Dates 6 Dec 1779 – 9 Dec 1779 Combatants Apache, Spain | Result Spanish victory | |
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Similar Fourth Battle of Tucson, Third Battle of Tucson, Apache–Mexico Wars, Battle of the Pinal Mountains, Siege of Tubac | ||
The First Battle of Tucson was a confrontation at Tucson, Arizona on December 6, 1779, as part of the Apache-Mexico Wars. Captain Pedro Allande y Saabedra with a force of only fifteen men defeated an army of around 350 strong.
Battle
Not much is known about the first battle at Tucson. An Apache force, which Captain Allande estimated as 350 warriors, approached the Spanish post of Fort Tucson itself. The captain formed a command of fifteen men and engaged the enemy. The Spanish lancers defeated the Apaches in a long running battle. Allande cut off and brought back the head of a slain chieftain and carried it on a lance as a trophy. After waving the head at the surviving Apaches they fled the battlefield, abandoning their plunder of stolen livestock. The Spaniards reportedly killed and wounded several Apache men, including a brother of Chief Quilcho. Exact numbers of casualties are unknown.