The Apache people were nomads and lived in Arizona and New Mexico. The name comes from the Zuni word apachu (enemy). They moved in smaller groups or clans and lived in cabins made of earth and bushes, called wickyups. There were 6 main tribes: Jicarilla, Mescalero, Chiricahua, Mimbrenos, San Carlos and Coyotero. There were nearly none solidarity between the tribes and they fought in smaller groups.

The 27th of Januari 1861 a group of apaches lead by Chatto, stole caddle and kidnapped a boy from the Sonoita Valley Ranch. Second Lieutenant George Bascom was ordered together with 54 soldiers to pick up the boy and bring him back. Cochise met Bascom and said that he could pick up the boy for him. Bascom denyed the proposal and instead he tried to take Cochise as hostage. As Cochise tried to escape he was shot at and wounded. Cochise ordered that four white people that he had as prisonersshould be executed as an act of reprisal. As a countermeasure 6 apaches were hanged. War broke out and during 60 days 150 whites were killed and 5 stage coach stations were destroyed. Mangas Coloradas and Cochise killed 5 people in an attack on a stage coach at Stein's Peak in New Mexico. In July 1861 one apache band killed 6 whites who travelled on a stage coach at Cooke's Canyon. The 14th of July 1862 Mangas Coloradas, Juh, Victorio, Geronimo and Cochise took part in the attack at Apache Pass. The Apaches also attacked several stage coaches and killed in 1869 a cowboy from Texas as they were stealing 250 cows. Cochise and his men were persecuted but after a fight at Fort Bowie the soldiers had to beat a retreat. Geronimo the leader of the Chiricahua-apaches in Arizona went to the warpath in 1876 as the United States governement ordered the apaches to move from their hjome land to the San Carlos Reservation. Geronimo refused to move and in the years to come he lead a smaller band who attacked settlers in Arizona. Geronimo also attacked American troops in Whetstone Mountains, Arizona the 9th of Januari 1877. Geronimo was captured in the Ojo Caliente Reservation in New Mexico. He was released and in April 1878 he lead attacks in Mexico. The next year Geronimo surrendered and settled on the San Carlos Reservation.

In 1881 Juh and Geronimo together with their people left the Reservation and moved to Sierra Madre. In 1882 they made their largest attack ever as they attacked San Carlos. After the death of Juh, Geronimo became the leader of all apaches who still made resistance to the white settlers. He went on fighting until he started to negotiate for piece with General Crook. Crook was criticized for the way he handled the situation and as a result he asked for permission to leave his comission. General Nelson Miles took over and wanted to solve the problem with armed forces. This strategy showed to be worthless and Miles was forced to sign a piece treaty with Geronimo in September 1886 and the last great indian wars were over.

Geronimo (Goyathlay/He who yawns)
1829-1909

Chiricahua-apache. Fought against the whites in the 1870s and 1880s and was the last of the apache chiefs who suurendered in 1886. He was taken as prisoner to Fort Marion, Florida, and was then moved to Alabama and came in 1894 to Fort Sill, Oklahoma. He travelled some months in 1908 with Pawnee Bills Circus and died at Fort Sill on the 17th of Februari 1909.

Mangas Coloradas
1795 - 1863

Mangas Coloradas was born about 1795 in New Mexico. He became chief for the eastern Chiricahua-apaches and lead several attacks all the time on mexican settlers in Sonora and Chihuahua. In October 1846 he started to negotiate with Brigadier General Stephen Kearny in an attempt to get an alliance against the Mexicans. These discussions lead nowhere and in 1852 he signed a piece treaty who put an end to the attacks on the Mexicans. During the Civil war he was together with Cochise and attacked white aettlers. Shortly after that he was badly wounded in another battle. Mangas Coloradas was taken to Janos where a Mexican doctor was forced to treat him. The doctor was threaten to death if Mangas Coloradas not should survive and be better. Mangas Coloradas was later captured by soldiers and taken to Fort McLane in New Mexico. He was killed by his guard on the 18th of Januari 1863.

