Arizona weekly enterprise., 1890-02-22
A HORRIBLE NIGHT.
A STORY OF PIONEER DAYS.
IBY JOHN A. SPRING.


 with his tragic death at the hands of Gen. Crooks pets, in the fall of 1870.
 On the 18th of September 1868, I left the military hospital of Tucson, not yet entirely cured of a severe at tack of dysentery which disease was then much more prevalent hereabouts than now, in order to join my friend | Wooster, who was at that time deliver ing hay at Fort Wallen. under gov ernment contract. The grass along the Barbacomari valley was quite | abundant and could easily have been cut with a so-called hay-cutter, but i doubt whether such an instrument ex- isted in those times within hundred miles of our hay camp, which was sit uated about two miles south of the fort. Neither were there men very plentiful who could handle a scythe with any skill or load up wagon with hay properly; somehow it would get lop-sided, especially when I man aged that part of the business. Woes ter was, verily believe, a born farmer, and could do or very quickly learn what pertained to agricultural pur- suits.
 The tents of the hay cutters had unfortunately been pitched too near the creek which carried much more water than it does now, and very soon the men began to suffer from fever and ague to such degree as to make them quite unfit for work. What was to be doneP The quartermaster was demanding hay and it was besides to our interest q had joined issues with Wooster) to deliver the quantity con tracted for as quickly as possible for fear the winter rains, which make their appearance often quite early in these higher attitudes, might interfere with our work. So on Saturday eve ming Wooster said that he would on the following morning go over to see MT. Samuel Wise (now in Benson) who was contractor for Fort Critten- den, and who, 1t was said, was well ahead with his delivery of hay, in or der to try if he could borrow from MT. Wise the services of a few hay cutters Wooster knew that the latter's hay h0o ICttt a PlttCC OdIlCu Cienega; he therefore struck out on the following morning, accompanied by our Mexican teamster Ramon toward the pfss in the Whetstone mountains, telling me that he would return at all events that same even ing. He was mounted on our only horse, a good but rather old animal If Ia ,1o1 of our hay teams. Sunday evening, Monday morning and Monday night came but no Wooster. As I knew him to be perfectly reliable I could not help but think that he had met with some accident and went to the commanding officer of the fort (Maj. Downey) to see if I could procure a mount and perhaps a few men of es- cort in order to go and look for my friend and partner. Of course the 1 first idea in those times when think ing of an accident meant "Apaches. " Major Downey was willing enough to l give me all the assistance he could, but he was powerless; the entire gar
 rison consisted of about 50 men, infan-
 try; neither of the two officers had a
 horse and the only animals present
 were mules that had never been un. der saddle. I felt very uncOmfort. able to be sure, but as l was helpless in the matter 1 had to resign myself
 During the afternoon on Tuesday the
 mail-rider from Tucson arrived. He
 came by way of Fort Crittenden and
 reported that on Sunday afternoon
 the Indians had attacked old MT. Pen
 n1ngtOn's OK teams, winch were haul
 ing the hay from MT. Wise's camp tC
 the fort that they had killed the team
 ster and driven of number of Oxer
 in the direction of the Dragoon noun
 tains. Now, if Wooster was on Sun
 day afternoon on his return trip iron
 Wise's camp as he intended, these In fians mast hare seen hin 6ia ttlfaii lffaaiii
 open, undulating plain which extend;
 from the Whetstone mountain:
 towards the "Cienega." There was nc
 longer any doubt in my mind that my
 friend and servant had fallen into tht
 hands of the Apaches with the inevit
 able result. I made up my mind tC
 start out that night, come what may
 to go to Crittenden, and obtain thert
 some cavalry and to find the body 0
 my lost brother. As to ever seein,
 him again that hope had vanished
 from my breast.
 From Major Downey obtained al
 old wagon saddle, which placed upol a wheel mule of one our hay team and proceeded to the sutler store to ge some crackers and tobacco The sut Ter. one Royal B. Barnes, must hay been moved by my apparent miser f and said: q will be d-d if I le , you go on this trip alone; you will ge lost; I will saddle up and go wit
 you" I need not say how thankful felt. While he was making ready
 observed that the sky was becomin 3 very dark. Omiuous black cloud l were gathering over the top of tn p Huachuca range; the atmosphere fel , heavy and oppressive, and it becam
 evident that thunderstorm (althoug n out of season in the valley) was aE l preaching.
 v When MT. Barnes led his saddl 2 horse out from under the shed he als V observed the darkening of the sky an f l noticed that he began to waver, eve
 before he said: "Had not we bette V wait till morning~ "No," answe 7 ed, "already too long have I waited F besides it IS much safer to travel . dA night" So we mounted and starte Il taking the road which leads throug k the valley toward the north along u f creek. Our conversation was vel If limited, being confined chiefly to su fl gestions as to what other possible col d tingencies might have detained Woo s ter besides the other dreaded fat
 But 1t was useless, at least as far as h was concerned; I had lost all hope ar 9 saw continually in my imaginatic V the mangled bodies of my true frien
 and faithful servant. Very soon Il If clouds began to thicken and to I'll d gradually towards us; now and then e sudden flash would dart across u r. horizon and heavy drops began to ia r. My companion recollocted all at on
 that he had completely forgotten
 certain business he mad on hand wi l- some parties who were to arrive fro t Santa Cruz on the following day, tI
 transaction of which made his pre-
 TzlI TT,