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489:. However, Apache tactics changed in 1782 when they began to mass in larger numbers and attack heavily fortified or heavily protected settlements. A force of about 600 warriors headed for Tucson, retaliating for a recent Spanish campaign deep into Apache territory. After the battle, Captain Saabedra stated that the assault was carried out by the largest force of Apaches warriors he had ever seen.
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holding their position, due to superior weapons, muskets against bows and arrows. Meanwhile, the second Apache unit rushed for the open gate of Fort Tucson but the advance was halted by cannon and musket fire from
Captain Allande and four of his men, positioned on the bridge above the gate. The attack also failed due to Lieutenant Urrea's position, on the roof of his
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of close quarters combat, the
Apaches suffered eight confirmed deaths and dozens more severely wounded. Apaches were known for removing their dead and wounded from their battlefields, immediately after a casualty was sustained. Meaning it is likely that more than eight warriors died as result of the battle, either in the engagement or afterwards.
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The eight Apache deaths were confirmed by the various reports of the battle, written by the garrison and by the
Jesuits there. Other accounts say as many as thirty Apaches were killed during the action. Lieutenant Urrea personally killed or wounded at least five Apaches from the top of his house. His
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topped house, which flanked the Apache attack. Urrea and his native servant were later credited with delaying a force of over 140 Apaches from joining their main force for the capture of Fort Tucson. The holders of the bridge, who held against over 200 warriors, also were commended. After two hours
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servant killed or wounded a few others. Captain
Allande killed two men. One soldier, José Antonio Delgado, who hid in a tree from the beginning to the end of the battle, evading capture, later reported that he witnessed three killed Apaches, being removed from the field by their fellow warriors.
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and ten native scouts, including officers. One Apache force first swarmed into Indian village from the north where they encountered little resistance before advancing on to the bridge. The other force headed directly for the citadel. At the bridge a small force of
Spanish troops were capable of
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At around 10:00 am on Sunday May 1, 1782, the
Apaches began a surprise attack. The force was split in two and proceeded simultaneously to attack Indian Town and Fort Tucson itself with a clear intention of capturing the fort. Unfortunately for the Spaniards, most of the garrison was not present
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some livestock, resulting in another
Spanish victory and the deaths of a handful of warriors. Spanish records of the time indicate that only few Apaches were killed in overall campaigns. The largest Apache body counts never numbered more than fifty dead, most likely due to the Apache's
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He also reported that several Apache wounded were being carried off into the surrounding desert as well, casualties of cannon fire. The
Spanish won the engagement but the Apaches would return again a few months later, on December 15, the Apaches
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The
Spanish suffered one dead trooper and three wounded, one female civilian was also found to have been killed by the attackers. After seeing the deaths and wounding of so many warriors, the unknown Apache war chief ordered a retreat.
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were built as well. The walls spanned various heights from ten to almost thirty feet high and were built to be compact. There were two gates, one on the eastern wall and the other on the western wall. A
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509:. Fighting occurred at three main places, the first was at the bridge connecting Indian Town to Tucson, the second, at the western gate of the presidio, and the third near the western gate at
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and then an earthen defensive wall surrounding the military buildings. Some of the houses, belonging to Tucson citizens or soldiers, were outside the palisade and were protected only by
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By 1782 the
Spanish had been fighting a long war with the Apaches throughout the Tucson area. The garrison had already fought off an enemy attack in 1779, known as the
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were among the population of Tucson, one later reported that around 200 Apaches fought on foot and said he did not attempt to estimate the number mounted on
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481:, at the edge of the town. In 1780 other small skirmishes between Spain and Apaches occurred near Tucson. Raids were also conducted by Apaches against
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and only a few officers also manned the position. Tucson was an isolated community during its earliest years, situated on the right side of the
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370:. The construction of the structure occurred from 1775 to 1783 and was used to protect communication and trade routes across northern
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pueblo, known as Indian Town, on the left side of the water, roughly northwest of Tucson. Between the village and
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inside the fortification, a lot of whom were scattered across the town, preparing for Sunday mass. Several
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A sketch of the Presidio chapel along the east wall of the Tucson Presidio.
