- He led the Apache in resistance against the US Army during the Apache Wars, particularly after the Bascom Affair
- He led the Apache in hiding in the Dragoon Mountains (Cochise Stronghold) for over a decade, evading capture
- Cochise's name is associated with the Cochise County in Arizona, and he is remembered as a skilled military leader and a key figure in Apache history
- He eventually negotiated a peace treaty and a reservation was established for the Chiricahua.