The End of The Free Apaches...!

On October 15, 1880, one of the last free-living Apache leaders, the Cihenne Bidu-ya, fell in combat near Ojo Caliente (then Mexcico, now the US state of New Mexico).

Bidu-ya, called "Victorio" by the whites for some reason ...



... was originally a proponent of peaceful coexistence between whites and indigenous people - until the US Army forcibly relocated his tribe to the San Carlos Reservation in 1877 ...:



From then on he became a rebel and leader of around 250 warriors who also did not want to be locked up at any price!

Members of other Apache clans also joined his fighters - and many women and children.

In order to feed himself and his people, Bidu-ya was forced to undertake raids, after which he repeatedly retreated across the border into Mexico, which was initially safe.



Until the Americans and Mexicans joined forces to liquidate Bidu-ya and his people.

From then on, 2000 American soldiers hunted him and his followers...



... including the black so-called "Buffalo Soldiers" ...



... 2000 Mexican soldiers, hundreds of volunteers ...



... as well as several Indian auxiliary troops of the Tarahumara, and Pima Bidiu-ya and his people merciless, but could not provide him ...:





It was not until the US Cavalry Apache collaborators, the famous scouts of the Ciricahua Apaches ...



... set on his trail, there were initial successes. US General Nelson Miles ...



... remarked: "To catch an Apache you need another Apache!"

The constant fighting on both sides of the border decimated the people of Bidu-ya.

When he was captured and trapped by the Mexican army at Tres Castillos in Chihuahua on October 14, 1880, he still had 78 warriors ...



... and 65 women with him - no child had survived the hardships of the constant flight!

The next day the Apache group was cut down by the far superior Mexicans ...:



All male Apaches fell in combat - the surviving women were captured by the Mexicans ...



... and all later sold into slavery ...:



But they didn't get all of them!

At the time of the massacre, one of Bidu-ya's subordinates, Kas-tziden, was on a reconnaissance ride with almost 30 warriors ...



... and thus escaped destruction.

Better known under his "white" name Nana, the now over 80 year old warrior started a campaign of revenge ...:



In less than a month, Nana fought eight skirmishes, killed between 30 and 40 Americans, at least as many Mexicans, captured over 200 horses to replace 100 ridden to death and then fled back to Mexico.

He and his initially only 15 warriors escaped more than 1,000 soldiers, not counting the three or four hundred volunteers.

He was able to hold his own for three years, but had to surrender in May 1883 and moved with 374 Apaches, mostly Chihenne and Bedonkohe, to the San Carlos Reservation.

But the lack of freedom and the untenable living conditions there prompted Nana and other famous Apache leaders Geronimo ...



...Mangas...



...und Chihuahua...



... in May 1885 to break out there again. 92 women and children, 8 boys and 30 warriors fled with them.

Once again the warriors and their families lived the free life of their ancestors. But the time was against the Apaches.

In spring 1886 Nana surrendered one last time together with 8 warriors and has lived in peace ever since. He died in Fort Sill, Oklahoma in 1894.

Thank you Martin, looking at society as it is now it doesn't seem possible that this all happened less than140 years ago.

Keith

Cheers Martin, a trigger to do a bit more reading on the subject.