Mowry Massacres
Encyclopedia
The Mowry Massacres, also known as the Mowry Murders, were a series of Apache
attacks in and around the mining town
of Mowry, Arizona between 1863 and 1865. At least sixteen American
settlers were killed during the period.
lieutenant
, Sylvester Mowry
, purchased the Patagonia mine in 1860 from a party of Mexicans
. Soon after, Mowry began operating the mine and attracted miners to the area for work. The Chiricahua
and other Apache bands were also attracted though, and they considered the Santa Rita Mountains
to be sacred ground and they defended it accordingly by raiding and ambushing settlers. As the American Civil War
began, United States Army troops were withdrawn from the frontier
of Arizona to fight the Confederate
s in the South
. This left the settlers unprotected and vulnerable to attack, even after Union
troops from California
arrived.
Writer and explorer John Ross Browne
visited the area in early 1864 and he described the situation in his book; Adventures in the Apache Country. According to Browne, early in the morning on December 29, of 1863, two young men named J.B. Mills and Edwin Stevens
, were traveling on the trail to the Mowry Mine, both were employees of Sylvester Mowry. The pair were about four miles away from the settlement when they were attacked by the Apaches hiding in the bushes at the entrance of a canyon in which the trail runs through. Several shots were fired in rapid succession and Stevens was killed and fell off his horse. Mills was armed so he fought the Apache until bleeding to death from his wounds. There were witnesses to the massacre, two young Mexican boys were traveling nearby and discovered Apache tracks. Just after they saw Mills and Stevens riding to the entrance of the canyon.
The boys suspected an attack so they shouted "Los Apaches" at the riders but they did not hear. John R. Browne visited the canyon thirty-one days after the attack, he reported that signs of struggle were still visible, broken arrows were found lying on the path, some of them bloodied. In Browne's account both men were badly mutilated, Stevens was pierced with a spear many times after his death and Mills' body revealed seventeen separate wounds from arrows, musket balls and the spear. After hearing the massacre, the boys turned around and rushed back to Mowry where a four man posse
was formed and sent to the canyon within minutes but by that time it was already to late and the Apaches had escaped.
John Browne also described a second massacre at the same site, almost two years later in 1865. A doctor named Titus who lived and worked at the Mowry Mine was killed at the canyon along with a Delaware native American
who was guiding him. The guide was killed at the first volley of muskets and arrows which left Titus alone so he dismounted from his horse and fought his way 200 yards through the canyon until being shot from a hidden native in the hip with an arrow. The doctor fell to the ground and instead of being hung from a tree and burned alive, which was a usual Apache method of torture, Titus shot himself in the head with his revolver. The Apache chief
who was present spared the doctor's body from mutilation because he had shown incredible bravery in the fight. Browne also wrote that at Mowry, of the seventeen plots in the graveyard, fifteen of the dead were victims of Apache attacks while only two died of natural causes.
Sylvester Mowry was arrested during this period by the Union General
James H. Carleton. He was charged with selling lead to rebels but was later released after convincing his judge that he was only aiding fellow settlers in their defense against the natives. The mining town itself was eventually destroyed by the Apache but was later repopulated.
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...
attacks in and around the mining town
Mining town
A mining community, also known as a mining town or a mining camp, is a community that houses miners. Mining communities are usually created around a mine or a quarry for the extraction or smeltering of ore.-United States:...
of Mowry, Arizona between 1863 and 1865. At least sixteen American
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
settlers were killed during the period.
Massacres
The former United States ArmyUnited 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...
lieutenant
Lieutenant
A lieutenant is a junior commissioned officer in many nations' armed forces. Typically, the rank of lieutenant in naval usage, while still a junior officer rank, is senior to the army rank...
, Sylvester Mowry
Sylvester Mowry
Sylvester Mowry was an American best known as a pioneer of Arizona and the founder of Mowry, Arizona. He also served as an officer in the United States Army and was arrested as a traitor during the American Civil War....
, purchased the Patagonia mine in 1860 from a party of Mexicans
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...
