Main/Military Plaza in San Antonio in Bexar County, Texas — The American South (West South Central)

Lasting Peace with the Apache Nation

The Hatchet Buried - Likewise a Horse, August 15, 1745

— Main Plaza —

Lasting Peace with the Apache Nation Marker image. Click for full size.

Photographed by James Hulse, August 9, 2021

1. Lasting Peace with the Apache Nation Marker

Inscription. Captain Toribio de Urrutia and Fray Santa Ana now determined to do their best to establish a permanent and lasting peace with the Apache nation. ...This was a great day for San Antonio. After thirty years of depredations, the harassed settlement was about to secure, as was thought, a lasting peace. Early in the morning the plaza began to fill with an eager throng....First, a great hole was dug in the center of the plaza, and in this were placed a live horse, a hatchet, a lance, and six arrows, all instruments of war. Then Captain Urrutia and the four chiefs, joining hands, danced three times around the hole, the Indians afterwards doing the same with the priests and the citizens. When this ceremony was concluded, all retired to their respective places. Then, upon a given signal, all rushed to the hole and rapidly buried the live horse, together with the weapons, thus signifying the end of war.

Erected 2008 by Bexar County and the city of San Antonio.

Topics. This historical marker is listed in these topic lists: Hispanic Americans • Indigenous Peoples and Communities • Peace • Wars, US Indian.

Location. 29° 25.434′ N,

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98° 29.623′ W. Marker is in San Antonio, Texas, in Bexar County. It is in Main/Military Plaza. It can be reached from the intersection of Dolorosa and Main Plaza. The marker lays flat on the ground in the Main Plaza grounds. Touch for map. Marker is at or near this postal address: 100 Dolorosa, San Antonio TX 78205, United States of America. Touch for directions.

Regionally, this marker is in South Texas.

It is also in the American South.

Globally, it is in North America,

a Gulf of Mexico state,

the Western Hemisphere,

the Western World,

and the Anglosphere.

Historically, it finds itself in what was once New Spain,

the Republic of Texas,

and one of the Confederate States of America.

Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within walking distance of this marker: 200th Anniversary of San Antonio Municipal Government (here, next to this marker); Sell the Courthouse (here, next to this marker); "Save the Plaza" (a few steps from this marker); American Legion Memorial Highway (a few steps from this marker); The Canary Islanders (a few steps from this marker); Bexar County Commissioners Court (a

The View of the Lasting Peace with the Apache Nation Marker from the Main Plaza image. Click for full size.

Photographed by James Hulse, August 9, 2021

2. The View of the Lasting Peace with the Apache Nation Marker from the Main Plaza

few steps from this marker); "The Founders" (a few steps from this marker); The West Bank (a few steps from this marker). Touch for a list and map of all markers in San Antonio.

Regarding Lasting Peace with the Apache Nation. When visiting Main Plaza, be sure to look for and locate all 30 significant, historical pavers embedded into the floor of the plaza.

Also see . . .
1. Apache Indians.

The Apache Indians belong to the southern branch of the Athabascan group, whose languages constitute a large family, with speakers in Alaska, western Canada, and the American Southwest. The several branches of Apache tribes occupied an area extending from the Arkansas River to Northern Mexico and from Central Texas to Central Arizona. Generally, the Apaches are divided into Eastern and Western, with the Rio Grande serving as the dividing line. Two groups, the Lipans and the Mescaleros, lived partially or entirely within the confines of Texas. Source: The Handbook of Texas

(Submitted on December 25, 2021, by James Hulse of Medina, Texas.)

2. Toribio de Urrutia: Military Commander of San Antonio de Béxar. (Submitted on October 29, 2025, by Luke Toussaint of Glenview, Illinois.)

The artwork for the Lasting Peace with the Apache Nation Marker image. Click for full size.

Photographed by James Hulse, August 9, 2021

3. The artwork for the Lasting Peace with the Apache Nation Marker

Credits. This page was last revised on December 5, 2025. It was originally submitted on December 25, 2021, by James Hulse of Medina, Texas. This page has been viewed 508 times since then and 47 times this year. Photos: 1, 2, 3. submitted on December 26, 2021, by James Hulse of Medina, Texas.