Clinch Valley news. [volume] (Jeffersonville, Va.) 18??-2019, 1891-05-22

him, wheeled and crushed the skull Of
st. Yrain's assailant with the barrel o!
his ponderous rifle.
In 1856 he led n regiment of volunteers
on six months campaign against the
Utcs, making brilliant record therein.
In 1857 he accompanied General Lor-
ing's command in the war against Cuchil.
10 Negro (Black Knife), the most re-
doubtable of all Apache warriors. He
captured the savage chief with his own
hand in desperate night attack in q
gloomy canyon where his scouts had
found the camp of the hostiles. General
Loring was greatly clated by this cap
ture, but the prisoner was murdered by
the officer left to guard him-a turbu.
lent man who afterward met violent
death.
In 1850, when large band of Navajos
made one of their characteristic raids on
'''e Rio Grande settlements and drove oil
5000 sheep, Colonel Chavcs pursued
them with fourteen men. lie overlook
the hostifcs a. nightfall at Ojo dc Ia
Monica and routed them; but in tho
morning found his camp surrounded by
several hundred Navajos. From dawn
till dark OF that desperate day the fifteen
heroes withstood the wild charges of the
swarming savages, each fighting from
behind his tree. One by one tho brave
New Mexicans sank back on the red
soaked earth, bristling with arrows; and
at nightfall only two OF them were left
Colonel Chavcs and Roman Sanchcs-
both fearfully wounded. A company of
soldiers from Fort Craig arrived just in
time to save them. In that CHASTITY
struggle Colonel Chavcs had fired his
clumsy muzzle- loader eighty times, and
for every shot an Indian or horse had
fallen. He had two bullets left when
the arrival of the troops ended The fight
That WINS the kind of war they had on
the early frontier.
In dozen other Indian outbreaks,
before and after those to which have
so briefly alluded, Colonel Chavos dis
tinguishcd himself by the same cool
bravery, the same dauntlcss will and tho
same matchlcss skill rs marlsman.
When the Civil War broke out Colonel
Chavcs took command of the Second
Regiment New Mexico Volunteers, and
did brilliant service in this out-of-thc
way corner of the Union.
When Colonel Chayes returned to his
lonely home Mt Ojuclos it was only to
find that the Indians had dcspoilcd him
of cverything-his horses md cattle, his
80, 600 sheep, crops and all left
him pcnniless, II blow from which he
never fully rallied his affairs, though his
industry never left him in want.
After New Mexico's share in the war
was over, there was still more than two
decades of frequent Indian outbreaks
within her broad borders; in most oil
which Colonel Chaves was prominent
figure. On one occasion his lanbins
camp at the Salada was dumped" by
large force of raiding Apachcs. The
few shepherds were too badly frightened
to fight much, and all would have been
killed but for the GOODNESS of Don Man.
ucl. Posting each man behind tree,
with promise that he himself would
shoot the first who dared run-and they
dreaded his matchlcss aim even more
than they did the Indians-he took hi:
tcn-year-old boy by the hand and ran up
the hill few RODS as n feint. The In.
diaus, seeing his flight, dashed straight
into the camp without their accustomed
preliminary mauGuvres to see of what
stuff their enemies might be made. As
one grabbed up Colonel Chaves's priceless:
Navajo blanket from beside the fire he
fell sprawling with an ounce bullet
through his brain. Another snatchcd
the blanket and Colonel Chaves called tc
one of his companions to shoot. But
when he saw the poor fellows hand
trembling so that he could scarce hold
his gun, the Colonel shouted, "Wait!
Don't shoot" He hurricdly rammcd
another charge into mis- old muzzc-
loader, and although by TINT time the
Indian had got so far that he felt him
self safe, the unerring bullet caught him
as he ran and tore his neck nearly in
twain. BY that time the shepherds Ind
recovered their senses and gave the In.
dians such gallant resistance that the lat.
ter soon withdrew, carrying away some
valuable horses, but no scalps.
All, what rle-shot the withered.
wiry old man was, even when knew
him, in his old agcl New Mexico has
never had another such marksman as he
was in his prime; and his six-foot muz-
zle-loading rifle of enormous calibrc was
never excelled by the finest modern arms
that tried conclusion with it. In all hi:
long life-in nearly fifty years of which
not six months ut time were ever with.
out warfarc-hc never was known to
miss but one shot. And never did he
have to shoot twice at bear or deer, and
seldom more than once ut human foes. l
Shall never forget my mingled emusc-
mcnt and awe at an incident which &C.
CURED when he was seventy-two years
old ana suffering fearfully from u cata-
ract in his eye. We were out with his
grandson, Rotlolfo Otero-a gallant lad
and fine rifle-shot. Rodolfo had fine
Winchester with which he did some OK.
trenicly clever shooting. "Try it, grand.
pa" he kept urging the worn, old man,
bent and wasted by disease. Hc had
never trusted our modern magazine guns,
but at last yielded to ;.oiolfo's entreat.
les.
go, put me q mark on yon cedar"