The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1900-09-09

Led the Charge In the Battle at
Big Dry Wash"
AFTER THE APACHES
HELD OFF THE REDSKINS TILL
CAPT. WALLACE ARRIVED.
New York SUM-

On writing desk in the Minneapolis
nome OF retired army officer Of gal
laht record is a peculiar inkstand
Oiose scrutiny develops the fact that
the receptacle for ink is s. section of
human vertebra, white from exposure
TO the weather. made to serve its pur-
pose through mounting in silver upon
pohshed wooden base. It is highly
valued by its owner. for it is me-
mento of a fight wherein he partsci-
pated-a fight such as soldiers rarely
know. one Of the hottest in the history
q southwestern Indian warfare. 1t
brings uD memories of Chaffee the
heroic. now fighting in China
The fight was the battle of the big
DIV wash" Though the action has
oul little fame with the general public
It's memory is cherished by cavalrymen
- one OF the most gallant known to
thelr arm Of the service Particularly
did 1t demonstrate the effectiveness of
the american horse soldier and his
dplllty TO beat even the Apache on the
trail and in the fray. When grass time
came IN the summer of 1882, about 80
ApacheS, three-fourths of them mature
DUCKS. left the White Mountain reser-
Vation- on the ella river in Arizona
Ihey started off Immediately after
ration day. well supplied with food and
ammunition 1t was in the DAYS of
CIVILIAN Indian agents. The godIy man
IN charge at the San Carlos agency.
Wnen advised that some of his wards
had decamped. only expressed his sor-
row that such lies could gain currency
10 the discredit of peaceful and long
suffering tribe.
The Indians passed the Populous cop-
per mining camp of Globe at a distance
OF only few miles. gathering in about
all the horse herds of the neighborhOod
a platoon of the local home guard, the
GIoDe rangers, was hastily modified
ana was started off to head the
ApacheS. recover the horses and warn
the settlers in Tonic basin. The warn
ing was given. for the rangers, by hard
riding. managed to beat the Indians
into the basin But next day they were
penned, twenty-five of them. in a cabin
On Middleton's ranch, to fight a long
range fight in which no one was killed
ana to watch the Indians stampede
their horse herd. But the rangers did
good work in that they delayed the
Indians day. Leaving the lHngers to
return, crestfallen. on foot the Apaches
passed on I'D Cherry creek.
Settlers Were Alarmed.
The settlers had been alarmed and
had fed in time save on one ranch.
The two Sigsby brothers had about 100
valuable horses and had taken time
TO gather them I'D from the range The
band was being held in front of the
ranch house. ready to he driven away.
when down the valley came the thud
of horses feet. Driven by a few daring
bucks. the Indian herd of loose ponies
dashed into the Sigsby band, and STAN
Deded. the horses up side canyon
One of the Sigsby brothers and a
French cowboy, named HOudon,
mounted and started after. At the top
of the canyon they met death. though
not till they had exhausted their am
munition and sent five Indians to the
happy hunting grounds. The Indians
then turned their. undivided attention
toward the second Sigsby who had
been creased" across the chest by a
rifle bullet as he ran for the log house.
Sigsby'S defense of the. cabin was
glorious. Though painfully wounded,
for forty hours. single-handed, sleep
less he stood off at least 100 Apaches.
thirSting for his blood. enraged at his
continued resistance. The cabin walls
and door were perforated by hundreds
of bullets. but to no avail But the In
dams could not tarry longer The
troops were on their trail and the
smoke signals on the peaks showed i'm
pending danger. In the night they
gathered up the bodies of several war
riors whom Sigsby had shot and hur-
ried away northward. Sigsby had done
even better than the rangers The cav
airy was close behind.
At that time. Chaffee a Sixth cavalry
major. was in command of the little
three troop post of Mcdowell, thirty
five miles northeast of Phoenix, then
a village. Getting wind Of the outbreak
he ioyouslv sounded boots and saddle
and. with half his garrison, cut across