The Hickman courier., 1872-05-25
THE TEXAS MAssACRE.
Full Details of the Terrible
RufcherY.

Full Details of the Terrible
Rutchery.
A report was received yesterday at the
War Department giving the details OF
massacre By Indians, Mexieans. and ne
groes combined, of persons in charge OF
the train of supplies, en- route to Fort
Stockton, at Howard's Well near old
Fort Lancaster. The facts, as reported
to General Augar by Colonel Merrett, OF
the Ninth Cavalry, under date of the
29th of April, from Fort Clark, are Civ
en- as follows
On the Goth inst, arrived with the
cavalry of my command at Howard 5
Well, few hours too late to prevent one
of the most horrible massacres ever per-
petrated on the frontier. AS Mexican
train, loaded with United States commits
sares, was on its way from San Antonio
to Fort Stockton, it was attaked by lndi-
ans, pluudered, and burned; all the peo
pie with the train Seventeen souls IN alp
were killed or wounded; except one wo
man. My command buried eleven bodies
and brought three wounded men and one
woman into this posf, Before arriving
at
THE BURNING TRAIN.
The first intimation we had of terri
bic disaster was the charred and black
eued corpses of some of the poor victims,
but no one was alive to tell the horrors
of the affair. 1t is supposed up TO this
time that Captain Sheridan, with infantry
of my command, was in camp at
Howards Well, about 4 mile from this
scene Of the massacre, and while yet
some distant from this poiut, the smoke
Of the burning wagons, mistaken for his
camp fires; confirmed me IN this belief.
l knew at last that a sergeant and four
men were at the Well in charge of for
age The command moved rapidly to-
ward the Well, when the sergeant in
charge og the detachment al that point
was met, and pointed out the course the
Indians had taken with the stolen animals
belonging TO the train. In less time than
it takes to relate, the trail was found,
and rapid pursuit at once made By com
panies A aud II of the Ninth Cavalry,
commanded respectively by Captain
Cooney and Lieutenant Vincent. After.
FOLLOWING THE TRAIL
Some seven or eight miles, the cavalry |
came upon the Indians in force on the /
summit of steep and almost impossible /
bluff Here a sharp fight occurred, IN /
which | regret to say, Lieutenant Fred |
r. Vincent fell mortally wounded, while
bravey leading and attempting to control
his men. He died shortly after return
lug to camp. About 10 clock that night
Captain Coonsy was painfully, though
not seriously. injured by his horse fall
ing while moving at a rapid gait lie.
however, remounted and retained his
The men of his company behaved very
well, but being in great part recruits,
without experience IN the Indian fight,
ing (Which was the case in company II
to a still greater extenD. they squander-
ed their ammunition, and the lack Of the
ammunition made protracted pursuit
Of the Indians impracticable. \ woman
who escaped reports that six Indians
we're killed in the fight
Words fail to convey an idea Of the
'ickening atrocities committed by the
lemons who overpowered the train men.
Several of them were taken alive, tied to
wagons, and burned.
The woman was carried some distance
rom the place Of attack. aud then shot
I'D scaIped Her grandchild had its
ars cut off was scalped, and had its
rains dashed out, while her daughter
he mother OF the child-who Witnessed
t all. as also the death of her husband
It the train, was carried off by the fieuds
More than'one poor wretch crawled from
he burning wagons. after the ropes which
pound them had burned off, only to
burn TO.
BLAcKENED, UNREcoGNIZABLE MASSES
With their charred hands and faces rails
ed in position of entreaty. The train
had nine men with it. The remainder
of the party were women and children.
1t is feared that Que woman was taken /
away by the band, though it is possible
that she, as we'll as other bodies unac-
counted for, was burned to ashes with |
the wagons.
1t is reported that the baud consisted
Of from one hundred and twenty FIVE to |
one hundred aud fifty men, aud was
composed of Indians, Mexicans, aud de
serters Of the army. \ number Of arms
and supplies Of ammunition were taken |
from the train by the band before burn
ing it. How many arms, cannot say.
1t was the supply which was late
IL sent from the arsenal at San Antonio
to Fort Stockton.
General Argur in this report expresses
the opinion that the Indians came from
Mexico. and this belief Is sustained by
the fact that the Mcxicans aud deserters
from cOlored regiment were with them.
such deserters universally escaping into
Mexico.