Battle of Pima Butte
Encyclopedia
The Battle of Pima Butte, or the Battle of Maricopa Wells, was fought on September 1, 1857 at Pima Butte
, Arizona
near Maricopa Wells
in the Sierra Estrella
. Yuma
, Mohave, Apache
and Yavapai
warriors attacked a Maricopa village named Secate in one of the largest battles in Arizona's history. It was also the last major battle fought by the Yumans and the last major battle fought solely between native Americans in North America
.
Francisco of the Yuma led the combined army which numbered at least 300 men and they arrived near Secate on May 31, 1857. Francisco began his attack the following morning and captured the Maricopa village and began burning the structures. The Yumas and their allies had just walked 160 miles over the course of eight days so Francisco's men were tired and hungry. As result the Yumas and their allies made the deadly mistake of remaining in the burning village to rest and eat the captured Maricopa food.
When Francisco's army attacked, the surviving women and children fled to Pima Butte for protection which was just to the south of the village. The warriors gathered as well and sent a distress call to the nearby Pima Villages. The Pima sent all of their warriors in the area and a counterattack was then launched. But before the Maricopa and Pima arrived, all of the Apaches, Yavapais and most of the Mohaves fled, leaving the remaining Yumas and Mohaves outnumbered. The Maricopa and Pima forces, some mounted on horses, surrounded the attackers before annihilating them. Most of the Yumas and Mohaves were killed, including Chief Francisco. On or about September 11, traveler John B. Hilton visited the battlefield and later wrote that he observed ninenty bodies in one spot, laying on the ground in every kind of position.
The San Diego Herald mistakenly reported on September 12 that the battle was a three sided engagement between the Pima, Yuma and the Maricopa all against each other. At the same time the Daily Alta California reported that the battle was
The allies referred to the Yuma who after the Yuma War
became good neighbors with the Americans on the California side of the Colorado River
. In a later article, the San Diego Herald stated the following;
Pima Butte
Pima Butte is a mountain summit in Pinal County, Arizona eight miles north of present day Maricopa, Arizona. Pima Butte is 1,660 feet above sea level. In 1857, it was the site of the Battle of Pima Butte.-External links:*...
, 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...
near Maricopa Wells
Maricopa Wells, Arizona
Maricopa Wells, Arizona, was a series of watering holes, in the Sierra Estrella, eight miles north of present day Maricopa, Arizona and about a mile west of Pima Butte. This watering place was called Maricopa Wells by travelers on the Southern Immigrant Trail who used it as a stoppng place on the...
in the Sierra Estrella
Sierra Estrella
The Sierra Estrella is a mountain range located southwest of Phoenix, Arizona. Much of the range falls within the Gila River Indian Reservation, but of BLM land is protected as the Sierra Estrella Wilderness.-Description:...
. Yuma
Quechan
The Quechan are a Native American tribe who live on the Fort Yuma Indian Reservation on the lower Colorado River in Arizona and California just north of the border with Mexico...
, Mohave, 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...
and Yavapai
Yavapai people
Yavapai are an indigenous people in Arizona. Historically, the Yavapai were divided into four geographical bands that considered themselves separate peoples: the Tolkapaya, or Western Yavapai, the Yavapé, or Northwestern Yavapai, the Kwevkapaya, or Southeastern Yavapai, and Wipukpa, or Northeastern...
warriors attacked a Maricopa village named Secate in one of the largest battles in Arizona's history. It was also the last major battle fought by the Yumans and the last major battle fought solely between native Americans in North America
North America
North America is a continent wholly within the Northern Hemisphere and almost wholly within the Western Hemisphere. It is also considered a northern subcontinent of the Americas...
.
Battle
For hundreds of years prior to 1857, the Yumas and the Maricopas were enemies. On Many occasions the two tribes would gather their warriors together at the peak of Berdache Mountain. There the two sides would shout insults at each other before fighting a battle. ChiefTribal 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 ...
Francisco of the Yuma led the combined army which numbered at least 300 men and they arrived near Secate on May 31, 1857. Francisco began his attack the following morning and captured the Maricopa village and began burning the structures. The Yumas and their allies had just walked 160 miles over the course of eight days so Francisco's men were tired and hungry. As result the Yumas and their allies made the deadly mistake of remaining in the burning village to rest and eat the captured Maricopa food.
When Francisco's army attacked, the surviving women and children fled to Pima Butte for protection which was just to the south of the village. The warriors gathered as well and sent a distress call to the nearby Pima Villages. The Pima sent all of their warriors in the area and a counterattack was then launched. But before the Maricopa and Pima arrived, all of the Apaches, Yavapais and most of the Mohaves fled, leaving the remaining Yumas and Mohaves outnumbered. The Maricopa and Pima forces, some mounted on horses, surrounded the attackers before annihilating them. Most of the Yumas and Mohaves were killed, including Chief Francisco. On or about September 11, traveler John B. Hilton visited the battlefield and later wrote that he observed ninenty bodies in one spot, laying on the ground in every kind of position.
The San Diego Herald mistakenly reported on September 12 that the battle was a three sided engagement between the Pima, Yuma and the Maricopa all against each other. At the same time the Daily Alta California reported that the battle was
- "....seldom equaled in Indian warfare. It is reported that 150 to 160 allied Indians, being nearly of quite the entire party, were left dead in the field."
The allies referred to the Yuma who after the Yuma War
Yuma War
The Yuma War was the name given to a series of United States military operations conducted in southern California and what is today southwestern Arizona from 1850 to 1853. The Yumans were the primary opponent of the United States Army, though engagements were fought between the Americans and other...
became good neighbors with the Americans on the California side of the Colorado River
Colorado River
The Colorado River , is a river in the Southwestern United States and northwestern Mexico, approximately long, draining a part of the arid regions on the western slope of the Rocky Mountains. The watershed of the Colorado River covers in parts of seven U.S. states and two Mexican states...
. In a later article, the San Diego Herald stated the following;
- "....from all accounts it would appear that this battle, in which the Maricopas and their allies the Pima so bravely defended their homes, destroying nearly the whole force which came into battle against them, is the largest Indian fight in this region for years."