They arrived in Tucson on May 20, forcing the heavily outnumbered Confederate garrison to withdraw to Texas without a fight.

Thomas L. Roberts of Company E, 1st California Infantry, accompanied by two 12-pounder mountain howitzers under the command of Sgt.

Roberts led the advance detachment with his infantry company, joined by three wagons, the howitzers and seven of Cremony's best horsemen to serve as scouts and couriers.

Roberts determined the water at Dragoon Springs was enough to support the entire force, and Cremony joined with him the next day.

After traveling about two-thirds of the way through, his force was attacked by about 500 Apache warriors led by Mangas Coloradas and Cochise (Geronimo claimed to have fought in this battle but this has not been confirmed).

The infantrymen had walked dozens of miles across the hot Arizona desert, heading for the spring at Apache Pass, which was now blocked to them by the well-armed Chiricahua warriors.

After a few minutes of intense combat Roberts ordered a retreat and his force withdrew to the mouth of Apache Pass.

The Apaches held their positions until nightfall, when they fled, allowing the Union troops to reach the spring.

From the hostile attitude of the Chiricahua, I found it indispensably necessary to establish a post in what is known as Apache Pass; it is known as Fort Bowie, and garrisoned by one hundred rank and file of the Fifth Infantry, California Volunteers, and thirteen rank and file of Company A, First Cavalry, California Volunteers; this post commands the water in that pass.

Cremony, however, a prominent Apache who was present in the engagement had said that 63 warriors were killed by the artillery, while only three died from small-arms fire.

Mangas Coloradas himself was wounded in the action, having been shot in the chest when attempting to kill one of Roberts' cavalry scouts.

[7] One day after the battle, on the New Mexico side of Apache Pass, the bodies of nine scalped white civilians were found.