Camp Grant, Arizona facts for kids
Camp Grant was a United States Army post in the Arizona Territory. It was located where the San Pedro River and Aravaipa Creek meet. This area is now in Pinal County. The camp is known for being near the site of the Camp Grant massacre.
The first fort was built here in 1860. Between 1860 and 1873, the post was abandoned or destroyed and then rebuilt many times. It had several names, starting as Fort Breckinridge in 1860. It became Camp Grant in 1866. In 1872, this "old" Camp Grant was replaced by a "new" Fort Grant. The new fort was built near Mount Graham in what is now Graham County. Today, there is little left of the original "old" Camp Grant.
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What Was Camp Grant For?
The military fort at Aravaipa Creek and the San Pedro River was built to protect settlers and miners. More and more people were moving into the Arizona Territory.
For over 200 years before the United States arrived, Apache groups had been fighting. They resisted the Spanish who were moving into Northern Mexico. The Spanish tried to conquer Native American groups. They used horses and better weapons like steel and firearms. They wanted to make these groups serve them.
The Apache and other Native American tribes wanted to avoid this. They fought hard for two centuries. This stopped the Spanish from moving much further north than today's U.S.-Mexico border. By doing this, they kept their homeland and their freedom. But it meant constant fighting between Native American groups and Spanish settlements.
The Apache became very skilled at raids. They usually avoided big battles with larger Spanish groups. Raiding became a way of life for them. Children learned the skills needed for this type of warfare from a young age. Raids also helped the Apache get food and goods. They would often take cattle, horses, or mules. These animals were used for food and travel.
Sometimes, the Apache traded extra goods from raids with certain Spanish communities. They received clothes, food, and other items they needed. But sometimes, these trades led to betrayal. Traders would capture Native Americans and sell them. This led to deep distrust and more fighting.
After the Mexican War, the Apache briefly saw the Americans as allies against the Spanish. But this did not last. As more Americans moved in, conflicts grew. Apache raiding parties began attacking American ranches, camps, and travelers.
Apache raiders were very careful and disciplined. They planned ahead, moved quickly, and used surprise attacks. They knew the land well. Raids were often successful. The raiders usually tried to kill everyone they met. This prevented them from being identified or followed.
From 1860 to 1872, the U.S. Army at Camp Grant constantly responded to these raids. They tried to catch or stop the raiders. The Apache usually knew the land better. But the Army kept trying. Over time, the small Apache groups slowly lost members. By 1886, many Apache had either died in the fighting or were living on reservations.
Early Names of the Post
- Camp on San Pedro River (May 1860): This was a general name used when the fort was first being built.
- Fort Aravaipa (1860): This name was used for a few months after construction.
- Fort Breckinridge (August 1860 to 1861): The fort was officially named after John C. Breckinridge. He was the U.S. Vice President at the time. When the Civil War started, the Union army left and burned the fort.
- Fort Stanford or Camp Stanford (1862 to 1865): California volunteer troops reoccupied the site during the Civil War. They unofficially named it after California Governor Leland Stanford.
- Fort Breckenridge (1862 to 1865): In October 1862, the U.S. Army officially renamed the fort. They changed the spelling slightly. This was because John C. Breckinridge had joined the Confederate Army.
- Camp on San Pedro River and Camp Wright (1865): The fort was rebuilt starting in 1865. These names were used briefly during construction.
- Camp Grant (1865 to 1872): The U.S. Army finished building the post. They officially named it "Camp Grant" to honor Ulysses S. Grant, a famous Civil War general. The post was also changed from a "Fort" to a "Camp." Floods in 1866 caused the camp to be rebuilt on higher ground. The name "Camp Grant" was used until it closed in 1872. The Camp Grant massacre happened during this time (1871).
- Fort Grant: Even though the Army called it a "camp," people sometimes called it "Fort Grant." In 1872, an officially named Fort Grant was built in a new location.
Fort Breckinridge (1860-1865)
The U.S. military post at the San Pedro River and Aravaipa Creek existed from 1860 to 1872. It was built in May 1860 by soldiers from Fort Buchanan.
The fort was placed along the San Pedro River. This river was a major travel route. A wagon road built in 1857 also ran through the San Pedro valley. The fort was meant to protect travelers and settlers.
In May 1860, while being built, it was called the Camp on San Pedro River. It was then named Fort Aravaipa. In August 1860, it became Fort Breckinridge. This honored John C. Breckinridge, who was Vice President under President James Buchanan.
In October 1860, Native American raiders took all the post's livestock. In February 1861, Fort Breckinridge troops helped Fort Buchanan during the Bascom affair. When the American Civil War began, the army decided to move its troops east. The area was also threatened by a Confederate invasion from Texas. The army abandoned and burned Fort Breckinridge in July 1861. This was to keep it from falling into Confederate hands.
In May 1862, California volunteer soldiers reoccupied the fort's site. They rebuilt it and renamed it Camp Stanford. By late 1862, it was also called Fort Breckenredge, with a changed spelling. This change showed their unhappiness with the former Vice President. He had joined the Confederate army.
Camp Grant (1865-1872)
After the Civil War, the post was rebuilt again in November 1865. This was done by soldiers from the 2nd Regiment California Volunteer Infantry. The new site was still in the San Pedro valley. It was closer to the San Pedro River than the earlier sites.
At first, the construction site was called Camp Wright or Camp on San Pedro. After it was built, it was officially named Camp Grant. This honored Union general Ulysses S. Grant. The post was also officially changed from a fort to a camp. But people still often called it both Fort Grant and Camp Grant.
