My argumentative stance is that although the U.S. Army could not beat Victorio at his own game and never captured him within the U.S. borders, the innovative use of tactics and personnel by leaders led to success in the Victorio Campaign. Victorio was an Apache leader considered a terrorist by the U.S. government. The Army's 9th and 10th Cavalry Regiments, known as Buffalo Soldiers, chased Victorio throughout the outlaying territories of Texas and New Mexico as the Apaches used the border with Mexico to keep them at bay. It was a game of cat and mouse that the U.S. Army could not win for two reasons: Victorio's superior knowledge of the terrain and the military tactics of that period did not suit the guerilla warfare waged by the Apaches. By adapting its tactics, the U.S. Army cut off Victorio's path and forced him back into Mexico, where he was killed.

Approved for public release; distribution is unlimited.