The Lambertville record. [volume] (Lambertville, N.J.) 1872-1968, 1882-08-16
MISCELLANY.
APACHE MATT, THE SCOUT.
FamoRs Frontiersman's Reason for Was
ing War Upon the Indians.


Matthew Johnston reached this city from
Fort Hualapai yesterday and to-day win
leave for his old home in New York State,
there to spend his remaining days. Several
years ago he was living with his wife and
several children near Hualapai. One early
morning, while the father was absent at the
military post, the band of Mojave Indians of
which Delshay was chief attacked the ranch,
outraged the mother and tortured her and
the three children to death. When johnson
returned, his cabin was in flames and the
blood of his dying family still warm. AL
most orazed, he went back to the fort with
out even waiting to inter the remains of his
wife and children and briefly told the awful
tragedy. Within fifteen innutes a detach-
ment of X company of the Fifth Cavalry
We're mounted, under command of Colonel
Mason, and on the trail of the copper-skin-
ed devils, johnson going along.
On the morning of the third day the cav
airy entered the Black Hills, at the headwa-
ters of the Verdi river, the home of the wild
Apache Mojaves. That evening camp was
made near the Verdi and a scouting party
further followed the trail, which appeared
to be only few hours old. In small
ciump of cottonwoods and near marshy
portion of the river the smoke of the Indian
fires was discovered II was too late to at-
tack the Indians, as the darkness would
afford them an escape. They had apparent
" located with the intention of remaining 8
few days and hunting, SO the assault was
deferred until the morning, the cavalry CON-
ing up, however, and putting ont senti-
nels. On one of the posts Johnson stood
keeping vigil through the night. In the
morning the cavalry swept down upon
them. Surprised in their stronghold, aud
with their arms scattered carelessly about,
the Indians could do nothing better than fly
and fly they did towards the river, the SOL
diers picking them OF one by one in the
chase. Delshay was more cunning and self
possessed than his followers, making up the
river through the thick cottonwood. The
six Indians were killed tsFore one of them
had reached the stream, but Gelshay the
seventh, had such start that the cavalry
almost gave up all hope Of oyertaking him.
They spread out, however, and made Skin
mish through the cottonwood forest.
When they brought up In little glade up
the stream couple of miles they were as
tonshed to find johnson leaning over the
dead body of the Indian chief, hacking and
cutting it with a huge bowie-knife in insane
frenzy. The body lay upon the river bank
as if it hod been pulled out after the infic-
ton of the death wound. The head was
nearly severed by a stroke of the knife and
johnson had scalped it. 1t was many min
utes before his fury had spent itself, the
soldiers never interfering with the horrible
satisfaction which the widowed husband and
childless father was taking for his wrongs.
Finally, when he had grown calm enough
to explain, he told how he had seen the In
dian making up the river, and resolved that
none should escape, he followed as best he
might. When he got through the timber
he found the trail, and although 1t was done
with much difficulty he succeeded in tracing
| It to the river bank There it became lost
and, knowing that the Indian could not
have crossed the stream without having
been seen on the opposite side, which was
oper and denuded of trees and underbrush,
he concluded that the Indian was secreted
In the bank. While walking down the bank
head was protruded from pool near the
shore. 1t was Delshay taking air. Stealthi-
ly Johnson approached and before the In
dian could realize that the avenger was nigh
he was grasped by the hair and his throat
was slit from ear to ear.
When the fort was reached johnson re-
quested to be employed in the scouting SER
vice and was engaged He became the
bloodiest and most relentless of the border
scouts and figured prominently in al the
campaigns against the Apaches up to the
recent one which General Carr led, earning
the title of Apache Mast"-Dencer 7ri-
| hume.