Arizona citizen., 1871-06-03
THE fieht at Aqua Fria Cor John Petty's)


 Ranch, on the upper Santa Cruz Valley, Wednesday week, was doubtless about as stubborn defense, all things considered, as ever was made on the part of settlers in Arizona. Mir. John T. Smith, a rancher near there, was in Tucson last Monday, and from him we heard very graphic ac- count of the late raids on those already historic grounds. The savages evidently meant thorough work, as they had force enough to attack Calabasas and Agua Frla Several miles apart) at the same moment. It was thought, however, that the party that killed J. B. Blanchard and George w. Saunders at the former place, for some cause hastened to the assistance of the party fighting Petty, for Blanchard must have lived to crawl in the night out of the field where he was at Ork, on to the trail. He was shot sidewise through the body, which was stripped of all clothing. He is supposed to have defended himself with his gun first, then with his hands warded off thrusts of lance-cuts of which were on his face and sleeves of his shirt, after wards found Saunders was evidently shot through the leg first, running short dis tance with the broken bone indenting the ground; second shot entering his left breast. His body was also stripped. The enemy got at least one good gun and horse before leaving. At Agua Fria, they made a daring-desperate attack; attempted to burn the house over the heads of Petty & Co.,, who, from pOrt-hOles (every house up that way is fort) laid out three of the dusky braves for certain, and the settlers have good reason to believe that five were killed. One of the defenders Ca MeXican) was severely shot in the face-may lose an eye. As soon as the siege was raised, the party abandoned the ranch and came down to Smiths, and soon after all hands went in search of Blanchard and Saunders. The enemy principally succeeded in killing one horse at Agua Fria, but seemed bent on taking other animals from the corral ill the face Ot the deadly fire aforesaid. These Indians were ali afoot-at least no horses were seen with them. The Mexicans who were attacked (and two killed and two wounded) the day before just this side the Sonora line, say the Indians were mostly mounted-one particularly was sporting a dashing black horse. All accounts agree that the enemy had no lack of good arms.
 The Sonoran wounded are at the ranch of MT. Kitchen, one of whom it will go hard withholding shot in the thigh near the groin. | MT. Smith says Blanchard was native of London, England; that his father was an EpiscOpalian clergyman near there. we are otherwise informed that he came to the United States at the age of IS; was at least 40 when killed. And that he was the original locator of the great Yellow Jacket claim on the ComstOck ledge, Nevada. We are informed that Saunders was an Ohioan. And Capt Crandal, of Tucson, informs us that Saunders was first sergeant of (his) ( o. A, lst Cal. Inf 1; enlisted at Lancha Pla- na Amador Co.,. after the war, was Dep uty Sheriff at Santa Fe, N. NJ. He says Saunders was through the Mexican war, and possessed a document from high au- thority complimentary of his bravery at the battle of Buena Vista-he being the only survivor of three who attempted to plant the standard on an important part of the enemy's works; and bullet also struck
 Smith is determined to stick by his farm but he would like to have two or three soldiers to keep house while he could get the crop secured; he says the house is fortified from roof to ground, and the lat ter unencumbered by shrubbery and tall grass From all accounts, he means big, as his is about the last of thirty or moro once extensively cultivated ranchers up there, but depopulated by Indians. We have no doubt Col Dunn will do the best he can for Smith and others, and freely, but the Tucson Depot is so stripped of everything that Capt. Moore had to go to Crittenden for hard tack to make scout on month ago. When Moore is out, there aIe prac- tically no troops at Camp Lowell.