Fort Bowie was a 19th-century outpost of the
United States Army
The United States Army (USA) is the land service branch of the United States Armed Forces. It is one of the eight U.S. uniformed services, and is designated as the Army of the United States in the U.S. Constitution.Article II, section 2, cla ...
located in southeastern
Arizona
Arizona ( ; nv, Hoozdo Hahoodzo ; ood, Alĭ ṣonak ) is a state in the Southwestern United States. It is the 6th largest and the 14th most populous of the 50 states. Its capital and largest city is Phoenix. Arizona is part of the Fou ...
near the present day town of
Willcox, Arizona
Willcox is a city in Cochise County, Arizona, United States. The city is located in the Sulphur Springs Valley, a flat and sparsely populated drainage basin dotted with seasonal lakes. The city is surrounded by Arizona's most prominent mountain ...
. The remaining buildings and site are now protected as Fort Bowie National Historic Site.
Fort Bowie was established by the California Volunteers in 1862, after a series of engagements between the
California Column
The California Column was a force of Union volunteers sent to Arizona and New Mexico during the American Civil War. The command marched over from California through Arizona and New Mexico Territory to the Rio Grande and as far east as El Paso, ...
and the
Chiricahua
Chiricahua ( ) is a band of Apache Native Americans.
Based in the Southern Plains and Southwestern United States, the Chiricahua (Tsokanende ) are related to other Apache groups: Ndendahe (Mogollon, Carrizaleño), Tchihende (Mimbreño), Sehende ...
Apache
The Apache () are a group of culturally related Native American tribes in the Southwestern United States, which include the Chiricahua, Jicarilla, Lipan, Mescalero, Mimbreño, Ndendahe (Bedonkohe or Mogollon and Nednhi or Carrizaleño an ...
s. The most violent of these conflicts was the
Battle of Apache Pass
The Battle of Apache Pass was fought in 1862 at Apache Pass, Arizona, in the United States, between Apache warriors and the Union volunteers of the California Column as it marched from California to capture Confederate Arizona and to reinforc ...
in July 1862. The fort was named in honor of
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 of ...
George Washington Bowie
George Washington Bowie (1827 – August 11, 1901), was a Union Army officer during the American Civil War, commanding the 5th Regiment California Volunteer Infantry and being brevetted Brigadier General of Volunteers.
George Washington Bowie w ...
commander of the
5th Regiment California Volunteer Infantry who first established the fort. The first Fort Bowie resembled a temporary camp rather than a permanent army post. In 1868, a second, more substantial Fort Bowie was built which included adobe barracks, houses, corrals, a trading post, and a hospital. The second Fort Bowie was built on a plateau about to the east of the first site. For more than 30 years Fort Bowie and
Apache Pass
Apache Pass, also known by its earlier Spanish name Puerto del Dado ("Pass of the Die"), is a historic mountain pass in the U.S. state of Arizona between the Dos Cabezas Mountains and Chiricahua Mountains at an elevation of . It is approximately ...
were the focal point of military operations eventually culminating in the surrender of
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 ba ...
in 1886 and the banishment of the Chiricahuas to
Florida
Florida is a state located in the Southeastern region of the United States. Florida is bordered to the west by the Gulf of Mexico, to the northwest by Alabama, to the north by Georgia, to the east by the Bahamas and Atlantic Ocean, and to ...
and
Alabama
(We dare defend our rights)
, anthem = "Alabama (state song), Alabama"
, image_map = Alabama in United States.svg
, seat = Montgomery, Alabama, Montgomery
, LargestCity = Huntsville, Alabama, Huntsville
, LargestCounty = Baldwin County, Al ...
. The fort was abandoned in 1894.
