The Mesilla Valley independent. [volume] (Mesilla, N.M.) 1877-1879, 1877-12-08

long. The coach was heavily laden with mail
matter that had accumulated for months
Declining an offered escort. Knox and his
/ party departed in the morning. That even
ing fIiey returned: they had been attacked
and defeated by large party Of Indians near
the point Of rocks. thirty miles south Of the
4 post, and all the mail, and most Of their stock
had been captured, within twenty minutes
after receiving the news Captain Greene N d
thirty men were in The saddle and in pursuit
Of the Indians, At midnight we reached the
scene Of the attack and found the ground
s:resn with fragments Of the mutilatesi mail.
Gresnhacks to the amount oi several hun
dresi doiIars were found scattered about the
Indians being ignorant Of their value. lThey
have lesrned . thing or two since them AZ
day break wetook the trail which led throu, h
g pass in the Sierra CabaiIe towards the Rio
Grande, and we soon discovered by the tracks
that the Indians outnumbered us four to one
at least. bnt it was our Srst chance af the red
dsyils, and officers and men werc eouallv
anxious to punish the mursierers of ocr slau-
ghtercd comrades, Barge and Watson. To.
wards noon We found ourselves in narrow
eaiion With sandy bottom, on either side
tiae rpck walls rose far above us: the s.signr
indicated that We serTE not far IcIIind the
enemy. Captsin Greene halted the command
and lirected pse to take four men and recon.
noitre; observing large cottonwood tree
lodged IN bend Of The eaion some 6ye
uandre'l yaEsls below, determined so nas
sisss'si Is HisinnHnf, Irayc my horses ID
charge Of tN'o Of the men and proceed with
the other two On foot We started on a apallap.
aad in few minutes reached the bend al
the cahon. and found ourselves on tie l.ank
ofthe river Iz mi view of fully : hundred
and fifty Indians. some were % tl.e o.,uo.
site l.lnk, SONG were swimming Ire riyes
which Was high some were crossing sand /
bar. aad within twenty Yards OF d we're ! !
DOZEN huge savages locking At Us ii ntter !.
'nazenscals. inssinrtiveiy turned and Nas i
startled l,y the sight of score ot savsges
running down trail into the caiinn behind
p They had undoubtedly l,een stationed
y the rocks % look out for pursuers and
iad discovered as but had not seen The main
'ody q our command; We we're cut of and
o retreat was out Of the question. our cnlv
rope was TO stampede the enemy in our front I
md giving the order 10 charge. We dashed
onward yelling at the top of our voices. AZ
Ve sprang forward the indians nearest 10 us
gathered and ran; as we crossed The sand |
'ar an indian dropped on his knee. strung
= ioow, fitted an arrow, that came zip--a
noment Afterwards, By my ears; before he
ould send another ! gave him two charges
backshot q ten yards distance, threw a. .
ny the useless gnn, drew nsy pistol, aud in /
dosheF moment vas in the river. my horse .
simming, making for The opposite bank.
ee crossed without accident, and rode uron / !,
little knoll whore we dismounted. None
o. had been hit, indeed the indians an :
cared 10 'se the worse frightened and they
ere running In all directions through The
ense cisapparel that lined the river hank ?
2 The opposite side thc indians that had
Ims q bellind as were shouting and gestic- !,
lating, evidently trYIng to make the others /,
aderstsnd that We constituted the cntir, s
'P0sing force They didn't shout long Greene =
ID MS Inen alarraed by the shouting and :
ring came charging down the cailon and !,
Fack them 10 their rear, and then : con. !,
oinsrato mass Of soldiers and Indians came 4
Irging on towards the river yelling like dc.