Archeological Findings of the Battle of Apache Pass, Fort Bowie National Historic Site Non ...

168 Pages·2016·10.91 MB·English

National Park Service
U.S. Department of the Interior
Resource Stewardship and Science
Archeological Findings of the Battle of Apache Pass,
Fort Bowie National Historic Site
Non-Sensitive Version
Natural Resource Report NPS/FOBO/NRR—2016/1361
ON THIS PAGE
Photograph (looking southeast) of Section K, Southeast First Fort Hill, where many cannonball fragments were recorded.
Photograph courtesy National Park Service.

ON THE COVER
Top photograph, taken by William Bell, shows Apache Pass and the battle site in 1867 (courtesy of William A. Bell
Photographs Collection, #10027488, History Colorado). Center photograph shows the breastworks as digitized from close
range photogrammatic orthophoto (courtesy NPS SOAR Office). Lower photograph shows intact cannonball found in Section
A. Photograph courtesy National Park Service.
Archeological Findings of the Battle of Apache Pass,
Fort Bowie National Historic Site
Non-sensitive Version
Natural Resource Report NPS/FOBO/NRR—2016/1361
Larry Ludwig
National Park Service
Fort Bowie National Historic Site
3327 Old Fort Bowie Road
Bowie, AZ 85605

December 2016

U.S. Department of the Interior
National Park Service
Natural Resource Stewardship and Science
Fort Collins, Colorado
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Please cite this publication as:
Ludwig, L. 2016. Archeological findings of the Battle of Apache Pass, Fort Bowie National Historic
Site: Non-sensitive version. Natural Resource Report NPS/FOBO/NRR—2016/1361. National Park
Service, Fort Collins, Colorado.

