Second Battle of Tucson

The reconstructed bastion of Fort Tucson, 2009.

Date	May 1, 1782
Location	Tucson, Sonora, New Spain Modern Day: Tucson, Arizona
Result	Spanish victory

Belligerents

Spain

Apache

Commanders and leaders

Pedro Allande y Saabedra

unknown

Strength

62 cavalry
10 native scouts
~1 artillery
1 fort

~600 warriors

Casualties and losses

1 killed
3 wounded

8-30 killed

Civilian Casualties: 1 killed

The Second Battle of Tucson or the May Day Attack was a battle in Tucson, Arizona, and the neighboring pueblo. It occurred during the Mexican Apache Wars on May 1, 1782, between a small garrison of Spanish soldiers and hundreds of Apache warriors.

Presidio San Augustin del Tucson, or Fort Tucson, was a Spanish built fortress located in present day downtown Tucson, it was founded by Hugh O'Conor. The construction of the structure occurred from 1775 to 1783 and was used to protect communication and trade routes across northern Sonora and southern Alta California. The garrison on average consisted of forty to sixty cavalry, mostly of Sonoran descent. Though detribalized Pima native American scouts were also employed. Fort Tucson was primarily made of adobe bricks and wood from mesquite trees. At least one cannon and only a few officers also manned the position. Tucson was an isolated community during its earliest years, situated on the right side of the Santa Cruz River, next to a Pima pueblo, known as Indian Town, on the left side of the water, roughly northwest of Tucson. Between the village and presidio was a bridge, leading across the river.

The area around the presidio jacals was fortified with a wide ditch roundabout filled with water and a palisade of logs, ordered to be constructed by commander Captain Pedro Allande y Saabedra, with two ramparts on which an unknown number of cannon were placed. Four bulwarks, magazines, a guard tower and a church were built as well. The walls spanned various heights from ten to almost thirty feet high and were built to be compact. There were two gates, one on the eastern wall and the other on the western wall. A and then an earthen defensive wall surrounding the military buildings. Some of the houses, belonging to Tucson citizens or soldiers, were outside the palisade and were protected only by artillery.

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