History
There were two engagements between the
United States Army
The United States Army (USA) is the land service branch of the United States Armed Forces. It is one of the eight U.S. uniformed services, and is designated as the Army of the United States in the U.S. Constitution.Article II, section 2, cla ...
and the Chiricahua that led to the construction of Fort Bowie in 1862. The first engagement, known as the
Bascom Affair, took place in January 1861 when a band of Apaches raided the ranch of John Ward. Ward mistakenly believed that
Cochise
Cochise (; Apache: ''Shi-ka-She'' or ''A-da-tli-chi'', lit.: ''having the quality or strength of an oak''; later ''K'uu-ch'ish'' or ''Cheis'', lit. ''oak''; June 8, 1874) was leader of the Chihuicahui local group of the Chokonen and principa ...
and the Chiricahua
Apache
The Apache () are a group of culturally related Native American tribes in the Southwestern United States, which include the Chiricahua, Jicarilla, Lipan, Mescalero, Mimbreño, Ndendahe (Bedonkohe or Mogollon and Nednhi or Carrizaleño an ...
s were responsible for the raid and demanded that the military take action against Cochise to recover property stolen during the raid. The next month, the army responded to Ward's request by sending
Lieutenant
A lieutenant ( , ; abbreviated Lt., Lt, LT, Lieut and similar) is a commissioned officer rank in the armed forces of many nations.
The meaning of lieutenant differs in different militaries (see comparative military ranks), but it is often sub ...
George Nicholas Bascom
George Nicholas Bascom (1837 – February 21, 1862) was a United States Army officer in the Arizona Territory and in the early months of the American Civil War.
Biography
George N. Bascom was born in Owingsville in Bath County, Kentucky. His ance ...
and fifty-four men to Apache Pass to confront Cochise. Bascom managed to capture Cochise and threatened to hold him hostage until Ward's property was returned but the Apache leader managed to escape. Sporadic fighting between Cochise's warriors and Army troops would continue for years to come.
![Apache prisoners at Fort Bowie, Arizona, 1884 - NARA - 530907](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/4/40/Apache_prisoners_at_Fort_Bowie%2C_Arizona%2C_1884_-_NARA_-_530907.jpg)
The second major engagement was the
Battle of Apache Pass
The Battle of Apache Pass was fought in 1862 at Apache Pass, Arizona, in the United States, between Apache warriors and the Union volunteers of the California Column as it marched from California to capture Confederate Arizona and to reinforc ...
, fought from July 15 to July 16, 1862. A
Union
Union commonly refers to:
* Trade union, an organization of workers
* Union (set theory), in mathematics, a fundamental operation on sets
Union may also refer to:
Arts and entertainment
Music
* Union (band), an American rock group
** ''Un ...
regiment under
Brigadier General
Brigadier general or Brigade general is a military rank used in many countries. It is the lowest ranking general officer in some countries. The rank is usually above a colonel, and below a major general or divisional general. When appointed ...
James Henry Carleton
James Henry Carleton (December 27, 1814 – January 7, 1873) was an officer in the US Army and a Union general during the American Civil War. Carleton is best known as an Indian fighter in the Southwestern United States.
Biography
Carleton wa ...
was ambushed by a band of Apaches while en route from
California
California is a U.S. state, state in the Western United States, located along the West Coast of the United States, Pacific Coast. With nearly 39.2million residents across a total area of approximately , it is the List of states and territori ...
to
New Mexico
)
, population_demonym = New Mexican ( es, Neomexicano, Neomejicano, Nuevo Mexicano)
, seat = Santa Fe
, LargestCity = Albuquerque
, LargestMetro = Tiguex
, OfficialLang = None
, Languages = English, Spanish ( New Mexican), Navajo, Ker ...
where they were to confront
Confederate
Confederacy or confederate may refer to:
States or communities
* Confederate state or confederation, a union of sovereign groups or communities
* Confederate States of America, a confederation of secessionist American states that existed between 1 ...
troops. This battle led to the eventual establishment of Fort Bowie in order to protect Apache Pass and an important source of water, Apache Spring. Construction on the first Fort Bowie began in 1862 but this resembled a temporary camp rather than a permanent military fort. In 1868, a second, more substantial Fort Bowie was built on a plateau about to the east. For more than 30 years Fort Bowie and Apache Pass were the focal point of military operations eventually culminating in the surrender of
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 ba ...
in 1886 and the banishment of the Chiricahuas to
Florida
Florida is a state located in the Southeastern region of the United States. Florida is bordered to the west by the Gulf of Mexico, to the northwest by Alabama, to the north by Georgia, to the east by the Bahamas and Atlantic Ocean, and to ...
and
Alabama
(We dare defend our rights)
, anthem = "Alabama (state song), Alabama"
, image_map = Alabama in United States.svg
, seat = Montgomery, Alabama, Montgomery
, LargestCity = Huntsville, Alabama, Huntsville
, LargestCounty = Baldwin County, Al ...
