WOAC: 2nd Fort Bowie

Contains the entire collection of dispatches filed by the author from the Arizona front and published by the Los Angeles times in 1886.

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.

An inventory of the archeological survey done at the Fort Bowie 1 and Fort Bowie 2 site, and a highly-detailed site map.

A book-level thesis, this unindexed volume covers the history of Fort Bowie from the topographical survey done by LT John G. Parke to be used by the railroad that identified Apache Pass / Puerto del Dado that was then used by the Butterfield Stage / Overland Mail. The author discusses the Apache relationship with the coach station, the California Column, the Bascom Affair, and Rucker Canyon / Rocky Mesa. The resulting Chirichahua Agency / Reservation, provisions provided for the Apache, the use of alcohol, and the significance of Apache Spring and both Fort Bowie 1 and Fort Bowie 2 are also explained.