The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1891-05-06
rsE SAD STORY OF coCaITA.
rba Fate of a Pretty Spanish Girl who
vas Reared Among the Indians

tba conversation turned upon the recent
Laavv floods of the ella and Colorado rivers.
~ Of the men who, had a soldierly ap-
l',o-snce. was deeply interested listener TO
- conversation, and he began TO shift IN
-;v rs the talk proceeded, as if he. too
- a story to tell. He was John LAWYER.
80 Vss formerly a trooper in the Sixth
cavalry, having served several years in the
,5;.trict Of Arizona. At last be told the fol-
Your reference to Yuma and the
,-,rrIss in the southwest reminded
me Of a very singular and roman
80 incident Of the war with the
re-egade bands that fed from the
a-snries. and, for long time, subsisted
~ the cattle Of the defenseless settlers in
s-its Of all our efforts to subdue them. Nv
Ion. part of the Sixth cavalry, under Col
Turene a. Carr, was then stationed at Fort
Tb6uas, a post on the GIla river, the stream
1hich has been doing so much damage of
late We were in the limits of the great
San Carlos agency, and in a good position
b obtain immediate and reliable informa-
ton of the Indians. Yet in spite of our dill
renee they stole away and began the terri
BE depredatiOns that cost SO many lives
and such a vast amount of property.
Under the skilfull guidance of Juh and
Geronimo they scattered all over the terri
tory and laid waste many well-stocked
ranches, killing everything that had life
and burning the rest. We were sent out
after them, and for many weeks experienced
all the horrors and hardships of predatory
warfare Col. Carr, at the head of his regi-
ment. followed one band across the terri
tory into the forests, over the swollen
streams, and to the lava beds of the norths
western portion of that broken country,
where the volcanic rocks formed almost
impregnable forts for the Savages.
THE incident mentioned arose from one
Of the fights we mad in the heart of the
vocanic country, the Indians having taken
10 the hills to avoid our persistent pursuit.
One dav we learned from our scouts that a
small band of 100 bucks were encamped at
the outer edge of the forest, and that we
might possibly take them by surprise, a
thing very difficult to do. A detachment
under Capt. Whiteside, consisting of three
troops, was detailed to make the attempt,
and, if possible, get in the rear, while the
main command under the colonel, would
advance from the front. We got away
about daybreak, and for the first day saw
DO trace of the enemy, but as we we're
about TO go into camp on the evening of the
second the advancing guard came in and
reported body of Indians at no great dis
tance. OF course all idea of rest for the
troopers was abandoned and steps taken at
once to ascertain the exact location and
strength of the band.
Il was assigned to duty with small de-
tachment who were instructed to develop
the position of the Indians, but in no case
bring on an engagement until it was def
ntely known how many there were of them.
We we're under the immediate command of
Lieut.. Curtis, one of the most daring and
accomplished officers of the service. He
disposed his little band, and, with the night
fast coming on, stole upon the Indians, who
were yet unaware of our approach.
We were marching under the shadows
of the woods when we suddenly came to
the extreme edge, and as suddenly drew
back when we discovered the Indians sit
ting around their camp fires only a short
distance away. We had accomplished the
feat of reaching the very limits of their
eacampment without disclosing our pres
euce. Our commander at once determined
to attack them, believing that In the fast
approaching darkness our inferiority of
numbers would not be noticed. The little
detachment was accordingly drawn up in
line just within the cover o.. the trees, and,
at the word, rifles were uuslung, pistols
loosened, sabers drawn, aud, with a wild
burrah, we charged upon them, firing as
we rode madly forward
I'm the first shock of their surprise the
Indians tumbled over each other trying to
escape from the rain of bullets we sent into
their midst, but as we charged through the
camp they rallied. and, under the leader
ship of young chief, made a determined
stand, forcing US to use the steel as we re-
turned AS we cut our way back | saw
this chief run to the woods, throw up his
hands and fall to the ground. The war;
rlors, when the leader fell, took to the hills,
and, crouching behind the rocks, COM
menced q damaging fire. Our fellows took
10 fha woods and rOaHp a n 70
treat upon the main column, when we we're
startled at q shot that was fired almost in
our faces. Lieut.. Curtis cap was sent fly
ing into the air cut in two pieces.
AS | spraug from my horse l saw girl
standing astride the body of the dead chief
armed with a Winchester. which she was in
the act Of firing again. | threw the rifle
aside and grappled the girl who fought with
great fury, utteringa strange cry. Finally
she was bound and taken up by one of the
men and carried to the rear. We were
successful in rejoining the main body and
IN the great struggle of the lava beds lost
sight Of our prisoner. After the conclusion
al the campaign l was sent to Fort Yuma,
where the concluding incidents of my story
took place. The strange history and still
stranger end Of the beautiful Cochita-for
that was the name she was known by
lends a very romantic coloring to the des-
the dead chief at the battle at the foot of the
lava beds
"CochIta was not an Indian girl, but was
he child of Spanish family of Sinaloa, the
northwestern state of Mexico. She was ex-
ceptlonally pretty, of small but very trim
and graceful form, clear olive complexion,
and bright black eyes that had the soft
Andaluslan loVeliness in them. When cap
tured she was only about II years old, and
her native beauty was but little diminished
oy her enforced associations with the savage
Apaches. She had been taken by the In
olans when baby of 3. and all her family
mad been killed. Her life was saved by a
squaw of the chief, who took fancy to her
aud Kept her as her own child.
She was given the name of Cochita, the
ulmutlVe OF Cochise, the most famous of the
apache chieftains. She was tutored in the
ways OF the savage people, and, when taken
Oy US, combined the wildness of the antelope
Win the ferocitv of tiger cat. After she
was taken to Yuma the wife of our post
surgeon took charge of her and did every
thlng to induce her to return to civilization,
put with indifferent success. The girl was
euIet enough, but seemed to be victim of
settled melancholy. She soon remembered
enough Spanish, in which her mistress was
very proficient, to tell all she could recoIlect
Oh her early life, but as she was not more
IMAM years old when taken from home,
her mind refused to recall the details of the
massacre and her abduction.
haough was CLEANED to indicate the
truth u OF the story as have given it, and