Though a skirmish, it ended with a significant Apache victory when they forced the small garrison of California Volunteers to retreat to the Santa Rita Mountains.

[1] Because of the major civil war in the United States from 1861 to 1865 and numerous conflicts involving the various Native American tribes, the Union Army was stretched thin on the frontier.

According to reports at the time of attack, only nine American cavalrymen manned the fort, which did not have walls and was just a collection of military buildings including a vedette station.

[2][1] The battle began on the morning of February 17, 1865, twelve miles away from the fort when two surveyors of the United States General Land Office and a young Mexican boy were attacked.

William Wrightson and Gilbert W. Hopkins were traveling from a ranch in the Santa Ritas towards the fort, presently three miles west of Sonoita.

The three had nearly made it there when they were overwhelmed and killed; the United States Army reported that the three did not attempt to defend themselves; no gunshots were heard, and Corporal Buckley later said that he did not know that Wrightson and Hopkins were in the area.

The two soldiers that were cutting hay heard the sound of shooting and headed back to the fort, when they arrived, they found it surrounded by warriors who were emptying the buildings of goods and burning them, they also retreated to the Santa Ritas and later rejoined their troop.