Hodges Soileau (American, B. 1943) "Cochise" Signed lower middle. Original Mixed Media painting on Paper. Provenance: Collection of James A. Helzer (1946-2008), Founder of Unicover Corporation. This painting originally appeared on the Fleetwood Cochise Commemorative Cover postmarked October 11, 1981. One of the best known leaders of the Chiricahua Apaches was Cochise, described by a white friend as "six feet tall and straight as an arrow." From his youth Cochise was a close associate of his father-in-law Mangas Coloradas, and like Mangas he was friendly with Anglo-Americans until he was betrayed in February 1861. A child had been kidnapped from a ranch near Apache Pass. Lieutenant George Bascom suspected Cochise and ordered him to come in for questioning. Cochise complied, believing the soldiers knew as he did that a band of Coyoteros had kidnapped the boy, and that the Chiricahuas had nothing to do with it. Bascom informed Cochise that he was under arrest, to be held as hostage for return of the child. Cochise managed to escape. From that day he became an enemy of the whites, joining Mangas in numerous raids and leading his warriors in the famed ambush of the California Volunteers in Apache Pass. Other targets were stagecoaches and mail carriers. One day the mail contractor, Tom Jeffords, boldly rode into Cochise's camp and asked for a personal treaty. Cochise was so impressed by the man's courage that he honored the request. After that, mail carriers were never molested, and Jeffords and Cochise became close friends. In 1872 when the government sought to pacify the Chiricahuas by assigning them a reservation in their Dragoon Mountains homeland, Cochise agreed provided that Jeffords was appointed agent. After this, Cochise remained a man of peace until his death, June 8, 1874. Image Size: 15.25 x 13.5 in. Overall Size: 21.25 x 19.25 in. Unframed. (B07413)