Chato | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Chiricahua leader | |
| Personal details | |
| Born | c. 1854 |
| Died | 13 August 1934 (aged 79–80) |
| Cause of death | automobile accident |
| Nickname | Alfred Chatto |
Chato (Spanish nickname: "flat",Chatto orChatta, c. 1854 – 13 August 1934) was aChiricahuaApache subchief who carried out several raids on settlers in Arizona in the 1870s. His Apache name wasBidayajislnl orPedes-klinje. He was a protege ofCochise, and he surrendered with Cochise in 1872 going to live on theSan Carlos Reservation in southern Arizona, where he became anApache Scout. Following his service as a scout he was taken prisoner after being coerced to travel to Washington, D.C. Chato was imprisoned inSt. Augustine, Florida along with almost 500 other Apache atFort Marion.[1]
Chato was a first cousin toMangas Coloradas. He married a Chokonen Apache woman and pledged his loyalty toCochise.[2] He wanted to ascend to Chief of theWarm Springs Apache following the death ofVictorio, but was succeeded byNana.[3]
Since 1876, the Chiricahua Apaches theoretically lived at the San Carlos Reservation in southeastern Arizona, where supplies were inadequate, diseases rife, and politics corrupt.[4] Many escaped to the Sierra Madre Mountains of northern Mexico, where they supported themselves by raiding and plundering on both sides of the border.
After the arrest of Noch-del-klinne and the rebellion of the Apache scouts, Chato slipped away from the reservation with other Apache such asJuh,Naiche, andGeronimo, who feared for their lives.[5]
The McComas massacre was the name given to an incident which occurred in southwesternNew Mexico Territory on the afternoon of March 28, 1883. Former Union soldier and a prior judge, Hamilton C. McComas, his wife Juanita and six-year-old son Charlie were attacked by a Chiricahua war party led by Chato while on the road betweenSilver City andLordsburg, New Mexico. McComas died of gunshot wounds and his wife was killed by a blow to the head. The fate of Charlie was never ascertained as there were a variety of conflicting reports. The incident made national headlines at the time.[6]
General George Crook and 250 men attacked Chato's ranchera in June 1883, so Chato surrendered with Geronimo and others to General Crook. Chato then served under General Crook as a scout, including the subsequent expedition into the Sierra Madre after Geronimo in 1886.[5]
Upon his return to Arizona, Chato led a peace delegation to Washington where he was presented with a silver medal by President Grover Cleveland. On his way back, atFort Leavenworth he was arrested and deported toFort Marion in Florida, then toFort Pickens in Florida, then moved to Mount Vernon, Alabama.[5][7]
It is not too much to say that the surrender of Natchez [sic:Naiche], Geronimo and their bands could not have been effected except for the assistance of Chato and his Chiricahua scouts. For their allegiance, they have been rewarded by captivity in a strange land.
— General Crook, U. S. Serial No. 2682, Doc. 35. p. 3
In 1894 Chato and his family were allowed to move to Fort Sill, in Oklahoma, and in 1913 Chato and his family opted to go out to the Mescalero Reservation in New Mexico.[7]
On August 13, 1934 Chato'sFord Model T went off the road outside Whitetail, New Mexico, on the Mescalero Apache Reservation; he died at the scene.
Louis L'Amour mentioned Chato in his 1962 novelShalako. Chato is mentioned as an Apache who is planning to attack settlers in the New Mexico region.[8]
In 1966,John Hoyt starred as a fictional Chato (the name was slightly altered to "Chata") in the American Western filmDuel at Diablo.[9]
Woody Strode played a fictional Chato in the 1968 British WesternShalako, withSean Connery andBrigitte Bardot, filmed inAlmería, Spain.[10]
In 1970,Ricardo Montalbán guest starred as a fictional Chato on the American television programGunsmoke.[11]
Steve Reevis played Chato in the movieGeronimo: An American Legend starringWes Studi,Jason Patrick,Gene Hackman,Robert Duval, andMatt Damon.
Chato was also played byCharles Bronson inChato's Land.
