Opposition: Lt. George N. Bascom, 1837-1862
Most military officers in the American west knew relatively little about dealing with Natives. It wasn't only a language barrier and a cultural divide, but an atmosphere of mistrust and unwillingness to understand. For one young officer, this insensitivity would lead to a war that would last over two decades in Arizona Territory. Lt. George N. Bascom was born in 1837 in Owingsville, Bath County, Kentucky. His ancestors were of French Huguenot and Basque extraction, hence the origin of his name. He graduated 26 in a class of 27 at West Point in 1858, barely missing being that year's class goat by one unfortunately classmate below him. No matter where he stood in his class rankings, though, West Point didn't teach a class about dealing with Natives. Bascom was stationed at Camp Floyd in what is now Utah as a member of the 7th Infantry before being posted to Fort Buchannan in Arizona. His first major assignment was a ticklish and dangerous one....