By the end of the decade, Cochise had emerged as the dominant Apache leader even surpassing his father-in-law Mangas Coloradas, who was pushing seventy. Cochise was fifty at the height of his medicine, and the land Cochise claimed ran from Tucson to Tubac to Nogales in the South, Highway #19, and then to Lordsburg in the East marked by today’s cities of Benson/Wilcox along Highway #10 corridor punctuated by Fort Huachuca, Bisbee, Douglas in the south and Safford/Mt. Graham to the North and the Gila River/ Mountains in the Northwest plunging into southeast corner through Chiricahuas Mountains into Sonora/Chihuahua Mexico dominated by the towns of Fronteras/Janos. The other Indian Bands that were significant players were the Papagos, Pimas, Maricopa’s, historical enemies of the Apache. Pimas /Maricopa’s had been given land south of Tucson with tools/grain for farming and were quite successful. In 1854, Pete Kitchen came to Nogales, and built a profitable Rancheria on Potrero Creek with the help of the Opata from Sonora, and later became a fast friend of Cochise by saving his son Nachise from Mexicans. Cochise for this act of humanity promised to protect Kitchen wherever he traveled in Apacheria.
In 1858 the Butterfield Company arrived in the southwest by receiving a $600,000 Federal contract to develop an overland stage line from St. Louis to San Francisco with stops at El Paso, Tucson and Yuma. In all, Butterfield established 141 stations over 2800 miles. Stations were built at 20 mile intervals and by 1859 they had built stations in Chihennes and Chokonens country. Butterfield employed over 2000 people in the entire system, 100 in Apacheria alone costing $100,000 with nine stations. These stations were directed to preserve peace with the Indians, but were well equipped with Sharp rifles to defend themselves. Stations were built at Stein’s Peak, Soldier’s Farwell, Ojo de Vaca, the Mimbres River, Cooke’s spring and Barney’s station between Stein’s Peak and Soldier’s Farewell. The Apache Pass station was the result of Cochise’s meeting with Michael Steck in December 1858 ,who was the first American to recognize the Chokonens as a separate Apache group, and who sought to enter into an understanding with Cochise about the Butterfield Line by offering cattle, corn, blankets , kettles. In April 1859, Steck again met with Cochise who however was disappointed by the small amount of supplies falling far short of the 15 wagons promised. These supplies were to seal the Butterfield agreement made between Steck and Cochise, but instead angered Cochise who felt dishonored insisting that Steck leave Apache Pass and that he had no intention of ending the Apache raids into Mexico. For remaining peaceful against the Americans, not Mexicans, Cochise expected rations.
Apache Pass Station was unusually constructed. It was built of stone and was located in the heart of Cochise country between Dos Cabezas and Chiricahua Mountains being blessed with an abundant spring. Tragically it would have a devastating effect on the life of Cochise and the Apache people leading to twenty-five years of bloodshed between Pindah and Red. Cochise throughout his life would refer to Apache Pass with deep bitterness and regret. If Cochise had any inkling of how this one station would dramatically change his life it was never explicitly nuanced although there were ominous signs that relations between Apache/Pindah were edgy. The Apache Pass Station was managed by James Henry Tevis from Wheeling, West Virginia, who had frequent contact with Cochise in 1859/60. His memoirs, Arizona in the 50s, and his letter to the weekly “Arizonian” provide some insight into Cochise’s mindset and the evolving cultural dissonance between the two people. Tevis although impressed by Cochise’s physicality “as fine a looking Indian as one ever saw … who never met his equal with a lance” was nevertheless intimated by Cochise. According to Tevis whenever the soldiers or stage coaches left Cochise would appear often drunk by tiswin threatening his staff. Tevis and Cochise instantaneously disliked each another seeking to humiliate the other whenever possible. For instance, Tevis mocked Cochise over a failed Apache raid to supply his people after a harsh winter into Sonora claiming that with half of Cochise’s braves he would have been successful!
