The Camden chronicle. (Camden, Tenn.) 1890-current, 1891-05-08

Cle nlgnG IaSI coming Oh, SUOle upon
the Indians who were yet unaware
Of our approach.
awe were marching under the
shadows of the woods when we sud
denly came to the extreme edge, and
as suddenly drew back when we dis
covered the Indians sitting around
their camp fires only a short dis
lance away. We had accomplished
the feat of reaching the very limits
of their encampment without dis
closing our presence. Our COM
mander at once determined to at
tack them, believing that in the fast
approaching darkness our inferior
! ity of numbers would not be noticed |
The little detachment was accord
ingly drawn up in line just within
the cover of the trees, and, at the
word, rifles were unslung, pistolsJ
loosened, sabers drawn, and, with a
wildhurrah, we charged upon them,
firing as we rode madly forward.
I "In the first shock Of their sur
prise the Indians tumbled over each
other trying to escape from the rain
= of bullets we sent into their midst,
r but asw we charged through the camp
, they rallied, and, under the leader
r ship of young chief, made de-
termined stand, forcing us to use
l the steel as we returned. AS we cut
4 our way back [ saw this chief run
1 toward the woods, throw up his
t hands and fall to the ground. The
a warriors, when the leader fell, took
e to the hills, and, crouching behind
: the rocks, commenced damaging
!, fire. Our fellows took to the'woods
: and made preparations to retreat
y upon the main column when we
It were startled at shot that was fired
almost in our faces. Lieutenant
II Curtis's cap was sent flying into the
d air cut in two pieces.
e GAS sprang from my horse l saw
g a girl standing astride the body of
L the dead chief, armed with a Win
1t chester, which she was in the act of
I firing again. Threw the rife aside
/ and grappled the girl, who fought
J with great fury, uttering a strange
/ cry. Finally she was bound and
e taken up by one Of the men and
e carried to the rear. We were sue
"a cessful in rejoing the main body,
ot and in the great struggle of the lava
/ beds | lost sight of our prisoner
3 After the conclusion Of the cam
paign | was sent to Fort Yuma
Sc where the concluding incidents Of
lie my story took place. The strange
le history and still stranger end of the
to beautiful Cochita-for that was the
he name she was known by-lends {
at very romantic coloring to the DIES
n perate fight she made over the re
T. mains of the dead chief at the bat
1e tie at the foot OF the lava beds.
f. "Cochita was not an Indian girl
er but was the child of Spanish fam
Of lily of Sinaloa, the northwestern
ke State of Mexico. She was excep
in tionally pretty, of small but yer,
d, trim and graceful form, clear DIV,
ce complexion, and bright black eye
ut that had the soft Andalusian love
wv illness in them. When captured
We she was only about seventeen year
he old, and her native beauty was bu
ce little diminished by her enforced
ly associations with the savage Apach
Of es. She had been takened by tn
P Indians when q baby of three, an,
en- allherfamily had been killed. He
"a life was saved by squaw of tn
chief, who took fancy to her an,
kept her as her own child.
n "She was given the name Q
of Cochita, the diminutive of Cochist
on the most famous of the Apach