Cochise Cheis Apache (abt. 1805 - 1874)

Born about 1805 in Alta California, Nueva España

Descendants

Died 8 Jun 1874 at about age 69 in Cochise, Arizona Territory, Estados Unidos de América

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Biography

Cochise Apache is Notable.

Almost nothing is known of the early life of Cheis or "A-da-tli-chi," popularly known as "Cochise." Some think that his name was originally "Goci," a reference to his nose. Most of what is known about him comes from those who met him late in his life. He was probably born between 1805 and 1815 near what is now the Arizona/Mexico border and first appears in records as leader of a raid about 1835. His father is believed to be the chief of the Chokonen band of Apache. ^[1] There are no pictures of him but he was described as a large man, "powerful and exceedingly well-built," ^[2]

Cochise married his first wife Dos-teh-seh, about 1839. She was the daughter of Mangas Coloradas, chief of the Chihenne Apache band. Dos-teh-seh and Cochise had two sons, Taza, born about 1842 and Naiche, born about 1855. He had two daughters, Dash-den-zhoos and Naithlotonz, born in the 1860s with a second wife whose name is unknown. ^[3]

Relations between Mexico and the Apache were very poor in the 1820's and 1830's. In 1842 a treaty brought a brief peace, but by 1843 hostilities resumed and continued throughout the decade. Arizona became an American territory after the Mexican War. Cochise became the chief of the Chiricahua band about 1855 and head of all the Apache after Mangas Colorados' death in 1863.

An incident in 1861 soured relations between the Apache and the Americans for the next decade. A Lt. Bascom was sent to find a missing child and missing cattle. Bascom attempted to imprison Cochise, but he soon escaped. In the retaliation that followed several members of Cochise's family, including his brother, were killed by the Americans and six Americans were killed by Cochise. ^[1] This incident resulted in Cochise's extreme hatred of Americans and numerous attacks on both sides during the 1860's.

About 1870 Tom Jeffords, an Overland Stage driver, managed to befriend Cochise ^[4] which paved the way for a peace agreement in 1872. The agreement defined an Apache reservation in the Dragoon Mountains where Cochise was living. ^[5] The Apache continued to carry out raids, but much less frequently. Cochise was apparently already ill by then but continued to negotiate with the Americans. At the time of his death the Americans were attempting to move Cochise's band to a reservation in New Mexico. He died June 8, 1874.

Tom Jeffords was the only white person present and described his burial:

He was dressed in his best war garments, decorated with war paint and head feathers and wrapped in a blanket... placed on his favorite horse .... which was guided to a rough and lonely place among the rocks and chasms in the stronghold... " ^[6] Jeffords went on to say that Cochise's horse and dog were killed and thrown into a chasm, along with his gun and other arms, and that finally his body was lowered with lariats. Jeffords never revealed the location of the burial and it remains unknown. ^[1] Cochise was succeed by his son Taza as chief.

Sources

1. ↑ ^{1.0 1.1 1.2} Sweeney, Edwin R. Cochise: Chiricahua Apache Chief. University of Oklahoma Press, Norman, OK. 1991.
2. ↑ 1872 letter from an American officer, transcribed in the Boston Evening Transcript, November 6, 1872. Boston
3. ↑ Ball, Eve. Indeh: An Apache Odyssey. University of Oklahoma Press, Norman, OK. 2013. pp. 22-30
4. ↑ Forbes, Robert H. “Communications.” The Journal of Arizona History, vol. 7, no. 2, Arizona Historical Society, 1966, pp. 87–88, http://www.jstor.org/stable/41695362.
5. ↑ Kappler, Charles. Indian Affairs, Laws, and Treaties. 1872 report, pp. 802-803. Digitized at Oklahoma State University Library at reservation
6. ↑ Lockwood, Frank C. The Apache Indians, MacMillan and Co., New York, 1938. pp. 129-130

See also:

• Cochise, Ciyé (1972). The First Hundred Years of Nino Cochise. New York: Pyramid Books. ISBN 0-515-02838-X.
• Roberts, David (1993). Once They Moved Like the Wind. New York: Simon & Schuster. ISBN 0-671-70221-1.
• Thrapp, Dan L. (1967). The Conquest of Apacheria. Norman: University of Oklahoma Press. LCCN 67-15588. ISBN 0-8061-1286-7.
• Wild, Peter (1973). Cochise. Garden City, NY: Doubleday. ISBN 978-0385057929. OCLC 707537
• Cochiseresearch.blogspot.com/2011/07/cochises-familyinner-circle.html
• http://www.wikitree.com/wiki/Space:Sonora
• http://www.desertusa.com/desert-people/chiricahua-apaches.html
• Wikipedia: Tom Jeffords
• http://www.desertusa.com/ind1/Cochise.html
• http://www.historynet.com/cochise
• http://www.history.com/topics/native-american-history/cochise
• http://www.legendsofamerica.com/na-cochise.html
• http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cochise Wikipedia] Chief Cochice, of the Chokonen band of the Chiricahua Apache.
• http://www.findagrave.com/ Cochise
• http://www.cochisestronghold.com/
• http://www.wikitree.com/wiki/Space:Arizona
• http://www.encyclopedia.com/topic/Cochise.aspx
• http://www.history.com/topics/native-american-history/cochise
• https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cochise

• https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bascom_affair

• https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Apache_Wars

• http://www.history.com/topics/native-american-history/cochise

• http://www.historynet.com/cochise

• https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/7373566/cochise