The Florence tribune., 1900-01-13
Written for the Florence TR1BUxE.l

In March, 1866, Major Miller, pay master in the U. s. Army, left the headquarters of the District of Ari- zona, which were then at Sacaton, on the Gila river, twenty miles below Florence in this county, to proceed to old Fort Grant ou the San Pedro river, and there to pay off the troops under the command of Col. Tiger. He had as an escort fourteen infantrymen and was accompanied by an assistant sur geon U. S. Army by the name of Tappan. The paymaster and his escort passed through Florence, (which was then occupied by Tom Ewing and known now as the Jennings place, and afterwards named Florence by ex-Gov. Mccormick when there was quite celebration. The American flag was hoisted, and several bottles of very bad whiskey were consumed, with other appropriate ceremonies, usual on such occasions.
 few days afterwards news came to Florence that Major Miller and his escort had been surprised by the Apaches at the Big Cottonwood we'll (where MeVeigh afterwards settled) that the party were all killed, except Dr. Tappan and two of the soldiers who made their escape.
 The soldiers, accompanied by Dr. Tappan, who was wounded in the foot, wandered in southwesterly course through the Cottonwood and Tortilita mountains. It seems that Dr. Tappan had some slight knowledge of the country, and from the western slope of these mountains could easily discern the peak that is to the north of old Point of Mountain station, and at that time kept by Scotchman by the name of Mathew Stevenson, and a jovial witty little Irishman named O'Reilly and nick-named Miles O'Reilly. Tappan told his companions that if they could make that point, it being station on the overland road from Tue son to Yuma, they could get relief, and send a courier to Tucson and inform the military authorities of his unfortu- nate situation, badly wounded and starving aud alone on the desert. The two soldiers bid poor Tappan goodbye and that was the'last time he was ever seen alive. O'Reilly immediately saddled up horse and left for Tucson, arrival he immediately infor med the military authorities of the killing of the paymaster and his escort, and of the arrival of the two soldiers at the station and the condition of Dr. , Tappan. Immediately there was g. party found, composed of young off cers and Hill De Armett a well-known character in Tucson, well versed in In- dian warfare, and the right man to ac- company the relief party. The writer of this article, who was at that Ii me Deputy U. S. Postmaster, under General John B. Allen (who died in Tucson a few months ago), was invited to go along, as it was known that he had ! had slight experience in matters of this kind. He declined to go and gave as reason that it was not the proper way to go to hunt up wounded man wandering around in the mountains, in four-mule government ambulance with plenty of eommissary whiskey and cigars, and evidently proposing to have good time themselves; but alas for poor Dr. Tappsn, they would not probably even find his trail, CT go within miles of where he was. Of course the expedition was a dead failure, and within three days returned to Tucson and announced their failure to find the wounded man. The result was as every one expected. In the meantime the officers had reported the Doctor as nephew of ex-Secretary of war Stanton, and a reward of $500 was offered to the party finding him or even his dead body. General Allen acted like the sensible man that he was, and consulted with some of the old citizens, who had had experience in matters of this kind, and they sug- gested that Mir. Jesus Maria Elias of Tucson, a noted trailer and Indian fighter, and most experienced man in such matters, had better be employed. A courier was at once dispatched to the Gila river for one hundred Pima and Maricopa Indians under their chief Juan Chirerria, accompanied by John D. Walker and Tom Ewing, two citizens who were officers at this time of company of Indian scouts, and they were all informed of the reward to be paid if they could find Tappan dead or alive. They all reported in a short time. They immediately went to the ground where he was last seen alive by tue two soldiers who had made their escape, soon found the trail and proceeded to follow it. It led