The Peralta massacre was the alleged killing of a Mexican family by

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 in about 1848. It is generally featured as an element of the legend of the

Lost Dutchman's Gold Mine The Lost Dutchman's Gold Mine (also known by similar names) is, according to legend, a rich gold mine hidden in the southwestern United States. The location is generally believed to be in the Superstition Mountains, near Apache Junction, east ...

. There are many variations of the story, but they generally include these details: During the 1840s, the Peralta family of northern Mexico supposedly developed rich gold mine(s) in the

Superstition Mountains The Superstition Mountains ( yuf-x-yav, Wi:kchsawa) is a range of mountains in Arizona located to the east of the Phoenix metropolitan area. They are anchored by Superstition Mountain, a large mountain that is a popular recreation destination for ...

. In 1848, during a routine expedition to carry gold back to

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 Guatema ...

, the large party was ambushed by Apaches, and all were killed except for a few Peralta family members who escaped. According to the legend, the Apaches buried the gold and covered the mine. However, according to historian Robert Blair, the Peralta massacre never occurred. The author T.E. Glover in his book, ''The Lost Dutchman Mine of Jacob Waltz'', wrote of a U.S. Cavalry trooper named William Edwards who was present for the discovery of the deceaseds' remains. The Cavalry leaders assumed that these were bodies from an Indian battle between fighting tribes. But trooper Edwards noticed that at least one of the skulls had a gold filing, common to Mexican (Spanish) aristocracy. He returned at a later date, and found even more human remains farther up the canyon. It is reported that he, and then later his son, spent much of their lives searching for the lost mine. The Peralta massacre is depicted in a flashback in the 1949 film ''

Lust for Gold ''Lust for Gold'' is a 1949 American Western film directed by S. Sylvan Simon and starring Ida Lupino and Glenn Ford. The film is about the legendary Lost Dutchman gold mine, starring Ford as the "Dutchman" and Lupino as the woman he loves. Th ...

'', starring

Glenn Ford Gwyllyn Samuel Newton "Glenn" Ford (May 1, 1916 – August 30, 2006) was a Canadian-American actor who often portrayed ordinary men in unusual circumstances. Ford was most prominent during Classical Hollywood cinema, Hollywood's Golden Age as ...

and

Ida Lupino Ida Lupino (4 February 1918Recorded in ''Births Mar 1918'' Camberwell Vol. 1d, p. 1019 (Free BMD). Transcribed as "Lupine" in the official births index – 3 August 1995) was an English-American actress, singer, director, writer, and producer. T ...

References

See also