Cibique, Arizona, site of fight that kicked off new round of Apache wars

Entering Cibique

Cibique, Arizona, is a quiet community of about 1,300 souls surrounded by rolling hills. Dogs and horses freely roam the streets; the community’s middle and high schools are topped by a dome that can be seen from blocks away. 

But Cibique wasn’t always this peaceful. 

In August 1881, it was the scene of a battle between the Apaches and the cavalry from Fort Apache that ultimately resulted in the mass defection of the post’s Indian scouts and Canon Apache warriors joining forces with Geronimo. 

Unhealthy conditions and corruption were the rule on the Fort Apache Indian Reservation, A respected medicine man, Nock-ay-det-klinne, began holding ghost dances in the village as the Apaches tried to cope with the disruption of a lifestyle they had enjoyed for centuries.  Some of these ceremonies took place near Fort Apache, with the Army’s Indian scouts attending.  Because of this, Nock-ay-det-klinne, who had counseled Geronimo and Cochise, among other Apache leaders, became a target for the cavalry, especially as fort officers became suspicious of the scouts who attended the ceremonies.

Two horses "dine" on streetside vegetation

The Army soon came to mistrust the scouts, fearing they would side with the other Apaches should an uprising occur. They confiscated their weapons. 

On August 29, the Sixth Cavalry with 79 enlisted men and 23 scouts left Fort Apachte to arrest Nock-ay-det-klinne, the medicine man. After several days of riding over rough, rocky terrain, the Army reached Nock-ay-det-klinne’s camp. They started back to the fort with the medicine man in custody. 

A battle erupted as the Army began to make camp for the night. It became more deadly when the scouts turned against the soldiers, six of whom were killed before the scouts began defending the Army. Later that night, after burying their dead, the Army sneaked out under cover of darkness. It was a victory for the Apaches.

During the attack, Nock-ay-det-klinne, his wife and son, were killed, further inciting the Apaches. Two days later, Apaches attacked the fort, and later joined forces with other regional Apache tribes, including the Chiruicahuas, to set off a regional uprising. It was a war that was to last for two years. 

Fields around Cibique

Cibique is located on the White Mountain Apache Reservation on Indian Highway 12,  about 12 miles from Highway 60, a few miles south of the Fort Apache  junction. If there are any monuments marking the battle site, they are not easily found.

Fort Bowie, Arizona: defending the West

 

Remains of Fort Bowie

Fort Bowie may be a little bit out of the way for some tourists, but for travelers interested in learning more about the Frontier West it is well worth the effort to get there.

Located in southeast Arizona, Fort Bowie is the first tourist attraction visitors driving Interstate 10 from New Mexico will come to. Conversely, it is the last attraction motorists headed from Tucson to Las Cruces, New Mexico, will find.

Getting to the fort

 

The remains of the first and second Fort Bowie are located about 14 miles from Bowie, a small community that appears to be turning into a ghost town, with many main street buildings boarded up. After exiting the freeway, follow the signs, turning on Apache Pass Road.

 

A few miles down this paved road, the road to the Fort Bowie National Historic Site spikes to the left, while Apache Pass Road leads to the trailhead. There visitors can walk 1.5 miles through the hills to the fort’s remains. The trailhead has ample parking and clean restrooms, but no potable water, so be sure to bring plenty, especially on hot days.

 

Remains of Fort Bowie

Where the road spikes, the sign to the visitor center specifies this entrance is for handicapped visitors only. There are only two disabled parking spaces at the small visitor center, and motorists need to call ahead for the gate to be opened. There is parking for a few more cars below the visitor center, but this involves walking up an uneven stone and dirt path. Since the site only gets about 8,000 visitors a year, chances are good, parking will be available.  

Before taking this route, however, motorists need to decide how comfortable they feel driving on a narrow, one-lane gravel road with no shoulders or pull-offs. If you meet a car coming the other way, one of you is going to have to do a lot of backing up. If we had left the visitor center a few minutes later, that’s what would have happened to us since we encountered a delivery truck coming up the hill just past where the road widened.

A remote hillside fort

Plaque of Fort Bowie in 1894



Fort Bowie has a nice informational visitor center that is operated by the National Park Service, which administers the site. There are photographs of what the fort looked like in its heyday. The Army abandoned the fort in 1894; local farmers tore down buildings and fences for wood to build at their sites. What remains are fragments of adobe buildings that have survived the elements since that time. Troops also defended the area when Confederate soldiers invaded during the Civil War, hoping to secure the Southwest for the Confederacy.

The fort is named from Col. George Washington Bowie, leader of the California Volunteers who staffed the fort. It’s probable that he shared common ancestors with Jim Bowie of the Bowie knife and Alamo fame. The fort later became a stop for the Butterfield Overland Mail route.

 

Apache wars

Fort Bowie was an important fort during the  years of war with the Chiricahua Apaches. These wars started in approximately 1861, with the first Fort Bowie being established the following year. The war started when Cochise and  Lt. George Bascom failed to agree on how to rescue the stepson of a local farmer who claimed Apaches had kidnapped him and killed 20 cattle. During the coming days, each side would execute hostages, with a full-fledged battle ensuing. Cochise would visit the fort three times after he signed  a peace treaty ending the wars in 1872.