The Republican journal., 1871-07-20
An Apache Ambuscade.

\
the fight between the little body of troops
{ and the forces of the Apaches that sur
rounded them in the wilderness. Some
days out in the march the soldiers came
on the track of squaw. The woman was
intended simply as a decoy. The sergeant
says:
followed the track about three fourths
Of 4 mile until it entered 4 canon, which
was simply II deep arroya; seeing that
the squaw, in walking along the sand, had
taken great pains to make y clear print of
her foot at each step, and that she even
avoided all stones and rocks. in order to do
this more ellcctually, | became convinced
that we were being led into q trap, and
determined to leave the canon. Scarcely
had | reached the top of the left wall
when found my suspicious correct, as II
party OF Indians, about fifteen in number,
were hid in side canon joining the one
ed my retreat had | continued following
the ty.c,,> Being at the time well posted,
| thought | could, with two men, hold
them in check while the third man went
of to signal Lieut.. Cushing back; as we
dismounted to be ready for them, saw
Il second and much larger party on my
left running toward my rear; then
deemed it eXpelient to tall back but
while in the act Of mounting, the Indians
fired volley, disabling the horse of pri-
vate Green, and severely wounding pri-
vate Pierce; these men started on foot for
the rear. closely followed by the enemy,
who ran so close to Green as to snatch his
nat from his head. The third man, VINO
| mad sISnalled Lieut.. CushnS, looking
| back, saw how matters stood,:anu llreu
into the Indians, who, no doubt thought
that the main body had come up as they
| paused, giving us TIME TO escape The
front line OF the Apaches they advanced
in two lines) having fired OIL their rifles,
ana not stop to reload, but kept following
up, thinking to capture all awe. lhey
| could easily have Killed US, beng all
around us with breacf-loaueFs anu re-
volyers. Some of the Indians in the
second line kept up Il brisk and harmless
fire. Lieut.. Gushing now coming up,
haTing with him Mr.. Simpson "a citizen
friend) and private Chapman, | stated to
the Lieutenant that | thought the Indians
woull capture Green if we did not 90 to
liz assistance. but he MANAGED to escape
Inv bimspIf Moyino M at once. we at
ta,,.nl thnm tha roSt Of the mon comino
IN now (wn hal ahont II men in line5
wna,, !, hrisL tirht ansuel in which we
succnoIod in driyino the Indians 10 the
b;us ,bnv LEAVING af this noint five dead
II an. hands W. had thren horses killed
SonG;ner hacl- threo Mon to the mack train
i.ut Cushing oovo tho commend .sFor-
w,rJr, T saeino, tbn d;sadvant,oe rs we
stood alv,ncino over omen urolnd to at-
tacl, an enomv Under cover oIItnumberinp
No Gftaan to one said to the I.ieutenant
~ ;nntnnont IN Van tbinl, if nrrdent to
oo f,rthnr 81, NJr Simnson \ gentleman
0f mlch axnar;enco also counseled him to
retnrn hrt the .ieutcnant seemed to think
th.t III Indians were completely routed,
Cnpntino orr nartv he said ..Eioh,. that
opobt 10 hn nnonob y That was the Lieu
tenant Mr. Simn7on. myself. and five p,i
v,tes
W. advanced ahout ~ wards. when the
Indians nncnr1 fire stril,ino Mr. Simpson
in thr face. the ball passing out back of
thn hoal The T,ientenant sent one man
To- help him ONT. Tins reducino our num-
Ler to s> Tho lnai,ne, .eoi"s our party
80 small. rushed down from all sides. 1t
seemed rs If every rock and bush became
an Indian. | was at the time about five
yards n advance OF Lieut., Cushing, and
hearing me words, 'Sergeant, Sergeant,
take me out, take me ont, turned and
saw Lieut.. Gushing lace toward the
horses, clasp hls hands across his breast
ami fall to the ground. Calling FIGHTER
to assist me, seized the Lieutenant by
the right arm, Flchter taking the left, and
started Tor the rear, followed by Green.
who noticed was very lame. The other
two men started to get out the horses.
We carried the Lieutenant about ten or
twelve PAGES, when ne was again shot
through the head, and fell dead in our
arms. we contlhued TO drag the body
until we came up with 4ount and Mr..
simpson, Wheh the latter was again shot
IhrouSh ,he oooy hillihS nm instantly
Looking behind me saw the enemy with
n ~ Or ~ yarus OF me- flnng as ne ad-
Vahted. dropping the body OF Lieut..
cushing FIGHTER ana myself turned to
seiI our llNes As deafiV as possible, caus-
lhg thc INDIANS 10 pause, mus enabling
pflyates Nreeh anu 1ouht TO mount.
Acting Corporal hlilmartln now opened
| llra with ms party, mus enabling FIGHTER
anu mysell 10 mount put scarcely had we
done so when poth horses were shot, two
| 'Ni.' ~. - i ~ ~ WV iieiiN'
? third mime m the tore leg, and q
fourth killing private Green 1mmedi-
ately mounting lheut. Cushing's horse, l
detached part OF my company (noW re
duced TO fourteen ehcctlyc men) to move
out with the pack train' Keeping the re-
malnder with me TO cover the retreat
the enemy from under cover, | halted TO
offer him battle (hoping | could flank
him and recover the bodies y he halted
also. but declined the eare, evidently
having had enough of that kind of tioh1
mo. preterring to cut of and ambush me
on the trail 10 Crittenden, which passed
the foot hills within one and half miles
of his position. having to 90 around thc
mountains, could strike it in about four
miles Seeing through this design, cross
ed The Rio Barbacoma. four miles above
old Fort Waller, and continued nv retreat
over the mesas, thus placing the swampy
head of the Barbacoma and Il half mile
of ground between me and the place of