NPS 424/135582, December 2016
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Contents
Page
Figures.................................................................................................................................................... v
Tables .................................................................................................................................................... ix
Acronyms and Abbreviations................................................................................................................ xi
Acknowledgments ...............................................................................................................................xiii
Introduction ............................................................................................................................................ 1
Background..................................................................................................................................... 1
Study Purpose and Methods ........................................................................................................... 3
Findings and Significance .............................................................................................................. 3
Part 1: History of the Battle of Apache Pass .......................................................................................... 9
References .................................................................................................................................... 39
Part 2: Archeology of the Battle of Apache Pass ................................................................................. 43
Site Description ............................................................................................................................ 43
Methodology................................................................................................................................. 46
Artifacts ........................................................................................................................................ 50
Small Arms Ammunition ........................................................................................................ 57
Personal Items ......................................................................................................................... 67
Artillery-Related Artifacts ....................................................................................................... 70
Interpretations ............................................................................................................................... 79
Section A, Hill East of Parade Ground (16 Artifacts) ............................................................. 79
Section B, Ambush Site (42 Artifacts) .................................................................................... 83
Section C, Approach to Apache Spring (42 Artifacts) ............................................................ 86
Section D, South Side of Siphon Wash (62 Artifacts) ............................................................ 90
Section E, Point Below the First Fort (22 Artifacts) ............................................................... 92
Section F, Saddle Area (125 Artifacts) .................................................................................... 94
Section G, Area Below the Saddle (117 Artifacts) .................................................................. 97
Section H, First Fort Hill (50 Artifacts) ................................................................................ 100
Section I, Breastwork Area on Overlook Ridge (78 Artifacts) ............................................. 103
Section J, Base of Overlook Ridge (128 Artifacts) ............................................................... 107
iii
Section K, First Fort Hill Overshots (42 Artifacts) ............................................................... 111
Section L, Hillside Northeast of Overlook Ridge (69 Artifacts) ........................................... 114
Section M, East Slope of Overlook Ridge (25 Artifacts) ...................................................... 120
Conclusions ................................................................................................................................ 123
References .................................................................................................................................. 127
Part 3: Appendices ............................................................................................................................. 131
Appendix A: Captain Thomas Roberts’s Report ........................................................................ 131
Appendix B: Excepts for Old Time Reminiscences, The Battle of Apache Pass ...................... 132
Appendix C: Notes of Marches Made by Co. E 1st Inft, C.V. by Eli W. Hazen ........................ 139
Appendix D: Letter From Lieutenant Thompson to Lieutenant-Colonel West .......................... 141
Appendix E: Troops at the Battle of Apache Pass ..................................................................... 142
Appendix F: Miscellaneous Bullets (N=17) ............................................................................... 146
Appendix G: Miscellaneous Artifacts (N=49) ........................................................................... 147
iv
Figures
Page
Figure 1. Albert Jennings Fountain, 1883. New Mexico State University Library,
Archives and Special Collections. ......................................................................................................... 2
Figure 2. Location of Fort Bowie National Historic Site, southeast Arizona. ....................................... 4
Figure 3. Battle of Apache Pass site. ..................................................................................................... 5
Figure 4. Overview map, progression of the Battle of Apache Pass. .................................................. 19
Figure 5. West approach to Apache Pass. ............................................................................................ 21
Figure 6. Ruins of Butterfield Overland Mail Station. ........................................................................ 22
Figure 7. Probable howitzer firing position at ambush site. ................................................................ 26
Figure 8. Troop movements, 1330–1430 hours, July 15, 1862. .......................................................... 28
Figure 9. Troop movements, 1400–1500 hours, July 15, 1862. .......................................................... 29
Figure 10. Howitzers were pushed onto the slope of this small hill in an effort to gain
barrel elevation ..................................................................................................................................... 30
Figure 11. Troop movements, 1600–1630 hours, July 15, 1862. ........................................................ 31
Figure 12. Apaches fired down on Sergeant Fountain’s men from these breastworks. ....................... 32
Figure 13. Corporal Aaron Cory Hitchcock, Company M, 1st California Volunteer
Cavalry, wears a uniform typical of those worn by cavalrymen in the California Column ................ 34
Figure 14. Apache Pass, taken by William Bell, November 1867 ....................................................... 45
Figure 15. Crew members work in rocks below the breastworks on Overlook Ridge. ....................... 46
Figure 16. The crew works on a steep slope near the top of Overlook Ridge. .................................... 48
Figure 17. Crew members excavate artifacts at the breastwork. ......................................................... 49
Figure 18. Overview map of artifacts from the Battle of Apache Pass. .............................................. 51
Figure 19. Locations for artifacts discussed in the text. ....................................................................... 56
Figure 20. Chewed or hammered round balls. From left to right, .50 (NC24), .45 (NC29),
.44 (NC535), and .36 (NC563) calibers. .............................................................................................. 58
