More than 119 years ago, the Hembrillo Basin was the scene of a major battle of the Victorio War. The Victorio War began with a promise by Ulysses S. Grant that the area around Ojo Caliente (Warm Springs), near Monticello, New Mexico, would always be the home of the (Chiende) Red Paint People, known to outsiders as the Eastern Chiricahua or Warm Springs Apache. That promise was made in 1874. It was not kept.

With political changes came changes in policy. Victorio and his people found themselves forced to move to undesirable reservations. After two such moves Victorio vowed that if he was moved again, that he would take his people and leave their bones scattered across the land of their ancestors.

It is to the credit of Hatch and his superiors, General Pope and General Sherman, that they supported Victorio's claims and his wish to remain at Ojo Caliente. Tragically, their pleas were overruled by administrative decisions made far from the scene of the conflict. Hatch found himself in the difficult position of being ordered to pursue a man and a people whose cause he felt was just.

In the summer of 1879, Hatch visited Victorio at Mescalero and asked him not to take his people off the reservation. Victorio replied that he had not yet decided but that if he went out again, he would never surrender. Specifically he told Hatch, "If I go out again, I will not surrender one hair of a horse's tail."

The Victorio War began in September of 1879. The effort to catch Victorio took the troops back and forth across southern New Mexico and into northern Mexico. Victorio's Apaches were masters of guerilla warfare and each attempt to bring them to bay resulted in a costly ambush, a well planned rear-guard action, and loss of contact with the Apache.

The troops enlisted Apache scouts from San Carlos in Arizona and with the support of pack trains were able to maintain the campaign. Victorio was dependent upon the land for supplies and when an Apache was killed, there was no one to replace the loss.

Victorio brought his people out of Mexico early in 1880, almost immediately to the Hembrillo Basin. The Hembrillo Basin was a safe place, a stronghold with permanent water.

With the women and children safe in Hembrillo, the men went out for supplies and ammunition. Several engagements were fought in the Black Range and in the San Andres Mountains in January and February of 1880. On at least two occasions, Victorio made contact with non-military personnel, attempting to negotiate a peace agreement. Hatch contacted his superiors in February of 1880, writing a seven-page letter with some 20 attachments, detailing Victorio's sincere attempts to stay at peace and pleading for the reservation at Ojo Caliente to be returned. His arguments were rejected and Hatch was forced to plan a new offensive against Victorio.

Hatch organized three battalions from his regiment of Ninth Cavalry "Buffalo Soldiers". One battalion commanded by Capt. Henry Carroll consisted of four companies of the 9th Cavalry positioned at Ft. Stanton. The other two battalions were located west of the Rio Grande and besides several companies of 9th Cavalry Buffalo soldiers, included one company of 6th Cavalry commanded by Captain Curwen McLellan and three companies of Apache Scouts recruited in Arizona.

Hatch's first objective was to go to the Mescalero Reservation and disarm the Mescalero Apache, many of whom were aiding Victorio. As the battalions gathered, it became known that Victorio was camped in the San Andres Mountains.

In late March, 1880, Capt. Carroll was ordered to leave Ft. Stanton, cross the Tularosa Basin, and patrol the east side of the San Andres Mountains. At the same time, Hatch and another battalion would move from Palomas, south of present day Truth or Consequences, across the Jornada del Muerto to attack Victorio's camp. Carroll's troops were intended to keep Victorio from retreating to the east.

Carroll moved out as ordered and after camping at Mal Pais Spring on April 5, sent Lt. John Conline and one company forward to find evidence of Victorio's whereabouts. At the mouth of Hembrillo Canyon, Conline found tracks. Moving up the canyon, Conline was soon engaged with Victorio's Apache. After two hours of skirmishing, Conline disengaged at dark returning to report to Carroll.

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