Fort Bowie, Arizona: Combat Post of the Southwest, 1858–1894

by Douglas C. McChristian

Fort Bowie, in present-day Arizona, was established in 1862 at the site of the famous Battle of Apache Pass, where U.S. troops clashed with Apache chief Cochise and his warriors. The fort’s dual purpose was to guard the invaluable water supply at Apache Spring and to control Indians in the developing southwestern region. Douglas C. McChristian’s Fort Bowie, Arizona , spans nearly four decades to provide a fascinating account of the many complex events surrounding the small combat post. In a sweeping narrative, McChristian presents Fort Bowie in fresh contexts of national expansion and regional development, weaving in threads of early exploration, transcontinental railroad surveys, the overland mail, mining, ranching, and the conflict with the Apaches.

372 pages, Paperback

First published April 10, 2005

Reviews

[Efrem Sepulveda · Rating 5 out of 5]

On a day trip to southeastern Arizona last December, me a my family were able to take a short one and half mile hike to a site where nothing was left but the remnants of adobe walls and brick foundations of long since torn down houses. There is a lone flagstaff and small National Park Service visitor center on the premises. Along the way there is a Apache reconstruction of a wikieup, a spring that trickles with water and a small cemetery that contains the body of one of the sons of Geronimo. Little does that unsuspecting person know that in these windy mountains around Apache Pass is a history that includes such famous names as General William T. Sherman, General Crook, Cochise and the famous Geronimo.

Douglas McChristian's work on the history of Fort Bowie brings the post back to life by covering the background to the creation of the post up to its decommission by the US Army in 1894. The post was created to provide protection to travelers along the old Butterfield Stage Road and to protect a vital water supply in the form of Apache Springs which still flows to this day albeit at a reduced rate. The book also details the circumstances surrounding Cochise's final surrender to General Oliver Howard and Geronimo staying at the fort until his removal to Florida. Along the way, the author describes the harsh life at the post will long spells of boredom, constant discipline problems with drinking and gambling, constant reports of real or imagined depredations by the Apaches; both real and fake stories were published by the local press to bolster military spending in the territory and the details of why the post finally closed.

The book has 270 pages of text along with an extensive bibliography, index and a batch of endnotes that could make up a book unto itself. A well done book on the site that is now the home of Fort Bowie National Historic State. Five stars.

[Ken Angle · Rating 5 out of 5]

Excellent Book, A lot of history was packed into a small, out of the way geography.
KGA