Visiting Fort Bowie

As my forthcoming novel Owl Riders opens, we learn that the Chiricahua Apache have taken Fort Bowie in Eastern Arizona territory with the help of Battle Wagons modeled on the Javelina mining machine left behind by Professor Maravilla. I use Fort Bowie in the novel because it has both historic and symbolic significance. Fort Bowie was established at the site of the Battle of Apache Pass where the United States Army fought Cochise. The fort’s purpose was to guard the water at Apache Pass, necessary to the famous Butterfield Stage, and to “control” the Apaches in the region. If Apaches were given machines that could capture the fort, it seems likely they would take an opportunity to do so. Here’s a great classic image of soldiers riding out of Fort Bowie.

Here’s basically the same scene as it appears today.

As you can tell, even from this viewpoint, not much exists of the original fort. What this viewpoint doesn’t provide is a sense of how big the fort was. It actually was a rather extensive compound. Here’s what the fort looked like in 1886:

Pretty much what exists now are foundations and a few walls. Some of the walls stand just a little over my head. What it lacks in intact buildings, it makes up for in giving you a sense of the facility’s scale. There’s also a nice, albeit small visitor center where they talk about the history of the fort. It was great to see faces I recognized right on the visitor’s center walls. For example, I walked in the door, turned around and saw General Nelson A. Miles (at the top in the photo below) right above Albert J. Fountain (in the center below Miles). Miles is a major antagonist to both the Apaches and Ramon Morales in Owl Riders. Fountain has appeared as Billy McCarty’s defense attorney in The Brazen Shark and he returned in my story “Fountains of Blood,” which appeared in Straight Outta Tombstone. His memorial is about a quarter mile behind my back door in Las Cruces, New Mexico.

What intrigued me almost more than the story of the fort and the soldiers who served there was the connection I made to the Native Americans I talk about in the books. Along the trail to the fort, they have a setup of an Apache camp, including a wickiup. I describe these camps both in Lightning Wolves and in Owl Riders, so it was exciting to see one up close and even go inside.

Also, in both Lightning Wolves and Owl Riders, I talk about the importance of knowing where to find water. For those who drive along Interstate-10 in Southern Arizona and Southern New Mexico, it’s not obvious that there’s water anywhere in the region. However, as I mentioned at the outset of the post, part of the reason for Fort Bowie was its proximity to reliable water. So, it was great to see this actual spring a mere dozen miles from the Interstate where the land appears so barren.

Visiting Fort Bowie was a fascinating walk back in time. The site is about twelve miles south of present day Bowie, Arizona. Once you get to the parking area, you have to hike about a mile and a half to get to the site. Along the way are signposts describing aspects of the area’s history. If you go out, I’d recommend allowing at least three hours to explore the site. Be aware it can be hot and storms can come up suddenly in that part of Arizona, as they did the day I was there. I was rained on for part of my trip. Bring water and suitable clothing. A picnic lunch would also be nice.

If you would like to learn more about my novel Lightning Wolves visit: http://www.davidleesummers.com/lightning_wolves.html. You can learn more about my forthcoming novel Owl Riders at http://www.davidleesummers.com/owl_riders.html