Bear Valley: The Last Battle of The American Indian Wars
A small skirmish that marked the end of a massive series of conflicts
In the remote region of Bear Valley in the infant state of Arizona, two small groups of armed men were about to face off in a skirmish that neither side knew would be the last of its kind.
On one side were Yaquis natives who were armed with frontier rifles and supplies purchased with money gained working on American ranches and farms. The Yaquis’ real quarrel was with the Mexican state to the south at the time rather than the Americans.
On the other side were the Americans. A few dozen members of the 10th Cavalry of the United States Army, led by Captain Frederick H.L. “Blondy” Ryder, were stationed at a camp in Bear Valley on border patrol duty. The 10th Cavalry, whose members were also known in the region as buffalo soldiers, was a division with a long history of conflict with Native Americans on the western frontier.
In 1918, there was no border patrol agency established in the United States. Protecting the border fell exclusively to the United States Army or vigilante ranchers. At the time, the Yaquis were in open rebellion against Mexico hoping to establish a new independent state for themselves. Pancho Villa and his followers were also causing problems…
