Battle of Hembrillo Basin
Encyclopedia
The Battle of Hembrillo Basin, or the Battle of Rattlesnake Springs, was fought between the United States
Army
's 9th Cavalry against a combined band of Chiricahua
and Mescalero Apache
s led by Chief
Victorio
.
was a series of battles fought between the United States Army and Victorio in which American and Mexican
troops attempted to return the Apaches to the reservation at Mescalero
, New Mexico
. Chief Victorio led a large band of warriors across southern Arizona
, New Mexico and Texas, spreading terror and destruction throughout the population.
On 6 April 1880, Victorio battled Buffalo Soldiers in Hembrillo Basin
As the day wore on, the cavalry troopers were needing water. Victorio recognized this limiting factor, and wisely guarded the nearby springs with warriors armed with repeating rifles, maximizing their firepower with meager personnel.
Officers from nearby White Sands Missile Range
and Fort Bliss
are frequently given staff tours of the battlefield to increase historic knowledge of small unit tactics against overwhelming odds. Artifacts, such as rifle cartridges, from the battle are still found today.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
Army
United States Army
The United States Army is the main branch of the United States Armed Forces responsible for land-based military operations. It is the largest and oldest established branch of the U.S. military, and is one of seven U.S. uniformed services...
's 9th Cavalry against a combined band of Chiricahua
Chiricahua
Chiricahua are a group of Apache Native Americans who live in the Southwest United States. At the time of European encounter, they were living in 15 million acres of territory in southwestern New Mexico and southeastern Arizona in the United States, and in northern Sonora and Chihuahua in Mexico...
and Mescalero Apache
Apache
Apache is the collective term for several culturally related groups of Native Americans in the United States originally from the Southwest United States. These indigenous peoples of North America speak a Southern Athabaskan language, which is related linguistically to the languages of Athabaskan...
s led by Chief
Tribal chief
A tribal chief is the leader of a tribal society or chiefdom. Tribal societies with social stratification under a single leader emerged in the Neolithic period out of earlier tribal structures with little stratification, and they remained prevalent throughout the Iron Age.In the case of ...
Victorio
Victorio
Victorio was a warrior and chief of the Chihenne band of the Chiricahua Apaches in what is now the American states of New Mexico, Arizona, Texas and the Mexican states of Sonora and Chihuahua....
.
Battle
Victorio's WarVictorio's War
Victorios War, or the Victorio Campaign, was an armed conflict between the Apache followers of Chief Victorio, the United States, and Mexico beginning in September 1879. Following his escape from the San Carlos Indian Reservation in southeastern Arizona, Victorio led a guerilla war across the...
was a series of battles fought between the United States Army and Victorio in which American and Mexican
Mexico
The United Mexican States , commonly known as Mexico , is a federal constitutional republic in North America. It is bordered on the north by the United States; on the south and west by the Pacific Ocean; on the southeast by Guatemala, Belize, and the Caribbean Sea; and on the east by the Gulf of...
troops attempted to return the Apaches to the reservation at Mescalero
Mescalero
Mescalero is an Apache tribe of Southern Athabaskan Native Americans. The tribe is federally recognized as the Mescalero Apache Tribe of the Mescalero Apache Reservation in southcentral New Mexico...
, New Mexico
New Mexico
New Mexico is a state located in the southwest and western regions of the United States. New Mexico is also usually considered one of the Mountain States. With a population density of 16 per square mile, New Mexico is the sixth-most sparsely inhabited U.S...
. Chief Victorio led a large band of warriors across southern Arizona
Arizona
Arizona ; is a state located in the southwestern region of the United States. It is also part of the western United States and the mountain west. The capital and largest city is Phoenix...
, New Mexico and Texas, spreading terror and destruction throughout the population.
On 6 April 1880, Victorio battled Buffalo Soldiers in Hembrillo Basin
As the day wore on, the cavalry troopers were needing water. Victorio recognized this limiting factor, and wisely guarded the nearby springs with warriors armed with repeating rifles, maximizing their firepower with meager personnel.
Aftermath
In 1988, archaeologists from Human Systems Research, Inc. began to process the artifacts from the Hembrillo Basin battleground under contract from the United States Army. During a 10 year analysis, over 800 cartridges were discovered, tagged, and positioned with GPS. Forensic analysis revealed that the cartridges were fired from 147 unique rifles and carbines, and 39 separate pistols.Officers from nearby White Sands Missile Range
White Sands Missile Range
White Sands Missile Range is a rocket range of almost in parts of five counties in southern New Mexico. The largest military installation in the United States, WSMR includes the and the WSMR Otera Mesa bombing range...
and Fort Bliss
Fort Bliss
Fort Bliss is a United States Army post in the U.S. states of New Mexico and Texas. With an area of about , it is the Army's second-largest installation behind the adjacent White Sands Missile Range. It is FORSCOM's largest installation, and has the Army's largest Maneuver Area behind the...
are frequently given staff tours of the battlefield to increase historic knowledge of small unit tactics against overwhelming odds. Artifacts, such as rifle cartridges, from the battle are still found today.