Cochise once challenged Tevis to a duel: his spear against Tevis pistol? (Cf, Roberts Once, p.51.). Another sore spot was Tevis part in assisting Cochise’s adopted son Merejildo Grijalva to escape to Fort Thorn, New Mexico, to act as a translator for Michael Steck. Grijalva had been captured by Miguel Narbona in 1849, raised Apache, and soon became part of Cochise’s extended family learning to become a warrior and acted as an interpreter for Cochise with Butterfield people at Stein’s Peak. Merejildo met Michael Steck at Apache Pass, who was impressed by his linguistic skills, and moved by his story as an Apache Captive, offered him a position. Why Merejildo left Cochise to become one of his fiercest adversaries remains unclear. One story has it that his Apache love was taken from him propelling him to leave the camp in bitterness. In summer of 1858, while Cochise was away in Navajo land Tevis made good Merejildo escape. Merejildo soon became an important scout and Cochise nemesis throughout the late 60’s and early 70’s. Cochise was deeply offended by this “blood betrayal” blaming the Americans more than Merejildo. (Cf, Sweeney, Merejildo Grijalva, p.11). Finally, was the issue of Cochise’s brother-in-law who was killed by Tevis over stealing sugar? Tevis was aware that Cochise upon hearing of the death would seek to avenge the loss forced Tevis to resign hurriedly from Butterfield in September, 1859, for silver mining opportunities at Pinos Altos. In December of 1860, Tevis angered in part by his difficulties with Cochise at Apache Pass, his loss of job, orchestrated an attack of 30 well armed Texas miners on a peaceful Chihennes Band near Pinos Altos for stealing. Four Apaches were killed and 23 women/children captured. This unprovoked action by Tevis was represented another nail in the fragile peace between the Americans/Apaches reflecting the growing tension and racism building between the two people making peace an increasingly difficult proposition as the decade of the 1860’s unfolded. (Cf, Tevis, Arizona in the 50’s)
Even though Tevis described Cochise “as being two-faced … the biggest liar in the territory – would kill an American for any trifle, provide he thought he wouldn’t be found out,” other contemporaries like John G. Bourke indicate that Cochise got on reasonably well with Whites even supplying wood/hay to the station. Cochise certainly was not interested in precipitating a Pindah war in lieu of the losses experienced in Fronteras in 1858 in which 26 inebriated Chokonen warriors along with ten women were massacred by Mexican authorities. Such setbacks Cochise could hardly afford as the Apaches were already critically short of men and their strict mores on birth and child rearing did not lend it to sudden rises in population patterns. It was this shortage of men which explains why when Apaches raided they look for eligible boys to raise as their own. In some ways, children were even more important than the blankets/animals that they captured. Nor was he prepared to enter into a four front war involving the states of Sonora, Chihuahua and the territory of New Mexico/ Arizona! In some ways maintaining peace with the Americans was crucial to recovering and healing. In early summer, 1859, Merejildo Grijalva relates a story of how incensed Cochise was when he learned that members of his band had stolen ponies/mules from Sonora Exploring/Mining Company near Patagonia. He killed one of the warriors involved and had the remaining animals returned to Fort Buchanan. Moreover according to Grijalva and Fred Hughes, Tom Jeffords assistant, Cochise warned his warriors that although they could raid into Mexico they were to let Americans alone. In fact, Cochise indicated to Michael Steck in October of the same year his willingness to continue to protect the Overland mail through his territory as a sign of his desire to maintain peace. (Cf, Sweeney, Merejildo Grijalva p.11).
Cochise voice tremor as he spoke to Dos-teh-seh over the loss of Merejildo or El Chivero (Goat Herder). They had practically had raised him as one their own. El Chivero had become part of their family playing with Cochise’s eldest son Taza, had eaten and slept in Cochise’s wickiup, and had received warrior training from Cochise. Cochise reflected on the time he spent with El Chivero in strengthening his endurance by having him run with a mouthful of water to the top of the hill to teach him the benefit of breathing through the noise as a way to conserve body fluids. He took pride at how the Mexican boy adopted the Apache ways and had become a trusted interpreter. He shook his head in dismay picking up his spear and Dos-teh-seh biting her lip commiserated asking “what happened?” Cochise uttered ´’it was Tevis!” “Maybe I’ll draw him into a fight but he is too cowardly”. “Who does he think he is; he /Butterfield exist only at my pleasure”. “My hands are tied I cannot afford a conflict with the Pindah --- must eat my pride.” Cochise took a deep breath and left the wickiup to reflect on the glittering, but darken lights sparkling along the Stronghold wall as night felled. He shivers experiencing a slight breeze carrying the pungent odor of mountain pine accompanied by the sound of a lonesome wolf from the canyon floor. “Ah my brother, the wolf” he muses to himself. “Maybe we are both doomed by the inroads of these Americans who are maddened by gold and silver ore, who wish to cut up our lands into parcels, who are freighting away the deer and the elk; who see us as wild animals who need to be hunted down and killed like you brother the wolf who likes us wants to remain free.” He hears footsteps approaching and recognizes his lieutenant’s steps: faithful Nahilzay, flanked by Skinyea and Pionsenay, brothers who although brave could at times be foolish, but were loyal to Cochise. The trio came with the news that Tevis had resigned. “Inju” (Good) Cochise uttered, and hearing the wolf sing again his confidence renewed that perhaps his people and the wolf could survive this storm just as Child of Water had taught them a long time ago in how to outwit the “Four Monsters”.
With Tevis departure from Apache Pass Station relations settled between Cochise and the Americans at Butterfield fell into a peaceful routine in which Chokonen and Station personnel interacted and became comfortable with each other. Hank Culver replaced Tevis as Station Agent. Fred Walsh took care of the mules and horses and James F. Wallace was a Butterfield driver who frequented the Station between runs. They all became familiar with Cochise and his people as the Chokonen supplied wood and purchased cloth, corn and kettles for nuggets.