February 2019 22 Early Pioneer continued from page 20 Apache leaders by some 50 miners administered in the midst of the Apache nation. Many white settlers and miners, innocent of the stupid action of the 50 miners camped at the Copper Fields that fateful day would not survive. Mangas Colorados had learned not only that whites could not be trusted, but they could not be dealt with in a statesmanlike manner. They understood, he had come to learn, only vicious force. Force the whites got in return for the stupidity of this handful of miners, for many years after the beating incident. Estimates vary, but some historians say the number of whites who died at the hands of Apaches, miner and settler alike, in the aftermath of the lashing numbered from 500 to 1000. Only a Preview The great insult rendered on the dominant chief of the Apache nation by that handful of miners at the Copper Fields was but a preview of the tragic end of Mangas Colorados efforts to deal peacefully with the whites he found crossing Apache lands in increasing numbers in the early 1860s. The Walker party was making its way slowly into what was to become Arizona Territory in 1862-63, moving towards the junction of the Gila and Hassayampa rivers. Apache warriors had tracked the Walker party continuously as it moved across the Divide and into the desert regions north of the Mexican border but had not attacked the party, which was headed into the mountain region known as the Bradshaws in search of gold. Other than relieving the party of a few mules the Apache warriors appeared to be content with merely tracking the party as it passed through Apache lands. The Walker party, headed up by mountain man and trapper Joseph Redford Walker, encountered a column of California Volunteers heading eastwood to dislodge Confederate troops. The troops had entrenched themselves in a region near the Tucson Pueblo early in the Civil War in an effort to seize the mineral-rich New Mexico/Arizona territory for the Confederacy. A Devious Plot Develops One member of the Walker party, Jack Swilling, and the top officer in the column of troops, Brigadier General Joseph West, apparently had discussed the Apache issue at length and had come up with a plan to entice Mangas to talk peace. Mangas at the time was attempting to negotiate a peaceful solution with another group of Anglo miners who had settled near Pinos Altos. According to accounts from the Walker party, Swilling rode to the Pinos Altos area where Mangas was holding peace negotiations with the miners. Swilling convinced Mangas that it would come to the chief’s advantage to come with him and talk with the column of California Volunteers who were going to cross Apache lands to do battle with the Confederate troops from Texas. Mangas decided to go with Swilling to meet the leaders of the troops. He told his followers not to be concerned and he would return in a month or so. In the meantime, he told the Apaches not to attack the miners he RV, Diesel and Automotive Repair Please call 623-376-6791 for details or to be added to our reservation list for RV Valet & Concierge Storage services. Super Sized with 18 Bays and 12 Lifts Including 2 for RV’s Expanded Service Center to Accommodate More RV and Diesel Vehicles Additional Services for Commercial Vehicle Maintenance Repair RV Valet and Concierge Services had been negotiating with. When Swilling escorted Mangas into the camp of the California Volunteers, the depth of General West’s plans became instantly apparent. Mangas was taken prisoner and put under armed guard. Humiliated, Tortured, Murdered After being bound and placed under guard Mangas was taken to the edge of the camp and staked spread eagle, face up on the ground. As night fell, troopers guarding Mangas built a fire to ward off the cold. Mangas was covered only with a thin blanket. The guards apparently became bored. They began poking mangas with the tips of their bayonets. The great Apache leader remained stoic at this humiliation. His failure to respond only caused his captors to become more sadistic. They placed their bayonets in the fire until the steel glowed red and then place the points and side of the blade on Mangas’ body. Mangas did not yell out but instead took the torture in silence. Finally one of the troopers fired his bayonet until it glowed brightly in the dark and plunged it into the chest of the Apache leader. The troops then cut the ropes that had bound Mangas to the ground and shoved his body into a nearby ravine. West claimed later that he was unaware of what his guards were doing to Mangas that night. He claimed he had wanted Mangas alive to serve as a hostage as his column passed through Apache territory towards the old Tucson Pueblo. Next Month, Part 2: Cochise