The review. [volume] (High Point, N.C.) 1908-19??, 1913-09-25
Apache Indians Made Their Last Charge
Chanting the Death Ssng

| SnS WO0AH SWuX
discovery of Skeleton in Cave If
apache Stronghold Recalls One o1
lne Flercest ln>'isn Battles of the
Frontfer-Savages Jeered at Cal
to Surrender. "
lsuscon, Ariz., (Special)-In q
cavern in the Superstitious Noun.
tains are piled the skeletons of more
than two hundred Apache Indians
iheH recent discovery recall. one Of
the .bloodiest Indian battles ever
fought. 1t was in December, 1872.
Capt. and Brevet Major William
II. Brown, of the Fifth cavalry, was
ordered from old Camp Grant, on
the San Pedro river, to 90 after the
Indians in the Tonic basin. His
force consisted OF two troops of the
Fifth cavalry and 80 Apache scouts,
and he had as his junior officers
CAPITA. B. Taylor and Lieut.. Jacob
Almy, of the Fifth cavalry, Lieut..
John 9. Bourke, of the Third caval-
~ and Capt. w. j. Ross of the
Iwenty-first infantry, withMcIntosh,
Felmer and Antonio Besias as guides.
Later he was joined by Capt. James
Burns, of the Fifth cavalry, with
Troop G and 80 Pima Indian scouts,
with Lieut.. Earl D. Thomas as bis
subordinate. Then Major Brown
announced that he was about to I'M
dertake the capture of one of the
Apache strongholds, somewhere in
the canyon of.the Salt river, which
had been frequently : sought for by
the troops, but its location had new
er yet been discovered. A friendly
APACHE scout, one Nantaje, who had
at one time lived in this stronghold,
offered to guide the troops, but it
must be night march, he insisted,
because the Apaches, if forewaned,
could defend it against any number.
CAPTAIN ROSS STORY.
The story of the expedition from
this point is thus told by Captain
Ross:
Leaving the pack train in camp
with a guard, Major Brown and his
men, led by Nantaje, took the trail
on cold, starlight night, marching
Indian file. Not word was spoken
louder than a whisper. All orders
were passed backward from the
head of the column in a whisper
from man 70 man down the long
line. Toward morning the scouts
reported light ahead. The Column
was halted while Mcintosh and Tel
mer went forward to reconnoitre. On
their return they said that the light
must have been made by band OF
ApaChes, who had been raiding the
whites and peaceful Pima Indians
in the ella valley, and had just
passed through the mountain above
on their return to the stronghold
with their plumber. They had left
a number of tired horses and mules
in little depression on the noun
tain side.
Major Brown sent Captain Burns
with Troop G. of the fifth Cavalry
and his Pima Indian scouts to 60 to
where the abandoned horses were
and bark back on the trail to dis
cover whether any more Apaches
were coming up, and ordered me to
take IS enlisted men, with all the
mule packers, who had come along
as volunteers and who were excellent
shots, to 90 ahead on the trail, led
by Nantaje and Mcintosh and Eel
mer, to prevent any attempt at
surprise in that direction, as it would
soon be light. In the meantime he
would form his command and await
a report from me.
SURPRISED IN STRONGHOLD.
"Nantaje led the advance down
the steep and dangerous trail into
the Salt River canyon. 1t was a
dark, gloomy, and cavernous place.
A faint light of coming Dawn began
to appear. Nantaje was closely fol-
lowed by Mcintosh, while at the
head OF my trailers, marched a few
feet in their rear.
eve had not gone much more
than 600 yards when Nantaje held
up his hand in warning, and the
command instantly stopped. A
moment later he whispered to Nc
Intosh: 'Apache!' Motioning the
others to stand fast, Nantaje, Nc
Intosh, Felmer and | crept forward
to turn in the trail. Less than 40
yards beyond the angle we saw the
Apache stronghold. About 400 feet
from the crest of tie rocky wall of
the canyon was the wide mouth of
an open cavern. A few feet in front