Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1872-05-18
Horrible Massacre.

Washington, II. report has been re-
| ceived at the war department giving details
of the massacre by Indians, Mexicans and
Negroes combined, of persons in charge OF
a train Of supplies, en- route to fort Stockton,
at Howard's Mills, near old fort Lancaster.
The facts, as reported to Gen. Anger by Col
Merritt of the 9th cavalry, under date of
April 81, from fort Clark are as follows:
On the 10Th inst, arrived with the cav
airy of my command at Towards Mills,
few hours too late to prevent one Of the
most horrible massacres that has ever been
perpetrated on this frontier. A Mexican
train loaded with U. s. commissary and ord
nance stores, on its way from San Antonio to
tort Stockton, was attacked by Indians.
They plundered and burned all the people
with the train. My command buried eleven
bodies and brought in three wounded men
and one woman to this post. Before arriving
at the burning train, the first intimation we
had of the horrible disaster, was the charred
and blackere1 corpses of some of the poor
victims, but no one was alive to tell the hor-
rors of the affair. l supposed up to this
time that Capt. Sheridan with infantry of my
command was in camp at Howard's Mills,
about one mile from the scene Of the messa-
ere and while yet some distance from the
point the smoke of the burning wagons was
mistaken for his camp fires. What con-
trNed me in this belief was that / knew at
least sergeant and four men were at the
mill in charge of forage. The command
moyed rapidly toward the mill, when the ser
geant in charge of the detachment at the
point was met and he pointed out the course
the Indians had taken with the stolen animals
belonging to the train. In less time than it
takes TO relate it, the trail was found and
rapid pursuit at once made by companies A.
and II. of the 9th caYlry, commanded re-
spectively by Capt. Cooney and Lieut. Vim
cent. After following the trail some seven
or eight leagues, they came upon the Indians
and sharp fight ensued, in which Lieut..
Vincent was MORALLY wounded. Capt Coon
er was painfully, though not seriously in
Jured by his horse falling while moving at a
rapid gait. The troops behaved well, but
being recruits, without experience in Indian
fighting, they squandered their ammunition,
and want Of supplies made protracted pur-
suit impossible.
A woman who escaped, reports that six
Indians were killed in the fight. Words fail
committed by the demons who overpowered
the train. Men, several of them were taken
alive, tied to wagons and burned. An old
woman was carried some distance from the
place and then shot and scalped. He grand
child had its ears cut off, was scalped and
had its brains dashed out while her daugh-
ter, the mother of the child, who witnessed it
all, as also the death of her husband at the
train, was carried off by the fends. More
than one poor wretch crawled from the burn
ing wagons after the ropes which had bound
them were burned off, only to burn to black
ened, unacceptable masses with their
charred hands and faces raised in positions of
entreaty. The train had 9 men with it.
Eb, a,,,la o{ &La
children. 1t is feared that one woman was
taken away by the band, though it is possible
she as well as the other body unaccounted
for, was burned to ashes with the wagons.
1t is reported that the band consisted of
from l25 to 100 men, and was composed Of
Indians, Mexicans and deserters from the
army.