Figure 21. .58-caliber Minié ball (NC771) scraped down to .50-caliber bullet. Note
triangular cavity. .................................................................................................................................. 60
Figure 22. .52-caliber Sharps bullets. From left to right, standard paper Sharps bullet (cat.
3106, NC558), multi-groove bullet (cat. No. 8271, NC767), linen cartridge bullet
(NC26). ................................................................................................................................................ 61
Figure 23. .54-caliber Minié ball (NC772). ......................................................................................... 62
Figure 24. Two types of dropped .58-caliber Minié Balls (NC741, 756). ........................................... 64
v
Figures (continued)
Page
Figure 25. Three fired percussion caps. From left to right, NC804, 805, 810, found in
soldier positions near the base of Overlook Ridge. ............................................................................. 66
Figure 26. Large general-service button. (NC750) manufactured by Horstmann Brothers
in Philadelphia. .................................................................................................................................... 68
Figure 27. A rivet (NC575) with a star on its base. ............................................................................. 69
Figure 28. Pipe-bowl fragment (NC561). ............................................................................................ 70
Figure 29. Wall-thickness differences between cannonballs ............................................................... 72
Figure 30. Unexploded cannonball (shell) (NC525, Cat. No. 8292) found near the
Hospital Steward’s Quarters. ............................................................................................................... 73
Figure 31. Bormann fuse underplug (NC611). .................................................................................... 75
Figure 32. Bormann fuse underplug (NC611) and a fuse hole fragment (NC616) that it
screwed into. ........................................................................................................................................ 75
Figure 33. Two shrapnel balls. The ball on the left (NC367) impacted on something solid,
while the ball on the right (NC363) impacted a softer object. ............................................................. 77
Figure 34. Sabot strap fragment (NC722). Note stretch lines in the metal. ......................................... 78
Figure 35. Howitzer friction primer (NC524). ..................................................................................... 79
Figure 36. Section A, hill east of parade ground. ................................................................................ 80
Figure 37. Section B, ambush site........................................................................................................ 82
Figure 38. Ambush site. Note the Butterfield Road in center. ............................................................. 83
Figure 39. California infantrymen moved up this slope as skirmishers to reinforce troops
under attack at the rear of the column. ................................................................................................. 84
Figure 40. Section C, approach to Apache Spring. .............................................................................. 87
Figure 41. Spherical-case fragments were found among the juniper trees on the left
hillside. ................................................................................................................................................. 88
Figure 42. Section D, south side of Siphon Wash. .............................................................................. 91
Figure 43. Troops moved along the low hill, taking up positions in the rock outcroppings
on the right and center. ......................................................................................................................... 92
Figure 44. Section E, point below the first fort. ................................................................................... 93
Figure 45. The troops advanced along the wash (center of photo) from right to left on
their way to attack the south side of First Fort Hill ............................................................................. 94
Figure 46. Section F, saddle area. ........................................................................................................ 95
Figure 47. Troops took up positions on the slopes of the peak to the left of the saddle. ..................... 96
vi
Figures (continued)
Page
Figure 48. Section G, area below the saddle. ....................................................................................... 98
Figure 49. The area below the saddle contained heavy concentrations of spherical-case
fragments, shrapnel balls, and small-arms ammunition. ...................................................................... 99
Figure 50. Section H, First Fort Hill. ................................................................................................. 101
Figure 51. Apaches on First Fort Hill watched as troops moved toward them along
Siphon Wash. ..................................................................................................................................... 102
Figure 52. First Fort Hill as California troops saw it from below. .................................................... 103
Figure 53. Section I, breastwork area on Overlook Ridge. ................................................................ 104
Figure 54. Breastworks above Apache Spring. .................................................................................. 105
Figure 55. FOBO 2002 B-36, Feature 5, Breastwork ........................................................................ 106
Figure 56. Section J, base of Overlook Ridge.................................................................................... 108
Figure 58. The impact area between the four junipers and the wash is from Apaches
overshooting Sergeant Fountain’s men as they advanced uphill. ...................................................... 111
Figure 59. Section K, First Fort Hill overshots. ................................................................................. 112
Figure 60. The hills behind First Fort Hill contained many spherical-case and shell
fragments, shrapnel balls, and .58-caliber Minié balls. ..................................................................... 113
Figure 61. Section L, hillside northeast of Overlook Ridge. ............................................................. 115
Figure 62. Section L, spherical-case refits on hillside northeast of Overlook Ridge......................... 116
Figure 63. Spherical-case fragment in situ on the hillside of Section L. ........................................... 117
Figure 64. Two overshot Minié balls (NC593, 594) (left and center) still retain some of
their shape compared to the Minié ball (NC196) on the right, which impacted at a higher
velocity. .............................................................................................................................................. 118
Figure 65. The hill east of Overlook Ridge, Section L, produced one pattern of spherical-
case fragments on the left side of the hill and another toward the center. ......................................... 118
Figure 66. These two fuse-hole fragments (NC511, 601) were found 259 yards apart. .................... 119
Figure 67. Section M, east slope of Overlook Ridge. ........................................................................ 121
Figure 68. The east end of Overlook Ridge produced spherical-case fragments, shrapnel
balls, and sabot strapping. .................................................................................................................. 122
Figure 69. Two shrapnel balls fused together (NC701). .................................................................... 122
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