983:
achieved a surprise approach and commenced the attack by sniping the corporal. Buckley was still sitting on the porch when a warrior snuck up close to him and opened fire. A bullet lodged into
Buckley's thigh, and he then raised his revolver and killed the warrior who fired the shot. Buckley then crawled inside the station as a swarm of warriors quickly surrounded the building. A private opened fire while covering Buckley and killed a second native. The Americans took up defensive positions against an enemy estimated by Buckley to be around 75 men. They fired their rifles through the port holes and fought off a first attack at close range. From then on the natives skirmished with the Americans at a further range.
987:
reaching the hills where the
Apaches gave up. Corporal Buckley and his men marched on foot to the mines in the Santa Ritas and reached safety. Private George English, the soldier that had been sent hunting before the attack, was never seen or heard from again; he was first recorded as missing until being presumed dead. The two soldiers that were cutting hay heard the sound of shooting and headed back to the fort, when they arrived, they found it surrounded by warriors who were emptying the buildings of goods and burning them, they also retreated to the Santa Ritas and later rejoined their troop.
130:
105:
996:
961:. Suddenly, dozens of Apache warriors opened fire with both rifles and bows. A chase started in the direction of Fort Buchanan because everyone was mounted. The three had nearly made it there when they were overwhelmed and killed; the United States Army reported that the three did not attempt to defend themselves; no gunshots were heard, and Corporal Buckley later said that he did not know that Wrightson and Hopkins were in the area.
41:
973:
986:
Eventually the Apache set fire to the building, and several minutes later as the roof was caving in
Buckley ordered his men to retreat. To do this they would have to charge through the enemy and into the surrounding hills. When the soldiers made their retreat, they fired wildly and were chased until
982:
Afterward, the Apache moved on to the nearby vedette station where
Corporal Buckley was sitting on the porch while five other privates rested inside. The corporal did not know he was under attack and had beforehand sent two men to cut hay in a field nearby and one man to go hunting. The Apache
1005:
Two
Apaches were confirmed to have been killed by Buckley who also said that because of the smoke from their rifles and the burning station, he could not tell if there were other casualties. Six horses were captured along with 250 rounds of ammunition, 200 rations, two carbine rifles and six
1014:
received news of the attack and proceeded to the fort with 25 men. Just outside the post, the bodies of
Wrightson, Hopkins and the boy were discovered and buried. After examining the condition of Fort Buchanan, Captain Miriam ordered it abandoned and returned to
1202:
710:
1162:
703:
929:), the Apache began attacking Union and Confederate troops across Arizona. By early 1865 the Chiricahua War was still being waged. According to reports at the time of attack, only nine American
1197:
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696:
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and a young
Mexican boy were attacked. William Wrightson and Gilbert W. Hopkins were traveling from a ranch in the Santa Ritas towards the fort, presently three miles west of
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857:, which occurred on February 17, 1865. Though a skirmish, it ended with a significant Apache victory when they forced the small
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The battle began on the morning of
February 17, 1865, twelve miles away from the fort when two surveyors of the
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commanded and with the eight others he occupied the vedette station that was very similar to a small house.
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manned the fort, which did not have walls and was just a collection of military buildings including a
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1109:
The war of the rebellion: a compilation of the official records of the Union and
Confederate armies
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1073:"California and the Civil War: 1st Regiment of Cavalry, California Volunteers"
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969:, the two highest peaks of the Santa Ritas, were later named after the men.
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869:. Fort Buchanan was the only American military post conquered during the
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Battles of the Trans-Mississippi
Theater of the American Civil War
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1111:. Washington D.C.: United States Government Printing Office.
1163:
Battles of the California Column of the American Civil War
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was later built a half mile east of Fort Buchanan in 1867
1091:"Arizona Forts of the American West – Legends of America"
1033:
List of battles won by Indigenous peoples of the Americas
1019:
to the west where the rest of Company L was stationed.
889:
in the United States from 1861 to 1865 and numerous
917:were raised to occupy the region. After Lieutenant
1198:19th-century military history of the United States
1000:Mount Wrightson (center) and Mount Hopkins (right)
977:Apache warriors in their traditional tribal wear.
21:
913:joined the Confederacy in 1861, so troops in
704:
607:
211:
16:1865 attack during the Apache Wars in Arizona
8:
1178:Battles of the American Civil War in Arizona
1107:Scott, N. Robert; George B. Davis (1897).
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697:
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218:
204:
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88:Apache victory, Fort Buchanan destroyed.
1044:
1010:uniforms. On the following day Captain
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1052:
1050:
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1193:History of United States expansionism
1188:History of Santa Cruz County, Arizona
7:
1173:Battles involving the United States
14:
955:United States General Land Office
921:'s 1860 confrontation with Chief
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103:
39:
46:Ruins of Fort Buchanan in 1914.
