Ellsworth American. [volume] (Ellsworth, Me.) 1855-current, 1866-07-13
A Desperate Adventure.


While encamped on the 18th Of April,
at spring near the Spanish trail. We were
surprised by the sudden appearance amopg
us OF two Mcxicais, a min and boy the
name OF the man was Andrcas Fuentae. and
that OF the boy, "a handsome lad Of elever
years. Pehlo Hernandez. With cavaY-
cade af about thirty horses, they had come
out IRON Puen'a de ios Angeles, near the
Pacific; had lost half Of their animals. sto-
ien py indians' ana now sought my camp
Ior aid. larson ana 1odey. TWO q my
men: Volunteered 20 pursue them with the
Mcxlcan, anu wen m'ountcd, tne tnree set
ON on une tIail' IN tne evening Fuentar
returhea, ms morse having laied' Dut Cae-
sol, an" "odey had continued the pursuit.
In tue AFTERNOON Of the next gay war
MnooP was neaiu' sucn ~ inoians make
"hei returning rom VICTORIOUS cnseTprise
an" soon carson ana C"dcy appearedt driv-
'ng before tnen pahd oI nor:es; fecoeniz-
ca ~ fucmtas 10 De part 0t tnose tncy
liaa 'ost. Two moody scaips' danghng
from inc end OF Godey's gun announced
that they had oVertakeii the lndians az well
as inc h"rses. lney had continned tfe
pursuit alone a'tcr fucntas nad LETT them.
ana 1oMards n'Yhl,a'l entered the noun
tains 'hto whicli inc tau led. Aiter sun,
set the moon gave iiynt. ana they followed
tne ffa'' ny moonlight until iass IN the
I's".. Mhen II en,ered narrow denle' ana
was a'1cait .!I 70 follow. Here they lsy from
ln'un'sn' t'l' morning. AZ dayhent tney
lesu"'e" :. "'e pursuit, anu ~ sunrise olscVx-
ered :he horses ana innlediatsiy dis
mourning ana tyihg up their own' they
crept cautiously 70 rising ground which,
lntefvened' from the crest OF which they
perceived the encal'pment oi tour lodges
close ny. Ihey proceeded quietly, and had
got within thirty and forty Yards Of their
es discovered them to the Indians. Giving
the wal shout, they instantly charged into
the camp, regardless Of the numbers which
ans received them with a fight Of arr0'wf,,
shot from their long bows, one of which
passed through Godey's shirt collar, barely
missing the neck. Our men freltl
rifles with steady aim. and rushed in
Two Indians were stretched upon the
ground, fatally pierced with bullets; the
rest fled, except lad who was G, ptured.
The scalps of the fallen men were instant
ly stripped off; in the process, one Of them
who had two halls through his bodv, spranS.
To Ills Iec(, Tie DlOOu streaming from hlb
skinned head, and uttered a hiaeous howl.
The frightfnl spectacle appalled, the stout
hearts Of our men; but they did what Lut-. .
mantp required, and quickly terminated
the agonies of the gary savage. They
were now masters of the camp, which was
a pretty little recess in the mountains, with
line spring. and apparently safe from all
invasion. Great preparations had beer
made for fcastiug a large party, for IL wss
Il very proper place for a rendezvous, and
the celebration Of snch "-s;s. ~ roLboro Of
RI" desert would delight in. Several Of
the best horses had been killed, skinned
and cut up--for the Indians living III the
mountains, and only coming into the plains
to rob and murder make no other use Of
horses than to eat them. Large earthefn
vessels were 'n the fires boiling ana stew
ing the horse beet; and several baskets.
containing fifty or sixty pairs OF mOccasins
Indicated the presence or expectation of a
large party. They released the boy, who
gave strong evidence Of the stOicitm or