Public ledger. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1865-1893, 1877-07-07
SOME INDIAN FIGHTING.
what a man OF COOInena and
Courage Can 10.

- DVs
One Of the editors Of San Antonio
Express was recently at Fort Stockton.
and relates the story Of a heroic achieve.
ment near that place by Mr.. James d.
Spears, now residing on a farm in Tom
Green county, Texas:
-Four miles west Of the station. in q
mesquite fiat, is a spot which was the
scene of q combat with Indians. In
April, 1870, twenty-six Comanches at.
tackled the down stage The driver was
A. j. Bobo, and two colored soldiers
were aboard as guards. The only other
passenger was James d. Spears, the
agent OF the Ell Paso Mail Company.
Fortunately the mules were gentle, and
the stage was halted when the Indian a
approached. As they emerged abreast
from the mesquite thicket within forty
yards, Spears wLo was standing with his
LETT foot on the step and his right knee
against the stanchiop inside, called out
to the Indians: Hold up; where are
you goingY' There was a momentary
halt and a hurried handling of weapons:
but, before they fired a volley, the clear
crack Of Spears Winchester rife had
rung out three times, and three Indians
tumbled from their saddles. At the uu-
expected reception the party scattered.
and continued the fight in ancient Ir.
dian style-by dashing at full gallon in
circles around the stage, yelling and FIR
ing az they ran One gigantic Indian
holder than the rest, had bis thigh bro.
ken by a ball from Spears Winchester.
and fell sprawling to the ground. but
rose holding fast to the reins and be-.
gan to hop of, leading his horse, when
another bullet from the same death.deal.
ing rifle felled him to a last embrace of
mother earth. Meanwhile, another dash.
ing brave, riding at full speed upon a So.
peru white horse WAS shot dead by Bobo.
who fired bis carbiue with his right hand
while holding the whip and reips in his
LETT The horse was killed a moment
alter by Spears, and fell not far from
his. just after this, among the numer.
GUS bullets fired by the Indians, one
struck and wounded one OF the stage
mules, ana The team took fright and ran
on 10 the station. The Indians did NOT fol.
low. During the fight, one of the color
ed guards was so paraly zsd with fright
that his gun dropped from his hands,
without a shot being fred by him, and
the other, after shooting once at an an
gle OF iorty-five degrees upward, subsidized
INTO the interior Of the stage, showing a
large surface OF white about the eyes and
mouth. No one in the stage was hit.
Five Indians we're killed and four woun-
ded. Two Of their horses were killed
and five were crippled. The Indians "a.
moved their dead and wounded as usual.
but the bones are still to be seen on the
roadside where they fell.
This encounter was not more desper.
ate, however, than another had on the
Staked Plains, tweHty miles west of the
scene above described, the year follow
ing, in which Mr.. Spears, s~ingle.banded
fought aud ~repulsed forty Indians. On
this occasion the East and West bound
stages had met and gone into camp for
breakfast, and the eight mules were rraz.
ing at a distance Of seventy yards from
camp, when the Indians suddenly an.
peared on a ridge and charged. Spears.
calling to the drivers and two guards n
follow him-a summons they obeyed bv
keeping behind the coaches-adyanced
alone and placed himself between the
mules and the Indians, and as the latter
made their charge, he opened fire at
close quarters, at the same time ~reeeiy.
ing a volley from the whole party. For
tune iavors the brrTe, and this shower
OF missiles, although throwing M the
dust at his feet and on each side. passed
without touching him. Not 40 wildly
hsw the bullets that sped in rapid sue
eession from his own trusty Winchester:
Tor as the Indians-who were lashed to
their horses, as is often their custom
when going into battle-wheeled and
drew OIL, no less than seven of them dan
gled, head downwsrds, from their sad.
dies, their horses being led away bv their
comrades. Besides those who were kill.
ed, several were wounded before thew
could get out o fthe range of Spears rife.
The Indians retreated to the ridge. sev.
eral hundred yards of, and kent mn a
d%esnltory fire with long range gnns.
while the chief, in full wal dress. with a
silver plated cue hanging from his head
to his heels, danced TO and fro OF the
summit, singing a war ions of defiance.
Watching Tor the moment when he
hpalsed in making a turn, Spears fred,
and before the echoes began TO reyerate,
the swift leaden messenger had done its
fatal work, and the chief fell with his
last wal song on his lips. This ended
the fight.
None of Spears party were hurt OK.
eept one ofthe soldiers, who was slightly
wounded i in the foot, and the stage mules
we're all saved. One ball struck the
muzzle Of Spears riff, during the firing,
and another lodged within a few inches
OF bis face, after passing through the
several t~hlcknesses OF a folded blanket
that hung from the stage top. This
hight lasted three hours, aud ten or
twelve lndians were killed and wounded.
The 1vial Bobo, who is a native of
Ialladega counry, AL, and was a men,
Der OF the 22i Alabama Regiment, and
wounded both at Shiloh and Nashville,
still drives the stage past the scene Of
the conflict of 1870.
Young Rudy, who rode for a surgeon
opd eayaJ Uayaat - CT