El Paso daily herald. (El Paso, Tex.) 1881-1901, 1899-01-19
GContinued from Yesterday

LIEUTENANT MCDONALD'S STORY
"I was ordered to take my six Apa-
che scouts including Yuma Bill, who
was given me at my especial request,
together with q corporal from my own
troop, strike directly into the noun
tains, and search for q fresh trail OF
the hostiles, while the main command
pushed out of the foot hills and across
the plain toward Richmond, q little
settlement on the ella River. Risk of
the few for the good of the many In the
military service e oood Is gGoo ,ou ,G5
on the few. However We
struck into the hears of the range al
most due north, aud soon discovered
the old Indian trail. 1t ran through
the heaviest part of the mountains.
passing over terribly rough places and
through narrow gorges, where the
chances for an ambuscade were so
great that I experienced considerable
difficulty 10 compelling the scouts to
% forward. I changed the usual In
dian tactics of folio wing trail in file to
sending one Indian, Yuma Bill,
ahead, and scattering the resi- right
and left about one hundred yards apart,
while rode within few yards OF Bill,
watchiog them all, and indicating to
the flankers, when the trail led into q
particularly dangerous place. to sweep
out around and try to look in behind
er If an mbuscade were laid. All
such movements were made at the best
gait possible, considering the rough
and rugged country we were
passing over. and wherever
we could do 30 we advanced rapidly
from cover to cover, so as to lessen the
danger of being hit by the bullet Of
any lurking foe. Our manner of ad-
vance had been determined after =
thorough consultation, and had i'm
pressed it on the minds of the Indian
scouts that my way was better than
their own, as it was now nearly i'm
possible for the Apaches to conceal
themselves 80 as entirely to cover our
approach and pick off more than
one or two of our party, while, on the
contrary, If we kept pretty we'll bunch
ed they might get al! of US. After we
had gone some twelve miles on the
trail we found q transverse ridge lying
across the pathway. which ridge rose
to considerable height, and was cap
ped with q rock palisade extending as
far as we could see to the right and
left, and this effectually cut off all
f1snking movements; but the trail at
our front and centre ran
through a gradually deepening and
until at the upper end the side,
were quite high. Just beyond the top
there fioated the faintest, thinnest mist
of smoke in the atmosphere, which
would not be noticed by tenderfoot
and which could barely distinguish
even when my eagle-eyed scouts had
called my attention to it. Yuma Bill
and those nearest US said that the
Apaches were up there in an ambus-
cade sthat they had laid for US; that
there was no doubt it; that band of
them had camped aud cooked there the
night before, and, on QUE approach be-
ing discovered, thew put out and cover
ed their fires, but had left q few faint
indications behind them. It was not
possible for US to get q view in behind
their supposed position by the use OF
our 1anking scouts, SO the only ap-
proach was the narrow defle in front
through which the trail led, and to fol-
low it probably meant death to some of
US, as the hostiles were supposed to be
lying to the right and left of it on top
of the high rocks, and would let US
pass in and enclose us on all sides be-
fore opening fire. To my order to go
on. ana explanation that a soldier.hsd to
risk his life Unnecessary to carry out his
orders, they most solemnly demurred;
neither would any single one consent
to go through and develop the position
on my promise to make all available
dispositions to cover his retreat should
he discover the euemy's position with
out being killed. had sent off my
corporal with despatch, and he had
not yet returned, so I was alone with
the six Indians; aud as neither force
nor persuasion would avail. I finally
tainted them as towards and squaws,
<o11 ~ hou