. Soon after, Mowry began operating the mine and attracted miners to the area for work. The 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 other Apache bands were also attracted though, and they considered the Santa Rita Mountains
Santa Rita Mountains
The Santa Rita Mountains, located about 65 km southeast of Tucson, Arizona, extend 42 km from north to south, then trending southeast. They merge again southeastwards into the Patagonia Mountains, trending northwest by southeast...
to be sacred ground and they defended it accordingly by raiding and ambushing settlers. As the American Civil War
American Civil War
The American Civil War was a civil war fought in the United States of America. In response to the election of Abraham Lincoln as President of the United States, 11 southern slave states declared their secession from the United States and formed the Confederate States of America ; the other 25...
began, United States Army troops were withdrawn from the frontier
Frontier
A frontier is a political and geographical term referring to areas near or beyond a boundary. 'Frontier' was absorbed into English from French in the 15th century, with the meaning "borderland"--the region of a country that fronts on another country .The use of "frontier" to mean "a region at the...
of Arizona to fight the Confederate
Confederate States of America
The Confederate States of America was a government set up from 1861 to 1865 by 11 Southern slave states of the United States of America that had declared their secession from the U.S...
s in the South
Southern United States
The Southern United States—commonly referred to as the American South, Dixie, or simply the South—constitutes a large distinctive area in the southeastern and south-central United States...
. This left the settlers unprotected and vulnerable to attack, even after Union
Union Army
The Union Army was the land force that fought for the Union during the American Civil War. It was also known as the Federal Army, the U.S. Army, the Northern Army and the National Army...
troops from California
California
California is a state located on the West Coast of the United States. It is by far the most populous U.S. state, and the third-largest by land area...
arrived.
Writer and explorer John Ross Browne
John Ross Browne
John Ross Browne , often called J. Ross Browne, date of birth sometimes given as 1917, was an Irish-born American traveler, artist and writer.-Biography:...
visited the area in early 1864 and he described the situation in his book; Adventures in the Apache Country. According to Browne, early in the morning on December 29, of 1863, two young men named J.B. Mills and Edwin Stevens
Edwin Stevens
Edwin Stevens CBE was a Welsh inventor who designed the world's first wearable electronic hearing aid. He was also a philanthropist, becoming a major benefactor to the Royal Society of Medicine, and to Jesus College, Oxford, at which he had studied between 1927 and 1929.-Life:Stevens was born at...
, were traveling on the trail to the Mowry Mine, both were employees of Sylvester Mowry. The pair were about four miles away from the settlement when they were attacked by the Apaches hiding in the bushes at the entrance of a canyon in which the trail runs through. Several shots were fired in rapid succession and Stevens was killed and fell off his horse. Mills was armed so he fought the Apache until bleeding to death from his wounds. There were witnesses to the massacre, two young Mexican boys were traveling nearby and discovered Apache tracks. Just after they saw Mills and Stevens riding to the entrance of the canyon.
The boys suspected an attack so they shouted "Los Apaches" at the riders but they did not hear. John R. Browne visited the canyon thirty-one days after the attack, he reported that signs of struggle were still visible, broken arrows were found lying on the path, some of them bloodied. In Browne's account both men were badly mutilated, Stevens was pierced with a spear many times after his death and Mills' body revealed seventeen separate wounds from arrows, musket balls and the spear. After hearing the massacre, the boys turned around and rushed back to Mowry where a four man posse
Posse
Posse may refer to:* Posse comitatus , a group of men assembled to assist in law enforcement* Posse , starring Kirk Douglas* Posse , starring Mario van Peebles...
was formed and sent to the canyon within minutes but by that time it was already to late and the Apaches had escaped.
John Browne also described a second massacre at the same site, almost two years later in 1865. A doctor named Titus who lived and worked at the Mowry Mine was killed at the canyon along with a Delaware native American
Indigenous peoples of the Americas
The indigenous peoples of the Americas are the pre-Columbian inhabitants of North and South America, their descendants and other ethnic groups who are identified with those peoples. Indigenous peoples are known in Canada as Aboriginal peoples, and in the United States as Native Americans...
who was guiding him. The guide was killed at the first volley of muskets and arrows which left Titus alone so he dismounted from his horse and fought his way 200 yards through the canyon until being shot from a hidden native in the hip with an arrow. The doctor fell to the ground and instead of being hung from a tree and burned alive, which was a usual Apache method of torture, Titus shot himself in the head with his revolver. The Apache 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 ...
who was present spared the doctor's body from mutilation because he had shown incredible bravery in the fight. Browne also wrote that at Mowry, of the seventeen plots in the graveyard, fifteen of the dead were victims of Apache attacks while only two died of natural causes.
Sylvester Mowry was arrested during this period by the Union General
General
A general officer is an officer of high military rank, usually in the army, and in some nations, the air force. The term is widely used by many nations of the world, and when a country uses a different term, there is an equivalent title given....
James H. Carleton. He was charged with selling lead to rebels but was later released after convincing his judge that he was only aiding fellow settlers in their defense against the natives. The mining town itself was eventually destroyed by the Apache but was later repopulated.