The military history of the Superstition Wilderness is both interesting and unique. Military campaigns against hostile Indians in the Superstition Mountain region occurred prior to the establishment of Fort McDowell on the Rio Verde in 1865. The primary purpose of the fort was to control the predatory raids of the Apaches. Records indicate numerous Apache rancherias in the Superstition and Pinal Mountain regions in 1864.
Captain John Walker, who lived among the Pimas along the Gila River, was instrumental in implementing a campaign against the Apache in 1864. Walker was the commanding officer of the Pima Scouts from along the Gila near Maricopa.
The Superstition Mountain campaign could be divided into two separate periods. One period can be referred to as the Rancheria Campaign which occurred between 1863-1868. The Renegade Campaign occurred between 1870-1886. Military action in the Superstition Mountains, or Salt River Mountains as they were known then, was heavy and fearless.
The first campaign against the Apache in the Superstitions was allegedly waged to control their predatory raids on the Pimas who lived along the Salt and Gila Rivers. Few American farmers lived in the area when the campaign was implemented in 1864. The greatest complaints came from the prospectors and miners who were working the goldfields of the Bradshaw Mountains near Prescott. What caused the campaign is not near as important as is the actual campaign itself.
The first military campaign against the Apaches in the Superstition Mountains and the Pinal Mountains occurred prior to the construction of Fort McDowell. The infantry that was used against the Apache came from either Fort Lowell near Tucson or Camp Grant near Safford. The bulk of the troops used in the Superstition Campaign were Pima Scouts under the command of Captain John Walker.
Walker had organized the Pima Scouts to protect the settlements along the Gila from the Apache raids. When the American Civil War erupted in April of 1861 the U.S. Military had abandon the Arizona portion of the New Mexico frontier. The Confederate States of America recognized Arizona as a territory of the southern Confederacy. President Abraham Lincoln soon named Arizona as a territory. This occurred in 1863, about a year after the battle at Picacho Pass between Union and Confederate forces. Prospectors, miners, cattlemen, promoters, and speculators were rapidly filling the territory by 1965. However the Apache menace was discouraging a lot of capital investments or ventures. The Apache had to be subdued and placed on reservations.
The Yavapai-Apache, a loosely knitted group that were actually separate clans, constantly harassed the miners and prospectors around Prescott. This lead to a major campaign against the Apache. Men like King Woosley slaughtered good and bad Indians. The only good Indian was a dead Indian as far as he was concerned. He proved his ideology at Bloody Tanks. Captain John Walker wanted to protect his Pima friends who lived along the Gila and Salt Rivers. To do this, he organized the Pima Scouts. Walker's Pima Scouts joined the United States 23rd Infantry in their campaign against the Apaches in the Superstitions and Pinal Mountains.
Prior to this military campaign there were several Yavapai-Apache rancherias in the Superstition Mountain area. The Quail Springs Rancheria was the largest. It was located near the present site of the IV Ranch on Lewis and Pranty Creek. Another prominent rancheria was located near Weaver's Needle. The Reavis Ranch area and the region east of the upper La Barge Box supported large rancheria. A large and prominent rancheria was located in Garden Valley. This site was originally called Indian Gardens. A smaller, but well-known site was located at First Water or Frog Tanks. The actual site of Frog Tank Rancheria was about a half of a mile north of the old Barkley headquarters near what is called Hackberry Springs today. The 23rd Infantry called this same site Camp Misfortune in 1864. The name stuck with the site until the early cattlemen entered the area about 1871.
The original punitive campaigns began in January of 1864. U.S. Army records and maps support the many places, names and skirmish sites in the Superstitions. Key landmarks associated with the Salt River are found throughout the reports of officers who commanded the troops in the field. Many landmarks such as Weaver's Needle had other names. The needle was referred to on most campaign maps as Picacho. The reference had often been confused with the Picacho Peak near Casa Grande.
Well-defined military trails are found in several areas of the Superstition Mountains. One of the oldest and most important is the old First Water-Charlebois Trail. Today the forest service calls it something else. The U.S. Army referred to it as Frog Tanks Trail. A large skirmish occurred near Frog Tanks and also Garden Valley.
Most of us when we think of a military trail we think of mounted cavalry. After researching many records it appears few horses were used in the Superstition Campaigns. Most of the soldiers came from the 14th and 32nd Infantry. Some years ago I was lead to believe the 5th and 10th United States Cavalry units were the major campaigners in the Superstitions. This is not true. Most of the action that occurred, in the form of skirmishes, was between infantry, scouts and hostile Indians. The reason is logical. The Superstition terrain was far to rough for the use of horses in any major military action.
The 14th and 32nd Infantry was very active during the period 1865-1867 in the Superstition Mountains. The 23rd Infantry also participated in several skirmishes. As I mentioned earlier the Indians were well established on Rancherias in the Superstition Mountain region. All of the major rancherias were sites of skirmishes. The Army was ordered to place all the Indians on reservations. This is what the soldiers from Fort McDowell, Fort Lowell, and Camp Grant were attempting to do. Of course the Indians protested being gathered up and placed on reservations.
The Apache battled the U.S. Army from 1867-1886. Few people wandered into the Superstitions when the Apache controlled the mountains. The Indian menace in the Superstition Wilderness ended forever in 1886 when Geronimo surrendered at Skeleton Canyon near the Mexican border. This is not to say Geronimo spent time in the Superstition Mountain fighting the army. Renegades were occasionally spotted in the Superstition range up until about 1906.
The Indian Wars Campaign that was fought in the Superstition Mountains did amount to much. If any period was really significant that was associated with the region and the military campaign in that area it would have had to be the Campaign against the Yavapai-Apache rancherias. I trust there are other historians who will further explore this subject someday.
