Worcester daily spy. [volume] (Worcester [Mass.]) 1850-1888, 1871-08-16
A Rear Fight In Arizona.

Correspondence OF the Army and Navy Journal. ]
Ga the 10Th of June last, Captain James c..
Hunt, first cavalry, and Captain w S. Fuller,
twenty first infantry, with five mounted men,
lett Camp Apache, Arizona for short visit to
the Zuni villages, or Pueblo Indians On reach
ing the top of one of the swells, an immense
bear was discovered about mile ahead, evil
IDENTIFY coming down the trail to the river for
water. The bear at the same moment, catching
sight of the party, turned off to his right, and
was heading for the foot hills some eight or
nine miles distant, as if DESTROYS of gaining the
timber. He struck gait apparently Of the
clumsest kind imaginable, but which, when
tested by the speed of the horses, proved that
at least for some distance horse at full speed
can hardly keep up with bear-such as we
find in the chain of the Rocky mountains or the
combinations of that range.
By permission OF Captain Hunt, Captain Full
Ter, with Corporal Hyde and Privates Armstrong
and Haley, started out their horses to overtake
the bear before he could reach the mountains or
the rocks and timbers of the foot hills. With
horses in good condition, and free use Of spurs,
after chase of four or five miles, they succeed
ed in closing to few rods distance, OR about
thirty yards.
Captain Fuller by good luck first succeeded
in sending ball through Bruins hind leg. The
effect was to cause the brute to run on three
legs, with his right hind leg held off the ground,
crimsoned with free flow Of blood. The bear
at first rather increased his speed, hut the wound
soon began to tell on him, as he attempted after
gaining little distance to turn and bite at the
wounded foot. A shot from Corporal Hyde's
carbine again cut him across the ham. The
whole party, keeping up their fire, had drawn
up to within some twenty yards OF him, when he
whirled short around to the left and bounded to-
ward the horse Of Corporal Hyde. The corporal
turned his horse and gave him the spur, but in
wonderfully short time, considering the clum-
hoo. A.,
and caught him by the TANKS. The poor horse
gave one desperate kick, for an instant throwing
off the bear, but in second more the horse
was pulled down on his launches, and with one
motion of his paw the bear knocked Hyde out
of his saddle. The horse galloped off wildly,
while the corporal, without any weapons, was
rolling on the ground struggling for his life in
an actual and literal wrestle with wounded
bear.
1t was desperate position and unequal con-
test on the ground. Captain Fuller and Arm
strong refined in their horses, while within three
yards of their horses feet was this enormous bear
ferociousy biting and tearing the limbs of the un-
lucky corporal. The weapons of the party had
been discharged and were empty; and with the
coolest of men it requires some little time to load
a Spencer carbine or revolver while in the sad
die. Corporal Hyde struggled manfully, strik-
ing with his fists and arm down the mouth and
throat of the bear, while his own blood ran in
SCfSh1lS from HIS WOUNDS.
The bear rose twice on his hind legs, standing
much above the corporaPs head, and the two
literally wrestled as two men would in prize
fight. The wounded leg Of the bear was Hyde's
salvation, or the claws in the brute's hind feet
would soon have torn out his entrails. In fe-
rocity and wildness nothing could surpass the
horrible appearance of the brute, with bloody
foam dripping from his jaws, while the poor man
called to the party to help him for Gods sake or
he would die. No one had a load to fire. Arm
strong, believing that there was load in his
carbine, jumped off his horse and, placing the
muzze of his piece against the side OF the bear,
pulled the trigger, and it only snapped. The
next instant the bear left Hyde and was tum.
bling Armstrong, biting and tearing him as he
had done with Hyde, who was lying covered
with blood few feet distant. 1t looked in this
position of affairs as if two of the party would
receive mortal wounds before the others could
assist them. But here Haley got one load in
his pistol, and fired it at the bear. The ball
must have cut him, for he bounded away from
Armstrong, and, with his leg held up, again ran
for the mountains. The two men presented n
dreadful sight, with pale faces, streams of blood
running down them, and their clothing torn in
shreds After few more shots, and several at
tempts of the brute to get at the horses, he
turned at bay under scrub oak, evidently una.
BILE to go further, and ready to fight. Still the
bears vitality was SO great that dozen more
deliberate shots were required, each passing
through some part of his body, before his head
dropped and he expired.