VICTORIO
Victorio
(ca. 1825–October 16, 1880)
Apache War Chief
V
ictorio was one of the most skillful
guerrilla leaders of Native American
history. For 15 months and with only a
handful of warriors, he thwarted thousands of
U.S. and Mexican soldiers and survived
against great odds.
Victorio, also known as Bi-du-ya, was born
in southeastern New Mexico around 1825 into
the Eastern Chiricahua band of the Mimbres
Apache nation. They were also known as the
Warm Spring Apache because of their associ-
ation with the warm water springs of their na-
tive Ojo Caliente region. Little is known of his
youth, but Victorio was apparently tutored in
the arts of war by the legendary Mangas Col-
oradasand proved himself an able pupil. He
first appears as a historical figure in 1853 as a
signatory to a provisional agreement with the
United States. However, as relations between
the Apaches and the federal government dete-by surrendering on terms deemed dishonor-
able to the French troops that had served him
so well. Considering the odds, his had been a
gallant struggle, but the governor’s personal
war with Montcalm was a leading factor in
the colony’s ultimate demise.
A dejected Vaudreuil arrived back in
France in November 1760 and came under im-
mediate attack by supporters of Montcalm for
the loss of the colony. In March 1762, the for-
mer governor-general was arrested, impris-
oned in the Bastille, and subsequently tried
for his role in the debacle. Vaudreuil was ex-
onerated in December 1763 and placed on a
generous pension. He continued living out the
rest of his days in Paris, dying in seclusion
there on August 4, 1778. In retrospect, Vau-
dreuil was a strong-willed and effective
strategist, but he worked poorly with his lead-
ing general. Moreover, his homeland’s refusal
to commit greater resources to the defense of
New France only facilitated English resolve
to conquer it.
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