Cochise
1805 - 1874

Cochise born in Chiricahua Mountains in Arizona 1805. Cochise's father and grandfather had been chiefs over the Chiricahua tribe. Cochise married to Dos-teh-she a daughter of Mangas Coloradas. They had two sons, Taza and Natchez. Cochise became a great apache warrior and took part in a battle against the Mexicans at Gila River in May 1832. In 1847 Cochise was involved in raids in Sonora and about 1850 he was one of the main chiefs of the apaches. In September 1858 he joined his father-in-law Mangas Coloradas in an attack on Fronteras Presido. In 1872 General Oliver Howard had a meeting with Cochise in the Dragoon Mountains and they both agreed that a reservation should be established to the Chiricahuas in Arizona. Cochise died of cancer the 8th of June 1874. He was replaced as leader for the Chiricahuas by his son Taza.

Victorio
about 1825 - 1880 Victorio, member of the Mimbreno-apaches born in New Mexico about 1825. In 1855 Victorio lead attcks on Mexicans at Namiquipa. At the end Victorio agreed to that his people should be moved to Alamosa, New Mexico, and in 1872 the Mimbreno-apaches were moved to the Tularosa Reservation. Five years later they were forced to move again to San Carlos, Arizona. Victorio disliked this and made several attacks on nearby Forts. The 21st of August 1879 Victorio took his people to the Black Range Mountains. He escaped an arrest from Major Albert Morrow and moved east and attacked in ambush mexican military and killed 30 men. With the help of apache scouts the army traced him to the Black Range Mountains but he managed to escape again and then he organized several attacks on settlers in western Texas. The 15th October 1880 Lieutenant Joaquin Terrazas managed to surprise him in the Tres Castillos Mountains in Chihuahua. Victorio and 77 apaches were killed in the fights.

Chatto
1854 - 1934

Chatto was a Chiricahua-apache and was born in 1854. He was a warrior and lead many attacks on settlers in Arizona and New Mexico. He surrendered to General Crook and worked as a scout for him and even during his expedition to Sierra Madre 1883. In 1886 Chatto lead a piece delegation to Washington where he received a piece medal from President Chester Arthur. He then was a scout at Fort Sill. In 1913 Chatto and his family lived on the Mescalero Reservation in New Mexico. Chatto died the 13th of August 1934 in a car accident.

Naiche
About 1857-1921

As young Naiche (who means "the Mischief Maker" or "Meddlesome One") lead many attacks on white settlers. As is older brother Taza died in pneumonia in 1876 he became chief for the Chiricahua-apaches. In 1879 he refused to move with his people to the San Carlos Apache Reservation and instead he followed Geronimos band to Mexico, where they settled in the Sierra Madre Mountains south of The Rio Grande River. Naiche and Geronimo attacked American and Mexican villages. The U.S. Army hunted and traced the rebellian Chiricahua-apaches all the time until Naiche surrendered the 25th of May 1883 to General George Crook. For a while Naiche and Geronimo stayed in the San Carlos Reservation but in 1885 they left the Reservation together with more than 100 men, in a last attempt not to be controlled by the American Army. In September 1886 the army forced them to surrender in Mexico, with the help of Apache scouts. Shortly after that Naiche and Geronimo and their men were lodged at first in Fort Marion, Florida, and then in Mount Vernon Barracks, Alberta. Naiche and his men wanted to return to Arizona, but white settlers protested and didīnt want them back there. After an invitation from Kiowa and Comanche leaders to the Chiricahua-apaches to share their Reservation, Naiche and 295 other Apaches moved to Fort Sill, Oklahoma, the 4th of October 1895. Naiche stayed there until 1913 when he returned to the southwest and lived in peace for eight years, before he died from influenza in Mescalero, New Mexico, 1921.

Taza
About 1835-1876

As the oldest son of Cochise, Taza became a leader to his fathers group as he died 1874. Taza who also was a brother of Naiche and grandson to Mangas Coloradas, strived to keep his fathers piece treaty with United States army. In 1876 he agreed to move his people from the Chiricahua Reservation at the Apache Pass in Arizona to the San Carlos Reservation. However he didīnt manage to unite the different Apache bands under his leadership, as his father had done. The consequense was that Geronimo and his band crossed the Mexican border and managed to go to Sierra Madre, Mexico. This area became their basis camp area. In the summer of 1876, Taza was in the Apache delegation who travelled to Washington D.C. to discuss a piece treaty. On that journey Taza got the pneumonia and died. He was buried in Washington on the Congressional Cemetery. As a result of Tazaīs death, his brother Naiche became more militant.