This Apache chief outran the US Army for 135,000 miles with just 100 men

Buffalo Soldiers’ Year-Long Chase of Apache Chief Victorio

In 1879, Apache chief Victorio chose war over exile. He fled the Mescalero Reservation with just 80 warriors, then struck back at Ojo Caliente, killing five Buffalo Soldiers.

For the next year, Black troops of the 9th and 10th Cavalry chased his tiny band across 135,000 miles of harsh desert.

The Buffalo Soldiers came close at Hembrillo Basin but couldn’t catch him. Finally, at Rattlesnake Springs, Colonel Grierson’s men raced 65 miles in 21 hours to cut Victorio off.

The campaign ended when Mexican forces killed the chief months later. Fort Davis National Historic Site now tells this epic story of endurance and tactics.

Apache Chief Ran From Reservation To Avoid Moving

Victorio and 80 warriors left the Mescalero Reservation on September 4, 1879. They didn’t want to go to the San Carlos Reservation in Arizona, a place they hated.

At Ojo Caliente, they attacked Company E of the 9th Cavalry, killing five Buffalo Soldiers and taking 46 horses.

The Apache warriors tied the bodies of Sergeant Chapman and four privates to the ground. As the fighting went on, Victorio got angrier and started cutting up the bodies of people he killed.

Army Traveled Huge Distances Chasing Small Group

The Army sent all four Buffalo Soldier units to New Mexico and Texas between 1879 and 1881. The 9th Cavalry started chasing Victorio’s band, which never had more than 100 warriors and often fewer than 50.

The Buffalo Soldiers also had to protect Apaches from scalp hunters who sold Apache scalps to Mexico for $50 each.

During the campaign, over 1,000 Army men tracked this small Apache group across 135,000 miles of rough desert.

Soldiers Got Trapped in Canyon Ambush

On September 18, 1879, Victorio set a trap. Companies B and E of the 9th Cavalry rode into Las Animas Canyon and got caught in an ambush.

Sixty Apache warriors and one woman shot from the ridge above. The first shots killed 32 horses, leaving soldiers stuck on foot.

By the end of the day-long fight, 53 horses and mules were dead. Three soldiers, two scouts, and one civilian died.

The Army later gave three Medals of Honor to Buffalo Soldiers who fought bravely.

Colonel Grierson Changed How They Fought

General Sheridan put Colonel Benjamin Grierson in charge of catching Victorio in May 1880. Grierson brought his 10th Cavalry to Fort Davis and spread his troops from there to El Paso.

He came up with a smart plan – instead of chasing the Apaches across the desert, he would control the water.

Grierson knew that in the harsh desert, Victorio would need to find water. He put soldiers at Viejo Pass, Eagle Springs, and Fort Quitman, watching every waterhole.

Water Became the Main Weapon in Desert Fighting

Grierson gathered the biggest military force ever seen in the Trans-Pecos region.

Six troops of the 10th Cavalry patrolled from the Van Horn Mountains west to the Quitman Mountains and north to Sierra Diablo.

The Buffalo Soldiers stopped chasing Victorio across empty desert and instead waited at canyon passes and water holes.

This new plan turned the tables on the Apaches, who had always used their knowledge of the land to escape.

Soldiers Blocked Apaches From Getting Water

Victorio crossed the Rio Grande into Texas on July 30, 1880, with about 150 followers.

Grierson and three companies of Buffalo Soldiers stopped them from reaching the Tinaja de las Palmas waterhole.

One soldier died in the fight, while Grierson said his men killed seven Apaches. This small win showed Grierson that his water-hole plan could work against the Apaches.

Without water, even the most skilled warriors couldn’t survive the hot Texas summer.

Soldiers Outran Apache Warriors in Long March

On August 5, Grierson woke his men at 3 AM. Five companies of the 10th Cavalry, 170 officers and men, broke camp and started a tough march.

They moved alongside the Indians’ path, pushing themselves and their horses to the limit. In less than 21 hours, they covered 65 miles of rough land.

Troops A and C under Nolan were tired from the forced march. Around midnight, they reached Rattlesnake Springs, somehow moving faster than the quick Apaches.

Soldiers Hid Near the Spring

Colonel Grierson got to Rattlesnake Springs at 3:30 AM on August 6 with his teenage son Robert. After resting and drinking water, Grierson and Captain Nolan carefully placed their men in hidden spots.

Captain Charles Viele put Companies C and G in Rattlesnake Canyon to guard all paths to the spring. Indian scouts working with the Army brushed away any signs of the soldiers.

The tired cavalrymen waited for Victorio’s band to arrive.

Thirsty Apaches Tried to Fight Their Way to Water

Around 2 PM, Victorio and his warriors came toward the springs carefully. They felt something wrong and stopped.

The hidden Buffalo Soldiers started shooting when they saw the Apaches pause.

Captain Louis Carpenter arrived with Companies H and B at the perfect time, pushing the Apaches back into the hills.

Victorio and his men, needing water after days in the desert heat, charged at the soldiers many times.

Each time, the Buffalo Soldiers stood firm.

Soldiers Kept Blocking Attacks at the Spring

Victorio couldn’t believe how many soldiers blocked his path to water. Still, his people needed to drink, so he ordered charge after charge against the cavalry lines.

Grierson’s and Nolan’s defenders, now helped by Carpenter’s two companies, held firm against every attack. At 4 PM, a small group of Apaches tried to attack the supply train but quickly ran when the soldiers fired back.

As night fell, Victorio made one last attempt to break through to the water. When that failed, he led his people back into the mountains.

Mexican Forces Ended Victorio’s Final Stand

Private Wesley Hardy of Company H went missing during the battle, with reports of possibly three other troops killed.

After being defeated twice and denied water, Victorio gave up trying to return to New Mexico. He led his band back across the Rio Grande into Mexico, ending his threat to West Texas.

On October 15, 1880, Mexican forces caught up with Victorio at Tres Castillos. They killed him and 60 of his warriors in a final battle.

The death of Victorio ended the campaign that had stretched across two countries and thousands of miles.

Visiting Fort Davis National Historic Site, Texas

Fort Davis National Historic Site at 101 Lt. Flipper Drive tells the story of Buffalo Soldiers who chased Apache chief Victorio across 135,000 miles of desert during 1879-1880.

You can explore twenty-four restored buildings like the Post Hospital and Officers’ Quarters for $7 per person or $10 per vehicle (kids 15 and under free).

Watch a fifteen-minute film by Kareem Abdul-Jabbar in the visitor center, then hike four miles of trails connecting to Davis Mountains State Park.

This article was created with AI assistance and human editing.

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