Camden journal. [volume] (Camden, South-Carolina) 1852-1852, 1852-08-20
NUMBER 67.
Fight with Indians.

other came in from independence. will first
briefly state all Of Henry's Indian fight. Dave
Rhinchart was sent to Corilitas with stock of
goods amounting to $4,000. He sold theswhole
for $4,000 and ran away with it. AS soon as
Henry heard this, he left after him in hot pur-
suit-caught him, and on returning, at about
forty-fve miles this side of Coriitas, four of them,
the whole party, were attacked by band of
sixty Gila Apachcs. They succeeded in taking
possession of mound close by. In the first
charge Of the Indians, the mules were all taken
but one, and Grand Jean desperately wounded
il the thigh. while cndeavoring to save his riding
mules He fell, and the other three men ran
out and fetched, CT dragged him up to the top
Of the mound before the Indians could scalp him
alive. in doing this, two of the men were bad
ly wounded, the Indians using slugs instead of
balls. Night coming on, the Indians retired out
Of gun shot of the mound and built fires all
around this little band of truly courageous men.
They, all wounded but one, spent the night in
fearful anxiety and constant watchfulness.
With mornings dawn, hostility on the part
of the red devils was recommended with active
and vigorous charges. At every charge, they
met with deadly and well directed fire from
this little band. On the second charge, they
saw three fall dead and two badly wounded. On
the third charge, they came up the mound within
pistol range, and then they dealt at them with
Colts army revolvers. At this juncture, they
fled to some distance, still watching them, and
with great coolness, commenced eating the pro-
visions and drinking the water belonging to this
little band on the mound. About 8, P. M, the
Indians again commenced, and with determined
ambition to wipe them out, (in Indian parlance)
They made charge in several places. In the
meantime, our heroes had piled up rocks that
were handy by, and formed a broken kind of
breastwork on one side of the mound, and were
now in wait, their rage and thirst having made
them desperate. At the fourth charge, the par
tv used their rcvolvers as before, with terrible
effect Still the devils persisted, until they in
utter CONSERVATION fled, not knowing how they
could fire so many times, and evidently from one
piece. In the fifth charge, the man notwounded
(by name DAILY J had his clothing, even to the
socs of his shoes, shot and riddled by slugs, but
in no wise injured except by conclusion; the
other three also were in this fix. Henry, at this
charge, received slug in his left leg, in front,
direct on his portemonnaie, which was at the
time filed with douboons and dsilverto the amount
Of $i0O. This saved his leg from being broken,
but the conclusion was SO great as to cripple him
The Indians again retired, and again kindled
their fires evidently intended as decoy, for this
was done and the sun yet an hour and a half
high. In this movement they were out gener-
allied. BY some means they gotta log or stick
of wood and dressed it up in coat, pants and
hat and then Iimping and endeavoring to get
along made demonstration towards the Indi-
ans. At once they charged on them, firing;
down dropped the dressed log, and in the mean
time away went DAILY on the only mule in camp,
(Slightlv wounded at that) for Carrisal for assis
tance; and before the Indians could get back to
their camp and make ready to follow DAILY in
pursuit, he was some distance of, all this time
the three wounded ones pouring it into them
with their rifles. Grand jeans rifle was aSwiss
one. aud carried an ounce and half ball at least
one thousand yards.
Night set in and put an end to hostities.-
But the same ordeal of constant guard had to be
cone over with The three men fatigued and
worn down with want of water and provisions,
their thirst became so great that they had re-
course to powder eating,to allay their extreme
dilemma.
At II, p. m., Henry made up his mind to
reach CarriSal or perish. And with this deter.
mnaion he set out, limping and dragging his
wounded lcg after him. the other two, it seems,
left soon after, and made their escape. Grand
Jean, after travelling some distance, felt his
wound commence bleeding afrcSh; and lie says
he was completely lost, and knowing we'll his
situation, he consigned his soul to his maker,
and fell asleep as he thought, but he had tainted.
The other three reached Carrisal, and soon found
that Grand Jean was missing. At this, DAILY
offered three hundred dollars to a party Of Mexi-
cans to 90 and bring him in, dead or alive.
a party of seventeen started in search ofhim;
found him nscnsiblc about six miles off the road,
and brought him in. Returning consciousness
induced him to believe all was dream. He
soon recovered far cuough to ascertain how he
was saved.
Soon the others proceeded on their journey to
FL paso; leaving him to the care of his saliva
tors He agreed to pay them the three hundred
dollars, but they, the scoundrcls, put him in
prison and threatened him with death, and IN
this way cxtortcd from hin the sum of five hun
drcd and twenty-five dollars: and not satisfied
with this. stole all the movcable property he had,
and then started him of out of their town, still
weak from the mmcMSe loss of blood occasloned
bv the wound in his thigh. He met his boon
and COURAGEOUS companion DAILY with carriage,
in which were the two other wounded men, and
he with the Others were soon in Ell Paso. He
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