1:
1168:Battles involving the Apache
472:Battle of Ojo Caliente(1879)
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901:was stretched thin on the
78:Santa Cruz County, Arizona
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633:
282:Antelope Hills Expedition
235:
186:
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145:
121:
96:
51:
38:
26:
1095:www.legendsofamerica.com
497:Battle of Tres Castillos
905:. The southern half of
839:Battle of Fort Buchanan
22:Battle of Fort Buchanan
1134:31.65750°N 110.70694°W
1077:www.militarymuseum.org
1002:
979:
943:1st California Cavalry
941:from Company L of the
925:(sometimes called the
909:and the newly created
893:involving the various
122:Commanders and leaders
1008:United States Cavalry
998:
975:
885:Because of the major
863:California Volunteers
581:Guadalupe Canyon 1896
309:Bonneville Expedition
170:Casualties and losses
1208:February 1865 events
1139:31.65750; -110.70694
907:New Mexico Territory
867:Santa Rita Mountains
741:San Augustine Spring
455:Buffalo Hunters' War
188:Civilian Casualties:
1130: /
811:2nd Dragoon Springs
806:1st Dragoon Springs
723:Confederate Arizona
460:Yellow House Canyon
364:2nd Dragoon Springs
359:1st Dragoon Springs
265:Ojo Caliente Canyon
1062:Scott, pg. 401–403
1003:
980:
937:station. Corporal
865:to retreat to the
847:United States Army
761:Gallinas Mountains
344:Gallinas Mountains
33:American Civil War
1158:Conflicts in 1865
911:Arizona Territory
855:Arizona Territory
851:Old Fort Buchanan
834:
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756:Florida Mountains
686:
685:
625:California Column
589:
588:
576:Cherry Creek 1890
571:Kelvin Grade 1889
477:Las Animas Canyon
438:Salt River Canyon
339:Florida Mountains
287:Little Robe Creek
272:Texas–Indian wars
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73:Arizona Territory
59:February 17, 1865
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566:Post 1887 period
559:Pinito Mountains
544:Little Dry Creek
401:Black Hawk's War
277:Diablo Mountains
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179:1 fort destroyed
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1021:Fort Crittenden
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963:Mount Wrightson
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939:Michael Buckley
895:Native American
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791:Stanwix Station
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721:Engagements in
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673:Doubtful Canyon
638:Stanwix Station
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389:Doubtful Canyon
299:Chiricahua Wars
292:1st Adobe Walls
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135:Michael Buckley
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1012:John L. Miriam
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845:attack on the
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509:Geronimo's War
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502:Carrizo Canyon
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467:Victorio's War
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245:Point of Rocks
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967:Mount Hopkins
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927:Bascom affair
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751:Cookes Canyon
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539:Devil's Creek
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524:McMillenville
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520:
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514:Cibecue Creek
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492:Fort Tularosa
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394:Fort Buchanan
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334:Cookes Canyon
332:
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324:Bascom Affair
322:
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319:Mimbres River
317:
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314:Madera Canyon
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240:Jicarilla War
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111:United States
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69:Fort Buchanan
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952:
897:tribes, the
884:
873:against the
853:in southern
838:
836:
796:Picacho Pass
677:
643:Picacho Pass
549:Nacori Chico
529:Big Dry Wash
428:Burro Canyon
393:
255:Bell's Fight
187:
97:Belligerents
45:
1183:Apache Wars
1137: /
1125:110°42′25″W
821:Apache Pass
816:2nd Mesilla
771:Pinos Altos
736:1st Mesilla
663:Pecos River
653:Apache Pass
554:Bear Valley
519:Fort Apache
448:Sunset Pass
443:Turret Peak
433:Tonto Basin
413:Yavapai War
406:Pipe Spring
369:Apache Pass
354:Pinos Altos
260:Cieneguilla
250:Wagon Mound
228:Apache Wars
29:Apache Wars
1152:Categories
1122:31°39′27″N
1039:References
1017:Fort Tubac
931:cavalrymen
915:California
899:Union Army
881:Background
875:Chiricahua
781:Fort Thorn
668:Mount Gray
423:Wickenburg
418:Camp Grant
384:Mount Gray
991:Aftermath
891:conflicts
887:civil war
182:~2 killed
177:1 wounded
1027:See also
903:frontier
859:garrison
849:post of
786:Valverde
190:3 killed
175:1 killed
164:warriors
146:Strength
64:Location
27:Part of
959:Sonoita
935:vedette
923:Cochise
841:was an
766:Placito
374:Big Bug
349:Placito
153:cavalry
140:Cochise
76:now in
949:Battle
843:Apache
826:La Paz
801:Tucson
658:La Paz
648:Tucson
116:Apache
108:
85:Result
746:Tubac
379:Mowry
329:Tubac
965:and
837:The
487:Alma
162:~75
158:fort
56:Date
871:war
861:of
1154::
1093:.
1075:.
1047:^
877:.
156:1
151:9
71:,
31:,
1097:.
1079:.
712:e
705:t
698:v
615:e
608:t
601:v
219:e
212:t
205:v
Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License. Additional terms may apply.
