When researching the history of how the Civil War played out in the Arizona Territory a few years back I ran into the story of Cochise, George Bascom and Mickey Free... and it is definitely a lesson in how one miscarriage of justice can result in decades of pain.

"Mickey Free" was born Felix Telles in the late 1840's to 16-year old Mexican parents. His mother later married a man of Irish descent named John Ward, who had traveled to the Arizona territory to ranch. Felix Telles took Ward's last name.

In 1861, a Tonto Apache raiding party stole several head of cattle for John Ward's ranch, and abducted Felix. The raiding party traded Felix Ward to the White Mountain Apaches, who at age 12, was adopted by clan leader, Nayundiie.

Immediately after the kidnapping, John Ward went to Fort Buchanan and asked for military assistance in finding his son. Ward incorrectly believed the Chiricahua Apaches responsible, and Second Lieutenant George Bascom was tasked with tracking the Chiricahua and recovering Felix.

George Bascom took 54 U.S soldiers east into the Chiricahua Mountains and convinced an Apache leader named Cochise to meet with him. Cochise agreed, and brought his wife, kids, brother, and nephews with him to the meeting.

Cochise denied knowing anything about the raid on John Ward, or the whereabouts of Felix. George Bascom didn't believe him, and ordered the Apache party to be seized. Cochise fought his way out of the tent and escaped, but his family was detained.

Cochise asked for the release of his family, but Bascom said the only way that would happen is if Cochise brought him Felix Ward. Cochise, desperate to get his family back and unaware of Felix's location, raided a teamster encampment, killing 9 Mexicans, and capturing 3 Americans

Cochise offered the three Americans to Bascom for his family. Bascom refused and again requested the return of Felix Ward to his father. Cochise became frustrated and attacked the soldiers, killed his American hostages, and fled to Mexico.

George Bascom was relived at his post by Lieutenant Isaiah Moore, and Moore promptly hung Cochise's wife, children, brother and nephews.

When Cochise found out, he dedicated his life to avenging his family.

Cochise killed hundreds, if not thousands of Amerian settlers. He even took on the Confederacy in the Battle of Dragoon Springs outside what is now Benson, Arizona, as well as the Union Army in the Battle of Apache Pass.

In 1863, the U.S. Army convinced Cochise's father in law, Mangas Coloradas, to meet to discuss a peace treaty. When Coloradas arrived at the summit, he was murdered.

This re-ignited Cochise's anger, and his personal vendetta ran 9 more years before he agreed to make peace.

But just because Cochise made peace two years before his death, doesn't mean there was peace. The brewing conflict that reached a boiling point over Bascom's false accusation carried over for decades, including the campaign to capture Geronimo.

I think about this story when listening to people decry having to shoulder responsibility, culpability, and consequences for ancestral sins.

History is full of unjust spillover, and offspring carrying the burden of sacrfice and compromise for wars their fathers waged.

So as America finally comes to recognize #Juneteenth , let us recognize our historical place in the wake of past sins, and our duty to create and honor treaties that acknowledge the past while aiming for a more just future.

Don't let the duty and burden fall to your children.