In March 1866, regular troops took over from the California Volunteers. In the summer of 1866, heavy rains caused the San Pedro River to flood. Camp Grant was so damaged that the troops rebuilt it again. This time, they built it on higher ground on the east bank of the San Pedro River. This new site was closer to the original Fort Breckinridge and Camp Stanford locations. The photo at the top of this article shows this site.
Apache Groups at Camp Grant
Over the years, the Army's constant pursuit of Apache raiding parties caused losses among the raiders. The Apache groups could not replace these losses. They were slowly worn down.
By 1870, some Apache groups were willing to stop raiding. They wanted to live a settled life in return for food. Army and civilian leaders began discussing places for reservations for Apache groups. In 1870, Colonel Stoneman, who led the Army in Arizona, suggested "feeding stations." These would give food to the Apache. The hope was that this would stop raiding and encourage Apache groups to move to reservations.
In February 1871, five older Apache women came to Camp Grant. They were hungry and poorly dressed. They were looking for a son who had been captured. Lieutenant Royal Emerson Whitman was the commander at Camp Grant. He fed the women and treated them kindly. He promised to treat others well if they came to the camp.
Word spread. Soon, other Apache from the Aravaipa and Pinal groups came to the post. They wanted food like beef and flour. Among them was a young Apache leader named Eskiminzin. He told Lt. Whitman that his small group was tired of fighting. They wanted to settle on Aravaipa Creek.
In return for food, Lt. Whitman took the Apache's weapons. He offered them pay for work, like gathering hay. He also made them promise to stop raiding. As more Apache arrived, Whitman created a safe place for them. It was called a "rancheria" and was about half a mile east of Camp Grant. He wrote to Colonel Stoneman for instructions, but got no reply. By early March, 300 Aravaipa and Pinal Apache were camped near Camp Grant. By the end of March, there were 500. The Aravaipa Creek water level dropped. So, Lt. Whitman allowed the Apache to move five miles upstream, away from Camp Grant.
The Camp Grant Massacre
Before 1871, there was tension between the town of Tucson and Camp Grant. Tucson residents felt surrounded by Apache raiding parties. They believed the soldiers at Camp Grant were not doing enough to stop the raids.
As Pinal and Aravaipa Apache gathered at Camp Grant in early 1871, raids continued in Arizona. Between March 7 and 29, 19 settlers were killed and 10 were wounded. Even though some raids happened far from Camp Grant, people in Tucson blamed the growing number of Apache at Camp Grant. Camp Grant was about 50 miles northeast of Tucson. Citizens in Tucson were angry and scared by this large group of Apache. They held meetings and suggested extreme actions.
On the morning of April 28, 1871, a group left Tucson for Camp Grant. It included 6 Americans, 48 Mexicans, and 94 Tohono O'odham (also called Papago) Native Americans. The Papago were traditional enemies of the Pinal and Aravaipa Apache.
At dawn on April 30, 1871, the Tucson group attacked the Apache camps. The Apache in the camps were not expecting an attack. They had given up their weapons and promised to stop raiding. The men of the camp were away hunting. The Papago Indians led the attack.
An estimated 110 to 144 Apache people were killed. Since the men were away hunting, almost all the victims were women and children. Chief Eskiminzin was there but escaped. About 27 to 30 Apache children were captured by the Papagos. They were taken to be servants. In the years after the attack, the children's families asked the U.S. government to help. But only about 7 or 8 children were ever returned.
Lt. Royal Emerson Whitman, Camp Grant's commander, learned about the expedition from Tucson too late. He sent a warning message to the Apache camp, but it arrived after the attack. He then sent a medical team to help, but no survivors were found. He reported that 125 people had died, and he buried them.
This event became known as the Camp Grant massacre. News of it spread and made Apache people distrust non-Native Americans even more. Newspapers in the eastern U.S. were outraged. President Grant threatened to put the territory under military rule if the attackers were not brought to trial. A grand jury charged about 100 people in October 1871. After a five-day trial, all were found not guilty. The jury took only 19 minutes to decide. The defense argued that the attack was a response to years of Apache raids and killings.
Camp Abandoned
The massacre had big effects on Camp Grant and the Arizona Territory. Colonel Stoneman, the commanding officer in Arizona, was replaced by Lt. Col. George Crook in May 1871. Colonel Crook then looked at military posts and possible reservation sites. He focused on Camp Grant.
In 1872, Colonel Crook ordered that a new Fort Grant be built near Mount Graham. He ordered that "old" Camp Grant be closed. The new Fort Grant was better located to fight Apache groups who were still hostile. Also, malaria had been a constant problem at the "old" Camp Grant along the San Pedro River. In March 1873, the site of "old" Camp Grant was finally abandoned.
The site of "old" Camp Grant is near the current location of the Aravaipa campus of Central Arizona College. The "new" Fort Grant is no longer an army post. It is now part of the Arizona State Prison system.
After the massacre in 1871, a Camp Grant reservation was set aside for the Apache. But in 1872, this temporary reservation was moved. It became part of a new, larger reservation at the San Carlos and Gila River junction. The exact massacre site is not marked. It is known to have happened in an area five miles upstream from Camp Grant on Aravaipa Creek.
Current Location
The site of the old fort is just east of where Highway 77 and East Putnam Street meet today. It is north of where Highway 77 crosses Aravaipa Creek. Very little remains of the former fort and camp. The land is privately owned. It is covered with mesquite trees, cactus, and some scattered ruins.
Images for kids
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Camp Grant, photographed by John Karl Hillers in 1870.
