Delshay (chief)
Delshay was a chief of the Tonto Apache, leading a small tribe in the Mazaztal Mountains of Arizona during a tumultuous period marked by conflict between Native American tribes and U.S. settlers. Following uprisings from 1861 to 1863, Delshay and his band engaged in raids against neighboring settlers. In 1868, he sought peace and resettled his people at Camp McDowell along the Verde River. The Camp Grant Massacre in 1871 prompted Delshay to request relocation for his band due to rising tensions and violence against the Apache.
Despite initial peace, the situation escalated as settlers demanded military action, leading to the U.S. Army's campaigns against the Apaches, resulting in Delshay's surrender in April 1873. Subsequently, he was relocated to Fort Apache on the White Mountain Reservation before returning to Camp McDowell under the condition of ceasing hostilities. However, after being joined by Apache fugitives, Delshay faced arrest and evaded capture for several months, ultimately leading to a bounty being placed on him. His story reflects the complexities and conflicts between Indigenous peoples and U.S. expansion during the 19th century.
Delshay (chief)
Category: Tribal chief
Tribal affiliation: Apache
Significance: Delshay was murdered by a bounty hunter, and his head was publicly displayed as a warning to other Apaches who raided white settlements
Following their uprisings between 1861 and 1863, Apache bands continued raiding neighboring whites. In 1868, Chief Delshay agreed to peace and resettled his band at Camp McDowell on Arizona’s Verde River. In 1871, after the Camp Grant Massacre, in which a peaceful band of Aravaipa Apache led by Eskiminzin were attacked after having been granted sanctuary, Delshay requested permission to move his band from the region.
Meanwhile, with settlers calling for military action, the U.S. army under General George Crook launched a massive campaign against the Apaches, winning decisive battles at Skull Cave, December 28, 1872, and Turret Peak, March 27, 1873. Delshay surrendered in April, 1873, and his band was relocated to Fort Apache on the White Mountain Reservation. Later he was granted permission to settle at Camp McDowell in return for promises that he cease hostilities. For a time, peace was maintained. After he was joined by Apache fugitives, however, Crook ordered Delshay’s arrest. When he eluded capture for several months, a bounty was offered for his head; two rival claims were honored and the heads were displayed at Camp Verde and at the San Carlos Reservation.