Rutland weekly herald. [volume] (Rutland, Vt.) 1859-1877, 1871-07-13
An Apache Ambuscade.


petition, makes an interesting report of
the fight between the little body of troops
and the forces of Apaches that surround
ed them in the wilderness. Some davs
out in the march the soldiers came on the
track of a squaw. This woman was in
tended simply as decoy. The Sergeant
says:
followed the track about three.fourths
of mile, until it entered canon, which
was simply a deep arroyo; seeing that
the squaw, in walking along the sand, had
taken great pains to make a clear print
of her foot at each step, and that she even
avoided all stones and rocks, in order to
do this more effectuslly, 1 became con.
WINGED that we were being led into a trap,
and determined to leave the canon.
Scarcely had reached the top of the left
wall when / found my suspicious correct,
as party of Indians, about fifteen in
number, were hid in side canon joining
the one l had just left, and would have
intercepted my retreat had / continued
following the track. Being at the time
well posted, thought I could, with two
men, hold them in check while the third
man went off to signal Lieut.. Cushing
back as we dismounted to be ready for
them, I saw a second and much larger
party on my left running towsrd my rear
l then deemed it expedient to fall back;
but while in the act of mounting, the
Indians fired volley, disabling the horse
of private Green and severely wounding
private Pierce; these men started on foot
for the rear, closely followed by the enc
nv. who ran so close on Green as to snatch
his hat from his head. The third man,
who signaled Lieut.. Cushing, looked 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 fired off their rifles, did not
stop to reload, but kept following US,
thinking to capture US alive. They could
easily have killed us, being all around us
with breach leaders and revOlvers. Some
of the Indians in the second line kept Up
a brisk but harmless fire. Lieut.. Cush-
ing now coming mp, having with lin Mr.
Simpson IA citizen FRIEND and private
Chapman, l stated to the Lieutenant that
I though the Indians would capture Green
if we did not go to his assistance. but be
managed to escape by himself Moving
up at once, we attacked them, the rest of
the men coming up now I'VE had about
eleven men in line, when brisk fight en-
sued, in which we succeeded in driving the
Indians 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, Lieut.. Gushing
gave the comma1 d Forward" !, seeing
ha VOL or
over open ground to attack An enemy un-
der cover outnumbering us fifteen to one,
said to the Lieutenant, lieutenant, do
you think it prudent to 60 farther" Mr..
Simpson, gentleman of much experience,
also counseled Kim to return but the.
Lieutenant seemed to think that the In
dams were completely routed. Counting
our barty, he said, "Eight-that ought to
be enough" That was the Lieutenant,
Mr. Simpson, myself and five privates
We advanced about twenty yards, when
the Indians opened fire striking Mr.
Simpson in the face, the ball passing out
back of the head. The Lieutenant sent
one man to help him out, thus reducing
our number TO six. The Indians, seeing
cur party so small, rushed down from all
sides. 1t seemed as if every rock and
time about five yards in advance Of Lieut..
| Cushing, and hearing the words, Ser
gesnt, Sergeant, take me out, take me
out" turned and saw Lieut. Gushing, face
towards the horses, clasp his hands across
his breast and fall to the ground. Calling
to FIGHTER to assist me, seized the Lieu
tenant by the right arm, FIGHTER taking
the left hand and started for the rear, fol-
lowed by Greon, who I noticed was very
lame. Tho other two men started to get
out the horses. We carried the Lieuten-
ant about ten or twelve PAGES. when he
was sgsin shot through the head and fell
dead i'll 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. Looking behind me l saw the
enemy within thirty or forty yards of me,
firing as they advanced. Dropping the
body of Lieut.. Gushing, FIGHTER and my
self turned TO sell our lives as dear s. pos
sible, causing the Indians to pause, thus
enabling private Green and Yoant to
mount. Acting Corporal Kilmartin now
opened fire with his party, thus enabling
FIGHTER and myself to mount, but scarce
! " had we done so when both horses were
shot, two balls striking Fitchter's horse in
the flank, third mine in the fore leg,
and fourth killing private Green. I'm
mediately mounting Lieut.. Gushing
horse, detached part Of my command.
now reduced to fourteen effective men
to move ont with the pack train, keep
ing the remainder with me to cover the
retreat. Then commenced a runpip|
| fight for about a mile, until finding J I'D
drawn the enemy from nnder - I
| halted to offer them battl' Amino 7
could flank them and rec' yer the bodies
they halted also: but declined the gage
eVlaen,iy preIerfln' to cut off and smbusi
me On On tne 'i h;r Crittendep, which pass
- INC lis within one and one-hal
ms nrs a. lis position, /, having TO g
t o he mountains, could strike II II
go four miles. Seeing through thel
ue' ign, crossed the Rio. Barbacoms. tou
! niles above old Camp Waller, and con
tinued my retreat over the mesas. thu
placing the swampy head of the Barba
coma and half mile of ground betwee
: me and the place of ambush and the tral
t l bad scarcely arrived opposite this place
when the Indians uttered yells OF ssvag
. rage and disappointment, but were pow
erless to modest me. The Indians wer
we'll handled by their chief, thick
= heayy-set man, who never dismounte
from a small brown horse during th
fight. They were not noisy or boisterou
: az Indians generally are, but paid Rrea
: attentention to their chief, whose design
i [ could guess at, as he delivered his in
struetions by gestures. JOHN MOTT,
Sergeant troop "F," Third Cavalry.