In 1862, a small troop of Civil War vaolunteers drove several hundred Apache warriors from the mountains in order to control and protect Apache Spring, which lay in a prime location at Apache Pass, a defining notch between the Chiricahua and Dos Cabezas ranges. This event led to the series of wars with Cochise and his followers, and the five-year battle with Geronimo. After the battle with the volunteers, a small, primitive fort was built, with a short adobe wall and tents inside. The crumbled site is accessed via a self-guided foot trail, that leads throughout the fort area. Remains of the stage stop are still here, and the adobe and stone walls have been partially restored.
Visitors can see the shoolhouse, the hospital and officers' quarters.
I never do wrong without a cause. It's a unique historical landmark, redolent of the bravery of both the army bluecoats and the Indian warriors who fought valiantly for their own just cause. From the south and the Douglas area, drive northeast along U.S. 666 and then take State Hwy. 181 and State Hwy. 186 to the unpaved road which leads to the fort and also north to Bowie and Interstate 10.