From 1870 to 1880 , Victorio , chief of the Coppermine Mimbreños and principal leader of all the Tchihende , along with Loco , chief of the Warm Spring Mimbreños and second-ranking among the Tchihende , were moved to and left at least three different reservations , some more than once , despite their bands ' request to live on traditional lands . Victorio , Loco and the Mimbreños were moved to San Carlos Reservation in Arizona Territory in 1877 . Victorio and his followers ( including old Nana ) left the reservation twice , seeking and temporarily obtaining hospitality in Fort Stanton Reservation among their Sierra Blanca and Sacramento Mescalero allies and relatives ( Caballero was probably Victorio 's brother-in-law and Mangus ' uncle , San Juan was too an old friend and Nana 's wife was a Mescalero woman ) , before they came back to Ojo Caliente only to leave permanently in late August 1879 , which started Victorio 's War . Despite Nautzili 's efforts , many Northern Mescalero warriors , led by Caballero and Muchacho Negro , joined him with their families , and San Juan and other Mescaleros also left their reservation ; many Guadalupe and Limpia Mescalero too ( Carnoviste and Alsate were close allies to Victorio after 1874 ) joined Victorio 's people . Victorio was successful at raiding and evading capture by the military , and won a significant engagement at Las Animas Canyon on September 18 1879 . Within a few months Victorio led an impressive series of other brilliant fights against troops of the 9th , 10th and 6th U.S. Cavalry near the Percha River ( Rio Puerco ) ( January 1 1880 ) , in the San Mateos Mountains ( January 17 1880 ) and in the Cabello Mountains near the Animas Creek ( January 30 , 1880 ) , and again near Aleman 's Wells , San Andres Mountains west of White Sands , ( February 2 1880 ) , then again in the San Andres Mountains ( perhaps near Victorio ’s Peak ) routing the cavalrymen and chasing them to the Rio Grande ( February 9th1889 ) , then ( April 4 1880 ) at Hembrillo Canyon , San Andres Mountains . In April 1880 , Victorio was credited with leading the Alma Massacre – a raid on United States settlers ' homes around Alma , New Mexico . During this event , 41 settlers were killed . Victorio 's warriors were finally driven off by the arrival of American soldiers from Fort Bayard . However , Victorio continued his campaign with the attack on Fort Tularosa , where his warriors had to face a detachment ( K troop ) of the 9th Cavalry and were repulsed by the " Buffalo Soldiers " after a harsh fight . Victorio 's camp near the Rio Palomas , in the Black Range , was surprised and attacked on May 23 – 25 , 1880 , but the Mimbreños and Mescaleros succeeded in repulsing the soldiers . After the Rio Palomas battle , Victorio went on some raids to Mexico repeatedly fording the Rio Grande , after having been intercepted and beaten off , with a 60 warriors ' party , at Quitman Canyon ( July 30 , 1880 ) . Chased by more than 4.000 armed men ( 9th , 10th , 6th U.S. Cavalry , 15th U.S. Infantry , Texas Rangers ) Victorio fooled all of them during more than one month . On August 9 , 1880 Victorio and his band attacked a stagecoach and mortally wounded retired Major General James J. Byrne
Alma Massacre
Alma Massacre
Victorio