Deputy U.S. Marshal Wyatt Earp felt he could not rely on the courts for justice and decided to take matters into his own hands. He concluded that the only way to deal with Morgan's assassins was to kill them all. He formed a federal posse and set out in search of those he believed were responsible for attacking his brothers. At Pete Spence's wood camp in the Dragoon Mountains, they found and killed Florentino "Indian Charlie" Cruz. Two days later, near Iron Springs (later Mescal Springs), in the Whetstone Mountains, they were seeking to rendezvous with a messenger for them. They unexpectedly stumbled onto the wood camp of Curly Bill Brocius, including Diehl and other Cowboys. According to reports from both sides, the two sides immediately exchanged gun fire. Wyatt killed Curly Bill and mortally wounded Johnny Barnes. Diehl was unhurt.