed conflicts between the United States Army and various Apache tribal confederations fought in the southwest between 1849 and 1886, though minor hostilities continued until as late as 1924. After the Mexi ...

between the cavalry garrison of Fort Apache and dozens of mounted

White Mountain Apache The Fort Apache Indian Reservation is an Indian reservation on the border of New Mexico and Arizona, United States, encompassing parts of Navajo County, Arizona, Navajo, Gila County, Arizona, Gila, and Apache County, Arizona, Apache counties. It ...

warrior A warrior is a person specializing in combat or warfare, especially within the context of a tribal or clan-based warrior culture society that recognizes a separate warrior aristocracies, class, or caste. History Warriors seem to have ...

s. The battle occurred in eastern Arizona Territory on September 1, 1881.

Battle

The native attack on Fort Apache, which was commanded by

Colonel Colonel (abbreviated as Col., Col or COL) is a senior military officer rank used in many countries. It is also used in some police forces and paramilitary organizations. In the 17th, 18th and 19th centuries, a colonel was typically in charge ...

Eugene Asa Carr, was a

counter-attack A counterattack is a tactic employed in response to an attack, with the term originating in " war games". The general objective is to negate or thwart the advantage gained by the enemy during attack, while the specific objectives typically see ...

in reprisal for the

Battle of Cibecue Creek The Battle of Cibecue Creek was an engagement of the Apache Wars, fought in August 1881 between the United States and White Mountain Apaches in Arizona, at Cibecue Creek on the Fort Apache Indian Reservation. After an army expedition of scouts ...

, in which

medicine man A medicine man or medicine woman is a traditional healer and spiritual leader who serves a community of Indigenous people of the Americas. Individual cultures have their own names, in their respective languages, for spiritual healers and cerem ...

Nochaydelklinne was killed. Some Arizona historians would consider the attack on Fort Apache to be a continuation of the Cibecue Creek engagement, but the two battles occurred about 40 miles from each other on opposite sides of the Fort Apache Reservation and occurred two days apart. The Apache army repeatedly attacked the fort from a long range with their rifles near

Whiteriver, Arizona Whiteriver ( apw, Chʼilwózh) is a census-designated place (CDP) located on the Fort Apache Indian Reservation in Navajo County, Arizona, United States. The population was 4,104 at the 2010 census, making it the largest settlement on the Reserv ...

, firing volleys and scoring some hits. Apache warriors

The U.S. cavalry and native allies fought back, but the Apache remained at the end of their rifle range during the entire fight. The battle lasted until sunset after several Apache attacks had been repulsed by counter fire. Two days later, reinforcements from Fort Thomas on the

San Carlos Indian Reservation The San Carlos Apache Indian Reservation (Western Apache: Tsékʼáádn), in southeastern Arizona, United States, was established in 1872 as a reservation for the Chiricahua Apache tribe as well as surrounding Yavapai and Apache bands removed fro ...

arrived, but by this time, the Apaches had already retreated into hiding. Only three American soldiers were wounded and Apache casualties are unknown.

Aftermath

As result of Nochaydelklinne's death and the

siege A siege is a military blockade of a city, or fortress, with the intent of conquering by attrition, or a well-prepared assault. This derives from la, sedere, lit=to sit. Siege warfare is a form of constant, low-intensity conflict characterize ...

of the fort, other Apache groups decided to abandon their recently established reservations and join

Geronimo Geronimo ( apm, Goyaałé, , ; June 16, 1829 – February 17, 1909) was a prominent leader and medicine man from the Bedonkohe band of the Ndendahe Apache people. From 1850 to 1886, Geronimo joined with members of three other Central Apache ...

and other leaders for war, or to escape to northern

Mexico Mexico ( Spanish: México), officially the United Mexican States, is a country in the southern portion of North America. It is bordered to the north by the United States; to the south and west by the Pacific Ocean; to the southeast by Guate ...

. The two separate engagements at Cibecue Creek and Fort Apache helped ignite another Apache war in Arizona Territory, which would end with the surrender of Geronimo at

Skeleton Canyon Skeleton Canyon, called Cañon Bonita by the Mexicans, is located northeast of the town of Douglas, Arizona, in the Peloncillo Mountains, which straddle the modern Arizona and New Mexico state line, in the New Mexico Bootheel region. This ...

five years later in 1886. The site was listed in the 1998 World Monuments Watch by the

World Monuments Fund World Monuments Fund (WMF) is a private, international, non-profit organization dedicated to the preservation of historic architecture and cultural heritage sites around the world through fieldwork, advocacy, grantmaking, education, and traini ...

. The fund subsequently provided financial assistance for the development of master plan for the fort's historic building through financial-services company

American Express American Express Company (Amex) is an American multinational corporation specialized in payment card services headquartered at 200 Vesey Street in the Battery Park City neighborhood of Lower Manhattan in New York City. The company was found ...

.World Monuments Fund – Fort Apache
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Battle

Aftermath

See also

References

Further reading