Rutland weekly herald. [volume] (Rutland, Vt.) 1859-1877, 1872-05-23
Al Indian Massacre.
WASHINGTON. MaE


+ 4 report has been received at the War
/ Department giving details Of a MASSACRE
by Indians. Mexicans and negroes con-
bined. of persons in charge Of a train Of
supplies en- route to Fort Stockton, ct
Towards Wells. near old Fort LalG-
ter. The facts as reported to Genrsi
Anger by Colonel Merritt of the Nirl
cavalry. under date Of April 9th, fr1
Fort Clarke, are as follows:
On the Goth inst. / arrived with the
cavalry of my command at Howaris
Wells, a few hours too late to prevent
one of the most horrible massacres that
has ever been perpetrated on this from
/ tier. A Mexican train. loaded with
United States COmmissaTv and ordnance
/ stores, on its way from San Antonio and
/ Fort Stockton, was attacked by indians
and plundered and burned All the peo-
/ pie with the train. numbering seventeen
souls in all. were killed and wounded.
/ except one woman. My command buried
/ eleven bodies and brought in three
wounded men and one woman To this
fort. Before arriving at the burning
train. the first iutimati0n we had Of The
horrid disaster was the charred and
blackened cOTpses of some of the poor
victims. hut no one was alive 10 tel tbe
horrors of the affair I supposed upt0
this time that Capt. Sheridan, with IL
fantry Of my command, was in camp st
Towards Wells. about one mile from
the scene of the massacre, and whileyet
some distance from the point. the smoke
Of the burning wagons was supposed 10
he their camp fires. What confirmed
me in this belief was that | knew that al
least a sergeant and four men were al
the Wells in charge of forage. The COM
mand then marched rapidly toWq-a ihe
Wells. when the sergeant in charge u
the detachment at the point was met,
and he pointed ont the course the IT.
dams had taken with the stolen animas
belonging TO the t ain. in less time than
II takes to relate it. the train was formed
and a rapid pursuit at once made by
companies 4 and III of the Ninth car
airy. and Lieut. Vincent.
After a pursuit of seven or eight mics
the cavalry came upon the Indians u
force on the summit Of a steep and AZ
most impossible bluff. Here d shaEP
fight occurred. in which, / regret TO say
: Lieut.. lLl'tlll ltIt- uibI ldAIA WIN
while brayely leading and attempting 10
control his men. He died shortly ara
returning TO camp, about ten oclofA
that night. Capt. CO0ney was palnialt'
though not seriously, injured 10y DE-
horse falling while moving at raTl--
gait. He however mounted and retalne
his command. Themen Of his COMPANY
behaved very well, but being in greai
dian fighting. which was also the case 10
Co ii, 10 a still greater extent, they
sauandered their ammunition. and the
lack of ammunition and supplies made
protracted pursuit Of the Indians I'M
possible.
A woman who escaped reports that
six were killed in the Indians fight
Words fail 10 convey an idea Of The
sickening atrocities committed by the
demons who oyerpowered the train men.
Several Of them were taken alive, tleo
to wagons and burned. An old woman
was carried from the place of attack ano
then shot and scalped. Her grandchild
had its ears cut off, was scalped and had
its brains knocked out, while her daugh.
ter. the mother of the child, who wit
messed it all, as also the death of hel
Z
the fiends More than one poor wretcl
crawled from the burning wagons after
the ropes that bound them were burned
off, only to burn to blackened, unrecog
nizable masses, with their cbarred hand:
and faces raised In positions of entreaty
The train had nine men with it; the re-
mainder of the party were women and
children. 1t is feared that one woman
was taken away by the band, though /
is possible she, as well as the other bod.
les unaccounted for, was burned 70
ashes with the wagons.
1t is reported that the band consisted
of from 100 to $50 men, and was com
posed of Indians, Mexicans and deserters
from the army. A number of arms and
ammunition was taken from the train,
by the band, before burning it. HoN
many arms l cannot say. 1t was sup
ply which was lately sent from the arse
nal at San Antonio to Fort Stockton.
Gen. Augur in this report expresse
the opinion that the Indians came iron
Mexico, and this belief is sutained y
the fact that the Mexicans and desertei,'
from the colored regiments were VIII
them, such deserters universally escap'
ing into Mexico.