Battle of Pinos Altos

Part of the American Civil War
Apache Wars

Date	September 27, 1861
Location	Pinos Altos, Confederate Arizona Modern Day: Gila Wilderness, Grant County, New Mexico
Result	Confederate victory

Belligerents

Confederate States

Apache

Commanders and leaders

Thomas J. Mastin †

Jack Swilling

Mangas Coloradas
Cochise

Strength

~15 militia
1 artillery piece

~300 warriors

Casualties and losses

5 killed
7 wounded

~10 killed
~20 wounded

The Battle of Pinos Altos was a military action of the Apache Wars. It was fought on September 27, 1861 between settlers of Pinos Altos mining town, the Confederate Arizona Guards, and Apache warriors. The town is located about seven miles north of the present day Silver City, New Mexico.

Conflict between the Confederates and Apaches was at its height in September 1861. Since the 1860 discovery of gold in the nearby Pinos Altos Mountains, thousands of white settlers had flocked to the region. This infuriated the Apache Chiefs Mangas Coloradas and after the Bascom Affair, Cochise, who by 1861 had formed an alliance with each other and vowed to destroy all of the Americans and Mexicans encroaching on their land.

Apaches attacked several towns, killing many settlers. Pinos Altos, being one of the major mining towns in the area, formed its own two militia companies for garrison duty. The first company under Captain Thomas J. Mastin called themselves the "Arizona Guards", the other under Captain William Markt, called themselves the "Minute Men". The founder of Phoenix, Jack Swilling was a First Lieutenant of the Arizona Guards, he is believed to have fought in the Pinos Altos engagement. One of the soldiers of the company engaged was James Henry Tevis. Most of the Arizona Guards were settlers and miners from around Pinos Altos and the Mimbres River valley or other parts of southern New Mexico Territory who had joined to protect their lives and property due to the escalating conflict with the Mimbreños.

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