The Wrath of Cochise: The Bascom Affair and the Origins of the Apache Wars

Cochise was a Chiricahua Apache leader who rose to prominence among his people in the 1850s for his skills as a warrior, which he prominently displayed in raids into Mexico. Although in a constant state of war with Mexicans, the Chiricahua Apache remained at peace with the United States until February 1861, when Lt. George Bascom falsely accused Cochise of kidnapping an American boy. Cochise offered to help Bascom locate the child, who, Cochise believed, had been kidnapped by the Coyotero Apache. Bascom refused the offer and instead kidnapped members of Cochise's family, eventually executing Cochise's brother and two nephews. Mort (The Hemingway Patrols: Ernest Hemingway and His Hunt for the U-Boats) examines how Bascom's ignorance of the Apache led him to begin a war with both Cochise and Mangas Coloradas that lasted more than 25 years and cost the lives of many.