Martinsburg independent. [volume] (Martinsburg, W. Va.) 1875-1900, 1892-04-16
CORDON'S FIGHT.
AN OFFICER THRILLING BATTLE WITH
COMANCHEs.

Up to the year 1859 the Conan
che Indians boosted that they had
never been defeated in battle with
white men. They were arrogant and
blood thirsty. They would not make
peace with other tribes, but waged
constant and vindictive warfare on
white AID red alike. They were rich,
strong in numbers and the best horse
men in the world and they made war
because they loved the adventure of
| it.
In May of the year named a Tex
an known as Captain Gordon, who
was an old Indian fighter, learned
that there was gold in the Big
Wichita mountains Of western Tex
as. This chain OF mountains forms
the eastern boundary of the Great
Staked plains, but the Comanches
ranged as far west as the Rio Pecos
river. Captain Gordon called for
volunteers to explore the gold fields,
and the expedition was fitted out at
| Santa Fe. He knew what was before
him, and he did not cut loose until he
had secured $50 men. They were all
border men. and each furnished his
horse and arms. Every one had a
rife, and most of them a revolver as
well, and Gordon got the loan oftwC
| field pieces and trained a crew to
work them. There were about for
ty pack mules, loaded with pfovis-
ions and ammunition. and it was be-
lieved that the command was strong
enough to take care of itself under
the circumstances. 1t was so long
in getting ready that the Indians
heard gifts object, and Eagle Feath-
er, then the head chief of the Com
anches, cent word to Captain Cor
don as follows:
Iwant scalps. horses. rifles and powder.
Come as quick as you can.
No one was frightened over the
message, and in due time the expedi-
ton set out. Captain Gordon was
confident that he would be attacked
before crossing the Canadian river,
and he was not surprised at finding
the Indians all about him as the
command emerged into the Chico
valley to the west of old Fort Bas-
con. Eagle Feather had gathered
together 482 warriors, the flower of
the tribe. They were not ordinary
warriors, but each could boast of
having killed an enemy. They were
mounted on the finest war ponies,
and every one bad a lance and rifle,
and some had bows and arrows in
addition. A more notable war
party was never raised by any tribe,
and it started out to meet the inva-
ders boasting that it would bring
back the scalp Of every white man in
the expedition.
Gordon was familiar with the
Chico and knew where the attack
would be made. The Indians would
wait until he was ready to enter the
pass leading through the Chico noun
tains to the river and beyond. 1t
was a position they could hold
against 10000 men and he realized
that he must draw them away from
it. The command marched to within
three miles of the pass and then
turned to the north, as if to seek for
another. For a distance Of twelve
miles the two commands held a par
allel course, and were not over two
miles apart. The Indians Rugged
the base of the range So as to pre-
vent the white men from entering
any of the passes, while Gordon
watched for battle ground in the
valley. He found it twelve miles
above the pass just at shutdown on a
June day. The spot selected was a
natural sink on the crest ola mound |
or series of mounds taking in an |
area Of about two acres.
There was wall Of earth around |
this sink. as if small lake had once |
occupied the spot. 70 the north |
was still lower and deeper basin,
large enough to shelter all the horses
and so strategic that a few men |
could defend it. There was a hig |
spring on the plateau, with grass
enough to last the horses for three
or four days, and Captain Gordon's
idea was to force the Indians to at
tack him in his position. A rene
rafie srhifa man namad Carrv xzhn |