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Forts Buchanan and Crittenden | |||
LocationUnknown Wikipedia: Fort Buchanan was a US Army post founded in 1856 three miles southwest of present-day Sonoita in Santa Cruz County, Arizona, on the east slope of what is now called Hog Canyon. At the time, the area was under constant threat from hostile Apaches. Full-scale war with the local Chiricahua Apache was initiated by the Bascom affair in early 1861, during which Lieutenant George Nicholas Bascom and his patrol were based at Fort Buchanan. Fort Buchanan Bridge ruins The post was officially abandoned in 1861, though troops of the California Column occasionally manned the post during the American Civil War. In February 1865, Apaches attacked and burned the fort in the Battle of Fort Buchanan, forcing the small garrison to retreat. It was then abandoned for good, and Fort Crittenden was established half a mile east on the flats in 1867.[1] After having been lost for years, the ruins of the fort were rediscovered in 1929 by Harry J. Karns, mayor of Nogales, Arizona, and Arizona Superior Court Judge W. A. O'Connor.[2]
References "Arizona Forts of the American West - Legends of America". "Old Fort Near Border Found". Arizona Daily Star. August 7, 1930. p. 5. Retrieved May 21, 2022 - via Newspapers.com. Wikipedia: Fort Crittenden, originally established as Camp Crittenden, was a United States Army post in southern Arizona active from 1867 to 1873. Located approximately three miles from present-day Sonoita , it was built adjacent to the former site of Fort Buchanan at the head of Davidson Canyon [wrong canyon].
Purpose and Operations The fort was established to campaign against the Apache and protect American pioneers in the Babocomari, Sonoita, and Santa Cruz Valleys. Garrison: It housed both infantry and cavalry units that patrolled travel routes to guard against Apache raids. Conflict: The post saw significant action during the Apache Wars, notably in May 1871 when Lieutenant H.B. Cushing was killed in a skirmish with Chief Cochise's band. Structure: The facility included a 117-foot adobe building for troops, a 12-foot high perimeter wall, a hospital, and various workshops. Current Status The fort was abandoned on June 1, 1873, as military operations shifted to other regional posts. Today, only crumbling adobe ruins and mounds of earth remain on private land, marked by historical signage near Arizona State Route 82.
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