The National tribune., 1902-12-04

doned, and were replaced by buckbOards.
Arriving at Oatman's Flat, we found the
grave of the family from which the place
received its name. marked by small
mound surmounted by a headboard and
surrounded by railing. The keeper of
the mail stock told us the story of the muir
der of the family. who We're among the
first victims Of the Apaches when they
turned hostile. about 1855. after having
lived at peace with the whites. Reduced
TO the bare facts, the tragedy occurred as
follows: Said Oatman with his family,
consisting of his wife, son aged about IA
years, two girls of the ages of 9 and IL
years, respectively. and baby-iii-arms.
was on Ills way to California. He had with
him two wagons loaded with agricultural
implements and household goods. di iwn by
two yokes of oxen each. Arriving at IL
steep bill thereabOuts, and finding that the
loads were too heavy to be pulled up the
steep incline as hitched up, he halted and
began to double up his teams, during which
occupation he was approached by some In
dams who were apparently friendly and
helped in the ascent of the wagons by
pushing and manipulating the wheel
spokes, for which services they received a
liberal supply of tobacco. for which they
had asked. While Mr.. Oatman was uH-
hitching the foremost oxen from the dou-
bled-up team. one Indian stabbed him
from the back through the heart with a
lance. while another knocked the boy on
the head with a war club. The father fell
dead in his tracks and the still-moving boy
was dispatched with lance thrusts. Then
these fiends murdered tine mother and baby
and left. carrying off the two girls and
driving off the oxen with them. Some
years later the two girls. now grown
women, We're obtained through barter from
n rowing band Of Indians, who had cap
N.a.. Al..,.,
brought to Yuma. To all appearances
they had become Indians themselves, in
complexion, manners and language; they
no longer spoke or understood their mother
tongue. and would have remained I'm
dams" forever, had not the blacksmith of
the place, who had known the Oatman
family iii Texas Il short time before the
tragedy. and remained in Yuma all these
years, thought he saw something familiar
in the features of the girls. Lifting up the
hair behind the ears, where the skin had
remained untanned by the exposure to the
sun. and noticing the hair itself as being
different from all Indian hair, he investi-
gated further. and by means of an inter-
prefer, the whole story was brought to
light. The girls We're taken to Siskyou
County and there placed with family.
MIsCuIEvoUs DRUMMER BOYS.
We had with us six drummer boys, two
to each company, and it would be difficult,
L think, TO find anywhere in the universe a
set of more mischievOus, impudent and all
around rascally rapscallions that these
youngsters. Before our start from Yuma
they had been given in charge of one De-
witt, OF my company, a tall, much-freckIed,
very active Irish American, whose princi-
pal merit, if such it was, consisted in hay
ing the gift OF the CAB very gallOping' -
do not know through what representa-
/ lone. III
ton and rank of Lance Drum Major of the
detachment, for he was certainly not
yersed in the art of performing on the
snare drum or, for that matter. on any
drum whatever: he could. however, blow n
feeble resemblance to bugle call and al
ways carried a specimen of the infantry
bugie OF those days, an immense instru-
ment constructed of copper, much adorned
with blue cords and tasSels, about with
him.
At ella Bend, where we camped near
tho first Indians we beheld since leaving
Yuma. the deviltry of our drum corps,
whose Instruments, by the way, were car
RED during the march in our baggage wag-
ons, together with our knapsacks, reached
its climax. Some OF the boys had obtaine
from the Indians bow and some arrows
with which they forthwith proceeded to en-
danger the eyesight and general comfort of
our men, even going to the extent of max
ing target of the old Hospital Steward
accompanying the detachment They sue
ceeded in wounding him in the most fieshy
part OF his person, and We're reported. sew
cral additional complaints being made at
the same time from various sources 1t
was quite astonishing what amount, of per-
foratioDs these youngsters had succeeded
ia accomplishing with their arrows in n
limited space of time The Drum Major
was sent for. and ordered to prepare a
goodly number of tough, plant switches
from the trees growing OH the border of
the river and to administer severe chastise-
ment to the offenders on the following
morning after breakfast. before the march
was resumed. The Adjutant of the de-
tachment was requested to see this order
well executed. and from the succeeding
behavior of the young sinners, had every
reason to believe that such was the case.
of Mr.. Dewitt and his bugle we will
hear more later on.
TIE DESERT MIRAGES.
From ella Bend to Maricopa Wells, a
distance of 40 miles, without water, we
had to march i'll one stretch, with the in
terruption of only one hour for n meal on
the way. Our men, and principally our