Barbour County index. [volume] (Medicine Lodge, Kan.) 1880-current, 1882-03-02
ROUGH USAGE.
Captured in Mexico and Marched
Eighty Miles.

Captured in Mexico and Marched
Eighty Miles.
santaFe New Mexican. Feb.I
The reporter learned yesterday that
there was man in the city who had
been with Lieut. Mcdonald for some
time, and who was with that officer
when he was captured in Old Mexico
by the troops of that republic, mention
of which has been made. The par
ticulars of this affair never having been
published, the reporter learned the
gentleman's name and set out to hunt
him up. He was not long in search Of
his man before he found him, and pre-
pared to proceed with the pumping
process.
He was just relating his experience
to some friends when the reporter
came up, and the latter waited to hear
what was being said.
"Yes, was there, sure. There isn't
much TO be told, however. We struck
the trail of the Indians near the line
and went after them. We had four
or five white scouts, about eighteen In
dians, besides us packers. We had an
idea that we were near the line, but
could not tell exactly, so we went right
on until we struck the Janas river.
Then we knew we were over the line,
and would have gone back but our
animals were pretty well played out,
and before we could have reached any
place where grain could be had by
coming back, they would have entirely
given out. So the lieutenant ordered
the men to go on, and the troop rode to
Ascension. The people ceemed all
right, and we got feed for our horses
and mules, and camped in an old cor
raj. We all laid down, except some
Indians, and were soon fast asleep.
The first thing anybody knew, a lot of
men jumped over the corral wall,
which was low, and took the guns
away from the Indian scouts and
hemmed us in. Well, we got up, and
they took our arms away from us and
a good many other things besides.
Lieut.. Mcdonald made no resistance,
because he couldn't in the first place,
and in the second it wasn't our place
to go over there and commence shoot
ing and fighting the authorities. So
we kept still"
"What did they do with you after
that?"
"Well, in the morning they marched
us over to Janas town, where they kept
us two days, and then they took us on
to Casa Grande, making about eighty
miles in all"
"Did you hear why they arrested
youY
"Well, the mayor or head man of the
town, sent off for troops, and said that
there was gang of roughs there, that
had come to take in the town. So the
troopers came in and captured u.s."
"You say they didn't know who you
weret Didn't the lieutenant have on
his uniform"
"No."
"Nor his sabre"
"No."
wasn't he armed at alp"
"Yes, he had his pistol, but his other
things were on his horse"
"Why didn't the guard fire when the
Mexicans jumped the corral wall?"
"Well, they would have, but they
thought the Mexicans didn't under
stand them when they told them to
stop, and they held off until the Mexi-
cans came right up and grabbed the
guns"
"Did you say they had taken every
thing away from you?"
"Yes, they gobbled everything. The
cook said to me that they had taken
his watch, and jerked mine off the
chain and hid it. We got the things
back again or most of them"
"What did they do with you when
you got to Casa Grande?"
"Well, they turned us loose, and we
came home. am the only one that
got all the way back. Lieut.. McDon.
aid went down south but he has been
ordered to Washington. have given
my statement to the officers. and l
wouldn't tell anything wrong"
The talk about Mexican soldiers was
not very complimentary. From Mr..
Coffey's point of view they are not a
very fine body of men, but then he may
be prejudiced. He says that the caval-
ry is made up of larger men than the
infantry, but that they are all small
men.