Watertown republican. [volume] (Watertown, Wis.) 1860-1906, 1871-07-19
AN APACHE AMBUSCADE.
The Fight Near Tucson, Arizona--A Des-
perate Encounter.

l6lb Ill 1l6ut. 5 hl-ldbSu SCOiu-
ing expedition, makes on interesting
report of the fight between the little
body of troops and the forces OF
Apaches that surrounded them in the
wilderness. Some days out in the
march the soldiers came on the track
of squaw This woman was intended
simply as decoy. The Sergeant says:
g [ followed the track about three
fourths of mile, until it entered can
on, which was simply a steep arroyo
seeing that the squaw, In walking along
the sand, had taken greatpalns to make
clear print of her foot at each step,
and that she even avoided all stones
and rocks, in order to do this more eff
fectually, / became convinced that we
were being led into a trap, and deter
mined to leave the canon. Scarcely
had [ reached the top Of the left wall
when [ found my suspicious correct,
as a party of Indians, about Is in num-
Der, wers hid in side canon joining
the one [ had just left, and would have
intercepted my retreat. had [ continued
following the track Being at the time
well posted, thought / could, with
two men, hold them in check while the
third man went off to signal Lieut.
Gushing back as we dismounted to be
ready for them, l saw second and
much larger party on my left, running
toward my rear: [ then deemed it ex-
pedient TO fall back but, while in the
act of mounting, the indians fred
volley, disabling the horse Of private
Green and severely wounding private
Pierce these men started on foot for
the rear, closely followed by the enemy,
who ran so close on Green as to snatch
his hat from his head The third man,
who had signaled Lieut. Gushing, look,
ing back, saw how matters stood, and
fired 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
fred off their rifles, did not stop to re-
load, but kept following US, thinking
to capture us alive. They could easily
have killed us, being all around us with
breech-loaders and revolvers. Some OF
the Indians in the second line kept up
brisk but harmless fire Lieutenant
Cushing now coming up, having With
him Mr. Simpson Ca citizen friend) and
private Chapman, [ stated to the Lieut.
enant that l thought the Indians would
capture Green if we did not go to his
assistance, but he managed to escape
by himself Moving up at once, we
attacked them, the rest of the men COM
ing up now Eve had about II men in
hne,) when a brisk fight ensued in
which we succeeded in driving the In
dams to the hills, they leaving at this
point five dead in our hands We had
three horses killed. Sending back
three men to the pack train, Lieutenant
Gushing gave the command Forward.
[, seeing the disadvantage as we stood,
advancing over open ground to attack
an enemy under cover, oultnumbering us
fifteen to one, said to the Lieutenant
Lieutenant, do you think it prudent
to ofarther2' Mr.. Simpson, gentle
man of much experience, also counsel
ed him to return but the Lieutenant
seemed to think that the Indians were
completely routed. Counting our
party, he said, Eight that ought to
be enough That was the Lieutenant,
Mr.. Simpson, myself, and five privates.
We advanced about 20 yards, when the
Indians opened fire, striking Mr.. Simp-
son in the face, the ball passing out
back of the head. The Lieutenant sent
one man to help him out, thus reduc-
ing our number to six. The Indians,
seeing our party SO small, rushed down
from all sides. 1T seemed as if every
rock and bush became an Indian. [
was at the time about five yards IN adj
vance of Lieut.. Gushing, and hearing
the words, Sergeant, Sergeant, take
me out, take me out, turned and saw
Lieutenant Gushing, face toward the
horses, clasp his hands across
his breast and fall to the ground. Call
ing to FIGHTER to assist me, / seized
the Lieutenant by the right arm, Fich-
| ter taking the lett, and started for the
rear, followed by Green, who, I noticed,
was very lame. The other two men
started to get out the horses. We car
ried the lieutenant about 10or II PAGES,
when he was again shot through the
| head, and fell dead in our arms we
continued to drag the body until we
came up with Yount and Mr.. Simpson,
when the latter was again shot through
the body, killing him instantly. Look
| ing behind me [ saw the enemy within
30 or 40 yards of me, firing as he adj
vaneed. Dropping the body of Lieut.,
Gushing, FIGHTER and myself turned to
sell our lives as dearly as possible,
causing the Indians to pause, thus en-
| abling privates Green and Yount to
mount. Acting Corporal Kilmartin
now opened fire with his party, thus
enabling FIGHTER and myself to mount,
but scarcely had we done so when both
| hnJ oh Io1
| FIGHTERS horse in the flank, third
mine in the fore leg, and fourth kill
| ing private Green. Immediately mount
ing Lieut.. Cushing's horse, [ detached
part Of my command (now reduced to
| IL effective mem to move out with the
pack train, [ keeping the remainder
with me to cover the retreat. Then
commenced 2 running fight for about
a mile, until finding [ had drawn the
enemy from under cover, [ halted to
offer him battle (hoping [ could flank
him and recover the bodies y he halt
ed also, but declined the gage, evident
| ly having had enough of that kind of
/ lighting, preferring to cut off and
ambush me on the trail to Crittenden,
! which passed the foothills within one
| and one-haH mile of his position, L,
! having to go around the mountains,
could strike it in about four miles. -
Seeing through their design, [ crossed
the lilo Barbacoma, four miles above
old Camp Waller, and continued my
! retreat over the mesas. thus placing
the swampy head Of the Barbacoma and
half mile OF ground between me and
the place of ambush and the trail [
had scarcely arrived opposite this place
when the Indians uttered yells Of saw
age rage and disappointment, but were
poWerless to modest me- The Indians
were well handled by their chief, a
| thick, heavy-set man, who never dis
mounted from small brown horse du-
ring the fight. They were not noisy or
bolsterous as Indians generally are
but paid great attention to their chief,
whose designs L could gness at, as he
delivered his Instructions by gestures. y
JOHN Morn,
Serg't troop ''F, - Sd Cavalry.
Lieutenant Mckee.
This officer, who met his death in the
assault by fine naval forces of the Ac;