Sierra County advocate. [volume] (Kingston, N.M.) 1884-1960, 1902-03-07
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and Sterling fell forward, shot in
the right hand. Ha arose and ran
forward on the trail about a hun
dred yards bsfors he fell, shot
through the body aud through the
left leg Life WAC not extinc, bs-
fore the Indiana we're upon him,
aud according to the confession .oi
an Indian named ChihuahuA his
head was nearly severed from hrs
body with dull knife.
"Sagotsl, who accompanied Ster-
ling Indian. like did not follow him
through the pass, but made detour
around the base Of the hill. and
upon hearing the shooting and see-
ing Sterling fall, retrested 70 the
sgeocy and gavsthe alarm. At the
camp there were now fiity Indian
scouts ready - hn y. but without
a leader, except Sagotal, the Indian
chief Of scouts.
"An Indian scout went 10 my
room. where was sleepina all un-
concious Of danger, and told me
his brother was dead. had heard
such tales before, when my com.
rsds had been wounded, and ~
Sterling had been il tnn hahn 81
rNiding Tisguin parties, l though,
he might have received a cut by
some old squaw. 30 II was not
with any great alarm that Idressed
armed myself aud started out.
Arriving in front Of the agency
building, Sartoesl told me what
had happened.
Assuming command Of the scouts
(.hs agent, sub-sgsnt and several
government employees being ab.
sent). and leaving only FIVE or six
white men at the agency, l started
10 pursuit. We fordsd the river
and followed tbs trail through the
pass, and came npon lhedead morse
OF Sterling. Then warealissd 6tsT-
ing was no more. About 100 yards
yards ahead l stumbled on the
dead bat warm body Of my friend
and comrAde, whom | had left in
the beat Of spirits the night before.
Suddenly rapid firing between
the scouts and the hostli-s began.
Shot after shot was exchanged. and
l was compelled 70 lie down besids
the corpse and throw up y bank OF
sand for protection. SaeotHl Icy
behind a big rock cIoss by and Oh.
changed many shots with the foe,
but upon cautiously peering out IN
an endeavor to look over the field
he WAS shot in the head and fell
over dead.
With . corpse on either side OF
me l still continued to fire away,
not knowing whether my shots
were effective or not.
"IAoco's band In the meantime
had been packing up their effects.
and in their escape the peculiar
taotics Of Juh's warriors saved them
from the fire Of tho scouts. Az .
given signal all the band women.
children and bucks made grand
rush, leaving about forty bucks on
foot to hold back the scouts. These
worked back gradually TO where
several bucks had stopped and
we're holding their horses, when
they mounted and tore away, q dis
tancs Of about 1000 yards. Here
they disnounted, again checked tho
advance OF the scouts, and again
gradually worked back to their
horses. In the meantime the wo-
men and children we're fast dissp-
in advance. This was Kept
up Tor a distance OF ten miles.
when the scouts abandoned the light
and the Apaches escaped to the
Eagle mountains, and vie Ash Peak
and San Simon made their way to
Sonora.
AFTER the skirmish oams the
last sad duty to our comrades.
aud Sagotsl we're tsndsrly
carried to the agency 10 blankets.
Sterling was horribly mutilstsd.
and . portion OF his clothing had
been removed and taken BY the
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