Massacre On Mingus Mountain

Massacre On Mingus Mountain 

Spanish settlement of the territory we now call the state of Arizona has always been turbulent. Fraught with hardships brought about by endemic warfare with the numerous Apache, Navajo, Yavapai, Seri tribes and many bands and sub bands. 

In 1761 a small mining party set out from the Mission San Xavier with 28 Spanish and Hispanic personal and 15 Papago and Pima laborers who also acted as scouts and foragers. 

The party of 43 traveled north to the Rio Gila, then to where at that time the Rio Salado (salt river) and Rio Verde joined together. On maps of Pimaria Alta (modern central and southern Arizona) the Verde and salt rivers were known also as Rio De Los Apostoles (river of the Apostles) they crossed the river and traveled north along the river, (along the verde river)

They made camp for 3 weeks along what we now know as Camp Verde but as is stated in the account of the only surviving member that it was in a spot of many large hard wood trees. They spent this time scouting for mineral wealth, they ended up moving camp onto what we now know as Mingus Mountain inside what is described as a Box Canyon where a quartz vein laced with gold was pultruding from the rock. They mined both gold and silver and minor traces of copper in this box canyon into the summer months when conditions became more stressful with the suffocating gnats and flies. 

Not only did they mine in this canyon but also crushed the rock ore in a Arrastre (rock crusher) but also smelted the ore there since there was an abundance of Palo Verde, Mesquite and Ironwood trees nearby ( the Spanish loved making charcoal from these trees for their blacksmiths and smelting furnaces). They had just crafted their first 7 bars of gold when the first attack came. 3 groups of Apaches (most likely Yavapai) swooped down in epic unison. One group of about 15 Apaches killed the guards tending the horses and made off with the entire herd of horses. Only leaving 5 burrows that happened to be at the mine area at the time. The second and third groups of Apaches hit a group of returning Men bringing in a very large elk for to cook eat and make into jerky. The third and largest group hit the mine and killed 7 men before retiring and vanishing into the mountain. Within just 30 minutes the mining party lost almost all animals, their food, and they numbered just 20 as the sun set. 

The survivors argued into the night, some wanted to burry their comrades and return to Tubac and possibly the Presidio of Fronteras to get re fitted and re enforcements then Return. The rest wanted to keep mining and the latter won the vote. 

All the next day fighting was constant, arrows and musket balls flew into the mine and camp from the Apache who picked up several pistols and rifles during the raid the day before, around mid day they made another assault this time killing 6 men and all the remaining animals before again melting into the hill sides. 

A retired presidial soldier (of what Presidio is uncertain) now turned miner, took control of the party and had the men stack all the Bars into the mine within an alcove in the mine then seal up the entrance to return again. A running battle was their only choice of escape and make their way to the river then south to the Rio  Salado then south to the Gila river villages. 

The remaining 14 Spanish miners, laborers and retired soldiers made a valiant but futile effort for their escape, only 1 survivor made it to the river...a Papago laborer... 

When he finally made it to San Xavier to report the massacre, he was taken to Presidio De Tubac in front of the Presidial commander. 

He was hung for deserting his companions then decapitated and his head spiked on the presidial gate house among Apache heads. 

This information was told to me in the early 90s when I joined Roadrunners with my father by an old timer who knew often found Spanish Artifacts on his property near todays Camp Verde, he has since passed away. Later in 2000 I met a man who had a letter dated  1761  from a Presidial Soldier at Tupac to a family member in Arizpe (Capital of Sonora, all trade, supply, reinforcements, goods and mail traveling from Pimaria Alta to Mexico or Spain all went through Arizpe first). Who knows if these two met up and formed a party to retrieve the mine and the bars. 

But the gentleman who has this letter in his possession is still to this day Actively looking for it.

It’s still out there sealed up in a box canyon. 

If your out hiking in this area and you find a box canyon, keep your eyes open for an Arrastre or a smelter, which often look similar but one will be deeper.

I hope everyone has a very Happy Halloween!