A START FOR A WAR PATH

A START FOR A WAR PATH

Rhea M. Coleman
     Spring in the Gila Mountains in Southern New Mexico is always awesome. It was especially beautiful in the spring of 1860. The weather was invigorating. Activities were much the same each year.      The Warm Spring Indians met and talked outside their camps, while the miners hunted frantically for gold.
     One Indian named Mangas Coloradas (Red Sleeves) had always counseled friendship with the miners and early settlers. His father-in-law Cochise had promised and kept the promise of protecting the Butterfield coach drivers and the stage coaches. Mangas Coloradas agreed.
     On a spring morning, some say early April, others late March, Mangas Coloradas decided to make a friendly call upon the miners who were digging and prospecting for gold. Victorio, Loco and Geronimo counseled him against this visit. However, because of his desire for peace Mangas Coloradas went and he went alone.
     It became evident that the beauty of the spring did not affect the Pinos Altos miners in the same manner as it had Mangas Coloradas. Instead they 'ganged' up on the friendly Indian, tied him to one of the tall pines and whipped him with their bullwhips.
     After they tired of beating him, they released him. As he sank to the ground they taunted him about his great power as a man and said: "Next time you want to come spying, think again and don't. In fact, next time just send the girls." They laughed and kicked him as he crawled back to the Warm Springs home of the Indians.
     From childhood Indians were taught that Ussen, their God, did not want them to pray for little things, they were to take care of revenge on their own. So true to his training, as he healed, Mangas Coloradas planned.
     Later, this time it was a summer day, the lonely miners saw a group of Indian young women dancing and playing on a hill. The girls combed each other's hair and played as free as if they were children. Some stories say they wore little clothing.
      The lonely miners made a dash up the hill to satisfy their hungers. Mangas Coloradas and some young braves met them and killed them.
     This was called a massacre.
     The Indians called it the second step in their revenge, now known as the War Path.