El Paso daily herald. (El Paso, Tex.) 1881-1901, 1900-12-22
FIGHTING COMANCHES in TEXAS.

After this Luz had charge of the
beeves for the confederates at FIT.
Clarke, in the early part of the war
between the north and south. The
detail was under Capt. Hammer, of com
pany A. Second regiment, mounted
rifles, of which Col. Jno. S. Ford, told
RIP was colonel. Jno. r. Baylor,
lieutenant colonel and Hiram Waller.
major.
The Indians attempted to steal their
horses Che had eleven mounted mem,
but failed. The next day they tried
to stampede the herd of beeves. The
herd had been carried out to Craze
Luz rode to hill to see if all was
clear of danger, and the Indians tried
to cut him off from his men, but hav-
ing a good horse he out ran them, got
into a canon and stood them off until
part of his men came to his relief and
the Indians beat a retreat.
Luz next went to Ell Paso with Sam
Lyle and John Adams. who were fur
ishing beef to the confederate troops.
Luz kept the beeves on the plains
about where FIT. Bliss is, but they were
never molested, having a good guard
and the open country not being fav
orable for such raids. Luz returned
to Sam Lucas springs where Adams
had a ranch, sixteen miles west of
San Antonio.
From there he again returned to his
old stamping ground, the old Bill
Adams ranch at the mouth of the
Nueces canon, a lovely location among
grand old live oak and pecan trees
This did not suit tn ethieving CO.
manches, who usually passed down
there when making a raid on the set
Elements on the Nueces and Leona
rivers. so they took great pains to
make it as unsafe and disagreeable as
possible for those who settled there.
On one occasion Luz was up three or
| four miles above the ranch and came
suddenly on a band of about twenty
Comanches in the grove in front of
Chalk Bluff-barranca piedras or re-
lief. as it was called by the Mexicans.
and old Sptniards, who settled
where Montel now is, and founded the
old mission of San Bruno, where Gen.
Jno. r. Baylor built his home.
| The Indians had herd of about 100
head of horses stolen during an ex-
tenSive raid, having captured a Mexi-
can boy near the coast at San Diego.
Luz being mounted at the time on a
7 burro instead of his horse, at once
knew his life depended on making a
bluff for he could not run, nor hope
| to make fight to win against so many
Indians.
He was lucky enough to have discov-
cred them first and opened fire on
them with Winchester. He began
shouting commands to an imaginary
company of men. and waving his hat
| to the right and left as if to bring
them up in line. The Comanches were
badly ratified by this unexpected at
tack when they thought all danger
was past and they had their horses safe
from further pursuit, so their first
move was to hurry off the drove OF
horses. and get out of reach of the
Winchester balls that We're flying as
fast as Lucas could pump them.
In the confusion the Mexican captive
took advantage of the broil and being
mounted on a fine bay horse broke
ranks and Joined Luz, hearing his own
tongue spoken. Luz had raised his
voice to the highest pitch and ordered
LIS men in buckram' to come up on
each side, surround the Indians and
take their horses.
Panic stricken the Indians were soon
tearing off through cloud of dust
and Luz and his reinforcements were
making good Roadway in the other
direction Luz told the boy to take
| the lead. for he knew the burro would
/
scared up by the unusual noise and
the little beast took Luz to the Adams
ranch in Paul Revere time.
The captive's name was Trinidad
Luz took him to Gen. Mckenzie who
was at Fort Clarke, and the general
wrote letter to the boys father at
San Diego, but it was years before the
father came to the town of Uvalde to
| reclaim his son.
LUIS last fight was between San Pc
dro creek and Rio Diablo or Devils
river. He was out camp hunting by
/ himself. having that perfect confidence
in himself that comes to every one
| raised as he had been on the frontier,
| and who had been SO lucky in his en-
counters. At daylight one morning he
went to look for his horses, intending
| to cook his breakfast and move camp
to new hunting ground. This was in
1880, his other fights were from 1861 I'D
to the close of the confederate war,
some of them during the '7O's
Luz took the trail of his horses-he
had scven-and soon found party of
nine Comanches were out on the
same business. They had killed two
OF the horses, broken the leg of an
other, and had two ponies and a mare
| and two year-old colt in their possess
| sion.
The Indians were doubtless enjoying
a feast of roast horse ribs and other
dainty tidbits. but also keeping an eye
open TO rthe owner, but Luz was too
old a ranchero to be caught in a trap
and dropped down in a little swag as
soon as he discovered them 1t was
open all around but he had no time to
choose a fighting ground. Only two
| Comanches showed themselves at first
and began a pow-wow to try and get