Gallinas Massacre

Part of the American Civil War,
Apache Wars

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An Apache, waiting for an ambush.

Date	September 2, 1861
Location	Gallinas Mountains, Confederate Arizona Modern Day: Lincoln County, New Mexico
Result	Apache victory

Belligerents

Confederate States

Apache

Strength

4 cavalry

~30 warriors

Casualties and losses

3 killed

unknown

The Gallinas massacre or the Gallinas Mountains massacre was an engagement in the Apache Wars between a war party of Mescalero Apache warriors and four Confederate soldiers in the Gallinas Mountains of Confederate Arizona, now within the present day New Mexico.

On September 1, 1861, at Fort Stanton, Confederate Lieutenant John Pulliam dispatched four of his men from the Army of New Mexico to the Gallinas Mountains, a day's ride away. Their objective was to watch for any approaching Union forces.

Lieutenant Pulliam ordered the men to make camp a safe distance from the spring in the mountains. Not fearing attack, the four ignored this order and camped just a 100 yards distance from the creek in a heavily wooded area. The four men were T. G. Pemberton, Joseph V. Mosse, Joseph Emmanacker and Floyd A. Sanders.

It is not known which of the four was in command. After making the ride to the Gallinas Mountains, the Confederates made their camp. The next morning, at breakfast time, three Apaches were seen running through the surrounding pine trees. Immediately breakfast was stopped and the men saddled their horses.

At this time, a shower of arrows rained down upon the rebels from about thirty Apaches who had surrounded the camp. The four dismounted and took cover behind the pines and then attempted to shoot their muskets. To much surprise, all of the four weapons failed to fire. This suggests that either the Apaches had tampered with the Confederate muskets during the night, or mountain dew had wet their gunpowder.

The rebels drew their revolvers and a skirmish began that lasted for almost two hours. By that time, Mosse, Emmanacker and Pemberton were dead. Floyd Sanders, left to fight alone, took up Mosse's horse, mounted, and escaped by riding down an almost vertical mountainside. The Apaches pursued him in a running fight which went on for ten miles. This account was what Floyd Sanders reported to Lieutenant Pulliam upon arriving back at Fort Stanton. Apache casualties are unknown.

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Wikipedia