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From Cowtown to Desert Metropolis: Ninety Years of Arizona Memories.
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on which an unknown number of cannon were placed. Four
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were also employed. Fort Tucson was primarily made of
378:. The garrison on average consisted of forty to sixty
438:of logs, ordered to be constructed by commander
529:At the time, Spanish forces numbered forty-two
42:The reconstructed bastion of Fort Tucson, 2009.
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612:History of Arizona and New Mexico, 1530–1888.
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16:1782 battle during the Mexican Apache Wars
419:was a bridge, leading across the river.
639:University of Arizona Press, Tucson. (
358:, or Fort Tucson, was a Spanish built
621:Arizona Historical Society, Tucson. (
7:
619:Tucson in Focus: The Buehman Studio.
382:, mostly of Sonoran descent. Though
614:The History Company, San Francisco.
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654:Whitewing Press, San Francisco. (
743:Pre-statehood history of Arizona
356:Presidio San Augustin del Tucson
332:on May 1, 1782, between a small
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610:Bancroft, Hubert Howe, 1888,
422:The area around the presidio
723:Battles involving the Apache
485:and other small unprotected
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579:History of Tucson, Arizona
366:Tucson, it was founded by
733:Events in Tucson, Arizona
617:Cooper, Evelyn S., 1995,
340:soldiers and hundreds of
328:. It occurred during the
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650:Drachman, Roy P., 1999,
637:Spanish Colonial Tucson.
443:Pedro Allande y Saabedra
434:filled with water and a
134:Pedro Allande y Saabedra
728:Battles involving Spain
362:located in present-day
310:Second Battle of Tucson
22:Second Battle of Tucson
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479:First Battle of Tucson
324:, and the neighboring
121:Commanders and leaders
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399:bricks and wood from
177:Casualties and losses
684:32.2245°N 110.9734°W
589:American Indian Wars
403:trees. At least one
193:Civilian Casualties:
680: /
330:Mexican Apache Wars
234:Mexican–Apache Wars
738:Battles in Arizona
713:Apache–Mexico Wars
689:32.2245; -110.9734
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430:with a wide ditch
29:Apache-Mexico Wars
718:Conflicts in 1782
708:1782 in New Spain
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411:, next to a
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368:Hugh O'Conor
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97:Belligerents
76:Modern Day:
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27:Part of the
687: /
675:110°58′24″W
599:Navajo Wars
594:Apache Wars
459:guard tower
445:, with two
187:8-30 killed
55:May 1, 1782
702:Categories
672:32°13′28″N
605:References
511:Lieutenant
432:roundabout
351:Background
272:4th Tucson
267:3rd Tucson
262:2nd Tucson
257:1st Tucson
569:tactics.
551:Aftermath
533:, twenty
472:artillery
455:magazines
428:fortified
184:3 wounded
160:artillery
73:New Spain
635:, 1976,
573:See also
535:dragoons
468:stockade
451:bulwarks
447:ramparts
436:palisade
417:presidio
401:mesquite
364:downtown
360:fortress
345:warriors
334:garrison
195:1 killed
182:1 killed
171:warriors
143:Strength
60:Location
567:evasion
540:parapet
531:lancers
487:convoys
440:Captain
380:cavalry
338:Spanish
322:Arizona
312:or the
150:cavalry
138:unknown
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625:
562:raided
516:home.
507:horses
500:Jesuit
493:Battle
463:church
461:and a
424:jacals
405:cannon
393:scouts
372:Sonora
342:Apache
326:pueblo
318:Tucson
115:Apache
85:Result
69:Sonora
65:Tucson
397:adobe
169:~600
110:Spain
656:ISBN
641:ISBN
623:ISBN
457:, a
426:was
413:Pima
387:Pima
308:The
165:fort
52:Date
336:of
158:~1
153:10
148:62
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474:.
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347:.
320:,
163:1
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224:e
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