The Death of Mangas Coloradas

In January 1863 Mangas Coloradas came in under a white flag to a party of gold seekers near Pinos Altos, working with soldiers of General Joseph West, who had been sent by General Carleton to punish the Apaches rather than to talk. He was marched fifteen miles to Fort McLane. That night, January 18, his guards burned his feet and legs with bayonets heated in the fire until he moved, then shot him and reported an escape attempt. The next day soldiers cut off his head, boiled it, and sent the skull to a phrenologist in New York.

What the plaque says

Official Scenic Historic Marker The Death of Mangas Coloradas Mangas Coloradas was one of the most highly regarded leaders among the Chiricahua Apaches. Born c. 1795, he was noted for his sagacity, diplomacy, and at 6'6" his height. He met with U.S. General Kearny in 1846 and in 1852 negotiated the only approved treaty between the Chiricahua tribe and the United States. During attempted peace talks in 1863, he was arrested and taken to Fort McLane, which stood near this site, where he was tortured and shot by guards. His skull was sent back East never to be recovered.

Where it stands

Worth the stop nearby

• City of Rocks State Park — 8.7 mi
  Pinnacles of volcanic tuff up to forty feet high standing in the grassland between Deming and Silver City, worn out of an eruption 34.9 million years ago.
• Santa Rita Copper Mine — 12 mi
  The copper pit east of Silver City that swallowed the town it was named for, beneath a spire of volcanic rock long said to look like a nun at prayer.

More markers nearby

• Bayard — 7.9 mi
• City of Rocks State Park — 8.9 mi
• Bayard — 9.3 mi
• Santa Rita Copper Mines — 11 mi