Apache Campaign (1896) facts for kids
Apache scouts following Massai's trail, by Frederic Remington, 1898.
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| Date | April–June 1896 |
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| Location | United States, Mexico |
| Outcome | 2 killed 1 wounded 2 captured |
The Apache Campaign of 1896 was the last big operation by the United States Army against Apache groups who were not living on reservations. It started in April 1896 after some Apaches killed three American settlers in Arizona. The army chased these Apache groups. They finally caught up with them in the Four Corners area. This area is where Arizona, New Mexico, Sonora, and Chihuahua meet. There were only two main fights during this campaign. Because they happened in a very remote area, it's not clear if they were in the United States or Mexico.
Contents
Why the Campaign Started
Even though the Apache Wars officially ended in 1886, some small groups of Chiricahua Apaches kept fighting. They used their hidden bases in the Sierra Madre Mountains to raid in the United States and Mexico. Two well-known Apache leaders were the Apache Kid and Massai. Both of them had been Indian scouts before. They even served on opposite sides during Geronimo's War.
The Apache Kid left the reservation in 1887. He later escaped from police in 1889 during an event called the Kelvin Grade Massacre.
Massai had been on the run since 1882. He became famous for escaping from the army in Missouri. He was on a train taking Apache prisoners to Florida. Massai then walked all the way back to Arizona by himself. Some stories say that Massai and the Apache Kid sometimes worked together. Many raids by Massai might have been blamed on the Apache Kid. By the mid-1890s, Apache activity in southern Arizona increased.
In December 1895, Elizabeth Merrill and her father, Horatio Merrill, were killed near Solomonville. Then, in March 1896, Alfred Hands was killed near Portal. Some accounts say the Apache Kid killed them. Other accounts say Massai was responsible. Either way, local newspapers and citizens in Arizona demanded action. They wanted something done about these "renegades."
The Campaign in Action
After Alfred Hands was killed, the army started a strong campaign to find those responsible. Civilian groups also formed to help the army. There were only two important fights during this campaign.
First Encounter: May 8, 1896
The first fight happened on May 8, 1896. A group of scouts led by Second Lieutenant Nathan King Averill found the Apaches. They were camped in the Peloncillo Mountains. Other stories say this fight happened in the Guadalupe Mountains in Mexico. Averill reported that his men killed or wounded one Apache man. They also wounded a woman. The rest of the group ran away. One Apache fired shots from behind a tree before escaping. The Americans also captured a little girl left behind at the camp. She was later cared for by John Horton Slaughter. He claimed he was the one who killed the Apache man. He believed the man he shot was the Apache Kid.
Second Encounter: May 17, 1896
A few days later, Captain James M. Bell sent Lieutenant Sedgwick Rice from Fort Grant, Arizona. Rice had three Apache Scouts and four soldiers with him. They followed the Apache trail south. On May 12, the Apache scouts found a fresh trail. It showed five horses, with different types of shoes. The scouts said two horses were ridden by women and only one by a man.
Lieutenant Rice later met some of Averill's men. They decided Rice would join Averill at his camp. Averill told Rice that the Apaches had crossed the border into Mexico. Guadalupe Canyon was a common escape route for Apaches into Mexico. Rice believed the Apaches were still nearby. So, on May 15, he and Averill continued following the trail. Their group included twelve soldiers, ten Apache scouts, and four civilians.
On the morning of May 16, the scouts found the Apache camp in the canyon. In May 1896, the U.S. Army was not supposed to enter Mexican territory. But newspapers believed the attack happened south of the border.
The scouts told Rice where the enemy was. Rice saw that the Apaches were in a very strong position. They were on a rocky ledge high up a steep mountain. Rice planned to surround them quietly. He wanted to cut off their escape routes down the mountain. This was very hard because Guadalupe Canyon had very steep and rocky areas.
By 4:00 AM on May 17, Rice was close to the Apache camp. He had a good view of them. He waited until sunrise to attack. Around 6:00 AM, the Apache women started moving around. Rice told his men not to shoot the women unless they had to. The scouts believed the women would surrender if the warriors were killed.
Around 7:00 AM, an Apache man named Adelnietze appeared. He had been with Geronimo's group years before. He had continued to live as a nomad with his family. Rice reported that Adelnietze was reacting to an alarm. One of the women had seen the soldiers. Averill then moved his men closer. When the shooting started, Adelnietze was hit. He ran down the mountainside and escaped. Massai also quickly left the camp. The soldiers' bullets hit the rocks around him. The Apaches did not fire back during this fight.
Rice thought the escaping Apaches would run into Averill's men. But Averill had spread his men out poorly. Averill blamed his scouts for not getting closer. The Apache women also escaped. Rice then chased Adelnietze, who was badly wounded. The chase was called off later. The scouts believed Adelnietze would likely die from his wound.
Later, reports said both Adelnietze's body and the Apache wounded on May 8 were found. Many of Adelnietze's things were captured. These included his rifle, a bow, two horses, and clothing. Some clothing belonged to the murdered Elizabeth Merrill and her father. Even though the Apaches got away, General Nelson A. Miles praised the soldiers for their skill and effort.
Later Encounter: June 21, 1896
After May 17, there was one more notable event. On June 4, 1896, the U.S. Army got permission from Mexico to chase Apaches across the border. On June 21, Lieutenant William Yates found an Apache camp in Sonora. An attack was ordered. They captured a five-year-old girl, a horse, and some camping gear. There was no fighting. Four warriors, four women, and one other child escaped. American newspapers claimed the Apache scouts had warned the camp before the attack. This allowed most of them to escape.
What Happened Next
The Apache Campaign of 1896 was the last time the United States Army actively pursued Apaches. However, some violent events between Apaches and settlers continued into the 1930s. Britt Wilson says that Massai was ambushed and killed in September 1906. But others believed the Apache Kid was the one who died that day. Because of this, the area was named the Apache Kid Wilderness.
The little Apache girl captured on May 8 went to live with John Slaughter. She lived at the San Bernardino Ranch, which is now a historic site. She was named Apache May, because she was found in May. John and his wife, Viola, believed the Apache Kid was her father. They thought she was about twelve months old when found. Apache May was wearing a dress made from Elizabeth Merrill's poster. Viola made her new clothes. In 1901, Apache May's dress caught fire. The girl was badly burned and died the next morning. Her remains are buried at the Slaughter family cemetery on the ranch. Her dress is kept by the Arizona Historical Society.
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