Slike strani
PDF
ePub

mile away. There were at least seventy-five Pimas and Maricopas, and only two MohaveApaches drove off that many men. The chief's son-in-law drove the horses, and Dela-cha stood on top of the hill calling to the enemy, saying: 'I am here; come to me if you dare; be men!' He could hear them crying and he said that they must have been a lot of old women crying about some of their comrades being killed and wounded, and he said that when any of his men were killed he did not cry. So the two of them drove the horses across the hills to their old camp, and told the rest that they had lost one man. brother of the young man who had been killed threatened to kill Dela-cha, but to satisfy him Dela-cha gave him three of the horses, and told him that they had killed many of their enemies, and if the dead man had heeded his orders he probably would not have been killed, and finally the brother of the dead man was quieted.

The

"About a year after that many of the Indians gathered together and agreed to go out and wait for soldiers on the road between Fort Reno and McDowell, so they went to the same place where Dela-cha and his comrades had had the fight with the Pimas and Maricopas, and kept watch over the road and finally saw some soldiers coming, about eight or ten of them leading their horses. A runner was sent back to the camp to get the brother of the man who had been killed the previous year, because they knew that when he saw the soldiers he would go right after them, no matter whether he got killed or not. He was lonely over the loss of his brother and did not care whether he got killed or not. It is this way

with the Indians, when one is killed they want to end their own lives, or kill someone of their own people and be killed themselves.

When

"In this band there were about sixty-five strong young men, good brave warriors, and three big chiefs. Some were from the Tonto Basin country, and two of the chiefs were of the Mohave-Apaches from the Superstition Mountains and Four Peaks, and Salt River. the runners brought word that the soldiers were near the gap, the ambush was placed and it was decided who were to shoot first. Almost all of the Indians were armed with guns and pistols. About fifteen men were stationed close to the road behind the bushes. The runners had brought word that the soldiers had no guns with them and were only leading the horses. Before they reached the ambush, however, some of the soldiers mounted their horses; the word was given to fire on the soldiers, and four of them dropped dead and two were wounded. One of the soldiers ran his horse past the whole line and escaped. The Indians soon got the soldiers who were wounded, and chased the one who had escaped on his horse, but could not catch him. Some of the Indians who had chased him said when they came back, that he was wounded with an arrow in the back, and that his horse was also wounded. All the rest of the soldiers were dead except one who was in a deep gulch or hole, and only had a pistol and was shooting at the Indians with it. The Indians all said to each other to count the shots because a pistol only had six bullets and when the soldier had fired the last one they would rush in and kill him. Just at this moment, however, an Indian who had been sent

out with a party to watch the road from McDowell, was seen running down the hill towards where the soldier was. He was told that the soldier only had two or three shots, and that as soon as his pistol was empty, they intended to rush him. He would not listen to them, however, but rushed in on the soldier and attempted to kill him with a spear. He missed his man, struck the spear into the ground, and fell on the soldier's back. The soldier was knocked down, but reached under his arm and shot the Indian right through the breast. At that shot all the Indians rushed in and killed the soldier. The Indians got eight guns, seven pistols and four horses. They did not dance over the dead soldiers as they had one dead also, although some of the Indians said that they ought to dance anyhow and not mind the one Indian's death as it was his own fault that he lost his life; that he just got what he was looking for.

66

'A party followed the mounted soldier who had gone on the road towards McDowell and when they returned they said that they had found the horse dead, with the saddle on, but that the man must have gone to Fort McDowell on foot. Some wanted to follow him but the chief said that they had killed enough without much loss, and if they undertook to follow the soldier who had escaped, he might hurt some more of their men.'

[ocr errors]

INDEX.

ADAMS, S.-Defeated candidate for delegate to Congress, 88;
mention of, 89.

AGRICULTURE AND CLIMATE—Mentioned by Governor Good-
win in message, 114.

ALDRICH, MARK-Member of First Legislative Assembly, 89.
ALEXANDER, T. M.-With family, early arrival in Prescott, 211.
ALSAP, JOHN T.-Mention of, 37; appointed first Treasurer of
Territory, 189; with John Roundtree, opens first saloon in
Prescott, 215; with S. C. Miller and Con Moore, attacked by
Apaches, 255; accompanies King Woolsey's expedition as sur-
geon, 274,

ALLYN, JUDGE JOSEPH P.-One of first three Judges of Terri-
tory, assigned to Second Judicial District, 74; resigns, 246;
candidate for delegate to Congress, defeated, 246.

ANDERSON, CAPT. ALLEN L.-In fight with Indians, 285.
ANDERSON, JAMES.-Chief Clerk of House of Representatives
of First Legislature, 94.

APACHES-Description of by C. D. Poston in speech in Congress,

159.

APPEL, NATHAN B.-Member of First Legislative Assembly, 90.
APPROPRIATIONS-By First Territorial Legislature for Schools,
135, 136; First General Appropriation Bill, 140 et seq.
ARIZONA MINER-Publication of by T. E. Hand, 31; said to
have been first published at Camp Clark, 46; occupies first
house completed on original town site of Prescott, 194; first
issue of in Prescott, 194.

BACKUS, JUDGE HENRY T.-Appointed to succeed Judge Wm.
T. Howell, resigned, 246.

BAKER, ELIHU-Mention of, 78.

BANTA, A. F.-Accompanies expedition into Arizona to establish
post at gold diggings, and tells story of, 31 et seq.; mention
of, 93.

BARNETT & BARTH-Start store at Prescott, 206.
BARTH-See Barnett & Barth.

BASHFORD, COLES-President of Council of First Legislative

Assembly, 89, 90, 94; biography of, 90 et seq.; one of first two
lawyers in Prescott, 213; returns East disgusted with Arizona,
245; one of first two lawyers in Tucson, 249.

BEACH, CHARLEY-Mention of, 34, 38.

BEAR PEN-Name of one of first houses in Prescott, 194; men-
tion of, 213.

BEAUCHAMP, J. W.-Estate of, first to be administered in Pro-
bate Court of Yavapai County, 247; killed by Indians, 267.
BEHAN, JOHN H.-Mention of, 33, 34.

BENEDÍCT, A. C.-Mentioned by General Carleton in correspond-
ence, 4, 12; his object with the Walker Party, 27; exposes
"Southern" plan of Walker Party, 29, 30; death of, 30.

(357)

« PrejšnjaNaprej »