▁territory ▁suffered ▁t ension ▁and ▁str ife ▁with ▁European ▁sett lers ▁until ▁the ▁greater ▁part ▁of ▁the ▁area ▁was ▁acquired ▁by ▁the ▁United ▁States ▁in ▁ 1 8 5 0 , ▁following ▁the ▁Mexican ▁War . ▁For ▁a ▁time , ▁the ▁two ▁pe op les ▁managed ▁peace ful ▁relations . ▁In ▁the ▁late ▁ 1 8 5 0 s , ▁C och ise ▁may ▁have ▁supplied ▁fire wood ▁for ▁the ▁But ter field ▁Over land ▁Mail ▁stage co ach ▁station ▁at ▁Apache ▁Pass . ▁ ▁The ▁ten uous ▁peace ▁did ▁not ▁last , ▁as ▁European - American ▁enc ro achment ▁into ▁Apache ▁territory ▁continued . ▁In ▁ 1 8 6 1 , ▁the ▁Bas com ▁affair ▁was ▁a ▁catal yst ▁for ▁armed ▁confront ation . ▁An ▁Apache ▁ra iding ▁party ▁had ▁driven ▁away ▁a ▁local ▁ran cher ' s ▁cattle ▁and ▁kid n apped ▁his ▁ 1 2 - year - old ▁step - son ▁( F el ix ▁Ward , ▁who ▁later ▁became ▁known ▁as ▁Mic key ▁Free ). ▁C och ise ▁and ▁his ▁band ▁were ▁mistaken ly ▁accused ▁of ▁the ▁incident ▁( which ▁had ▁been ▁carried ▁out ▁by ▁another ▁band , ▁Co y ot ero ▁Apache ). ▁ ▁Army ▁officer ▁L t . ▁George ▁Bas com ▁invited ▁C och ise ▁to ▁the ▁Army ' s ▁enc amp ment ▁in ▁the ▁belief ▁that ▁the ▁war rior ▁was ▁responsible ▁for ▁the ▁incident . ▁C och ise ▁maintained ▁his ▁innoc ence ▁and ▁offered ▁to ▁look ▁into ▁the ▁matter ▁with ▁other ▁Apache ▁groups , ▁but