The National tribune., 1903-09-10

note l gave to the teamster. who had not
yet left our camp. He delivered it prompt
ly, and it was at once attended to by Mr..
Stevens. But for this precaution our
campaign would have resulted in complete
failure, from the fact that the absence of
SO many men from so small population
as Tucson then contained was noted by
person of large influence in the commu-
nifty, at whose urgent demand the military
commander at Tucson sent an express of
two soldiers with dispatches to Camp
Grant. These riders were quietly detained
at Canada de Orc, and did not reach that
post until it was too late to do us harm.
After writing and dispatching the note
above referred to the order forward was
given, and the command moved gaily and
confidently on its mission.
about 6 D. IN. the trail was struck
which we proposed to follow, and the
march continued through the Cebadilla
Pass and down the slopes along the San
Pedro River to the point where the San
Xavier party had killed the Indian above
referred to, when the order to camp was
given, as it was about midnight, the moon
going down, and the trail could not be well
followed in the dark.
Just at break Of day on the morning
OF April %, we rode down into the San
Pedro bottom, where our commander de-
termined to remain until nightfail, lest
our command should be discovered by
rowing Indians and alarm given at the ran
cheria. We had followed all this time the
trail of the Indians who had raided San
Xavier and every man in the command
was satisfied now it would lead to the res
eryation. Arrangements were made ac-
cordingly. Commander Elias gave orders
to march as soon as it was dark, and be-
lieving that we were much nearer the In
dian rancheria than we really were, and
that we would reach its neighborhood by
midnight, detailed three men as scouts,
whose duty it was, when the command
should arrive conveniently near the ram
cheria, to go ahead and ascertain the ex-
act locality and report to him the result
Of their reconnaissance, in order to have
no guess-work about the actual position Of
the hostile camp and make our attack q
haphazard affair.
Everything being now ready for the final
march, we moved out Of the San Pedro
Bottom just at dark. 1t soon became evil
dent that our Captain and all those who
thought they knew the distance had made
grave miscalculation, and that instead
of its being distant about 16 miles, as es-
timated, it was nearer 80 miles away, so
that after a continuous march during the
| whole night, it was near daybreak before
we reached the Aravaipa Canyon; there
fore, when we did reach it, there was no
time left to make the proposed reconnois-
sance to ascertain the exact location of
the Indian camp. This involved the nee
essity of n change of our original plan OF
attack. We knew that tie rancheria was
in the Aravaipa Canyon, somewhere above
the post. but the exact distance to it and
| its situation as to its immediate surround
ings nobody knew. We were in critical
position; we were within sight of the
post; daylight was approaching, and 1t
was plain that in q very short time we
would be discovered either by the Indians
or by the sentries of the fort. In either
case our expedition would turn out to be
an utter failure, but our gallant Captain
was equal to the emergency. Promptly he
gave orders to divide the command into
two wings, one to consist Of the Papa
goes, the other the Mexicans and Ameri-
cans, and to skirmish up the creek until
We should strike the rancheria, approach.
ing it thus on two sides at the same time
when the order forward was given q
new difficulty arose, which if it had not
been speedily overcome. would have been
fatal: the command was now in plain
view of the post; the Papagoes had all the
time been afraid Of military interference
| with US. had assured them that no
such thing would occur, and vouched for
il. 1t happened that just as the command
was hating, bad dropped my canteen
from the horn Of my saddle, and, dis
mounting to look for il In the dust and
semi-darkness. had fallen behind the
! troop. The Papagoess not seeing me at