. The fort was abandoned in 1894.
Commanders
* Major
Theodore H. Coult July 1862 – September 1862
* Captain
Hugh L. Hinds September 1862 – May 1863
Garrisons of Fort Bowie
* Company G, 5th California Infantry. July 1862 – January 1863
* Company E, 5th California Infantry. January 1863 – May 1863
* Company K, 5th California Infantry. May 1864 – September 1864
* ?
* Company L, 1st California Cavalry. June 1865 – January 1866
* ?
* Company L, 1st California Cavalry. March 1866 – April 1866
Demographics
Fort Bowie first reported on the 1870 U.S. Census as "Apache Pass." It featured 400 residents, all White. It tied with
Adamsville for the distinction of the 4th largest community in the Arizona Territory. At the time, it was located in Pima County. In 1880, it reported as "Camp Bowie" with 184 residents (the racial demographics were not reported).
[http://www2.census.gov/prod2/decennial/documents/1880a_v1-09.pdf ] In 1881, Fort Bowie was drawn into the newly-created county of Cochise. Although Fort Bowie was still in existence as an active U.S. Army facility, it did not report a population for 1890. It would be formally closed down 4 years later. It has not reported on the census to date.
Fort Bowie today
The Fort Bowie and Apache Pass site was declared a
National Historic Landmark
A National Historic Landmark (NHL) is a building, district, object, site, or structure that is officially recognized by the United States government for its outstanding historical significance. Only some 2,500 (~3%) of over 90,000 places listed ...
in 1960.
The remains of Fort Bowie are carefully preserved, as are the adobe walls of various post buildings and the ruins of a
Butterfield Stage Station. The site is located on the unpaved Apache Pass Road which can be accessed from
Interstate 10
Interstate 10 (I-10) is the southernmost cross-country highway in the American Interstate Highway System. I-10 is the fourth-longest Interstate in the United States at , following I-90, I-80, and I-40. This freeway is part of the originally pl ...
near
Bowie, Arizona
Bowie is an unincorporated community and a census-designated place in Cochise County, Arizona, United States. As of the 2010 U.S. Census the population of Bowie was 449.
History
The Southern Pacific built a rail line through eastern Arizona in ...
or from Arizona Highway 186 just north of the entrance to
Chiricahua National Monument
Chiricahua National Monument is a unit of the National Park System located in the Chiricahua Mountains of southeastern Arizona. The monument was established on April 18, 1924, to protect its extensive hoodoos and balancing rocks. The Faraway Ra ...
. Access to the ruins of Fort Bowie and the visitor center is via a foot trail which begins at a parking area along Apache Pass Road. This trail to the old fort passes other historic sites such as Apache Spring, Siphon Canyon, the ruins of the Butterfield Stage Stop and Bascom's Camp.
In 1958 a Western entitled ''Fort Bowie'' was made, starring
Ben Johnson Ben, Benjamin or Benny Johnson may refer to:
In sports Association football
* Ben Johnson (footballer, born 2000), English footballer
* Ben Johnson (soccer) (born 1977), American soccer player
Other codes of football
*Ben Johnson (Australian foot ...
. The film charted one of the disputes between the US Cavalry based at the fort and the Apaches.
Gallery
References
* Douglas C. McChristian, ''Fort Bowie, Arizona: Combat Post of the Southwest, 1858–1894'', University of Oklahoma Press, 2006.
External links
American Southwest, a National Park Service ''Discover Our Shared Heritage'' Travel Itinerary*
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Photos of the Fort Bowie, Stage Station (Ruins)fro
Note differences between these photos and the old B/W photo purported to be the stage station. That old photo looks like some ruins of the Old Fort Bowie on the hill between the cemetery and the second site of Fort Bowie.
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Archaeological sites in Arizona
National Historic Landmarks in Arizona
National Historic Sites in Arizona
Protected areas of Cochise County, Arizona
Native American history of Arizona
Museums in Cochise County, Arizona
Military and war museums in Arizona
Bowie
Arizona Territory
Buildings and structures in Cochise County, Arizona
Bowie
Ruins in the United States
History of Cochise County, Arizona
Historic American Buildings Survey in Arizona
Bowie
1864 establishments in Arizona Territory
1862 establishments in the United States
National Register of Historic Places in Cochise County, Arizona