OUTDOOR SOUTHWEST - Desert Magazine of the Southwest

w,ITH SHRILL whoops of mingled
pain, rage and frustration, the fierce
Mescalero Apaches fled from Fort Davis
and headed for their ancestral homes
high in the neighboring mountains, leaving
their dead and wounded on the
post grounds. The soldiers poured a
last volley at the fleeing Indians, and
then prepared to care for the wounded
and bury the dead.
Fort Davis, in the Trans-Pecos area
of Texas, was established in 1854 on
people," Tom said. "I guess Indians are
all alike. They don't want our way of
life."
The mother knew what the son had
not even guessed. "Emily did want our
life," she said. "She was in love with
you and wanted to marry you."
But, Tom married Mary. The weeks
became months and finally a year passed
with no news of Emily. She seemingly
had vanished into the nowhere from
whence she had come.
l ndian Emilys Tragedy
orders of Jefferson Davis, Secretary of
War, to protect travelers on the Overland
Trail leading to points West. Early
that morning the post had suffered a
surprise attack, but aided by men of
several large freight outfits that had
camped the night there, the soldiers inflicted
heavy casualties on the Indians.
While the burial detail was working
at its grim task, one of the "corpses"
raised a hand and moaned. "Hey,"
cried a soldier as he bent over the prone
figure, "this one's alive, and it's a girl."
"Bring her inside," ordered the captain.
"Put her in the hospital with the
men."
A young lieutenant, Tom Easton,
stepped forward and saluted. "Sir," he
addressed the captain, "my mother is
good at nursing and I'm sure she'll care
for the girl in our home. Let me call
her."
Mrs. Easton had the girl moved to
a comfortable adobe room behind her
home, and tenderly cared for her. During
the Apache girl's convalescence, she
learned to speak a few words of English
—enough to make known the fact that
she wanted to remain with the Eastons
after she recovered. It was agreed that
she would be the Eastons' maid, and
the girl took the name, Emily.
Emily was supremely happy in her
new home until Mary Nelson and her
family moved to Fort Davis. Tom was
immediately attracted to Mary, and soon
was spending all his spare time with her.
Emily became increasingly silent and
withdrawn. And then it happened: Tom
and Mary announced their engagement.
That night Emily stole away.
"She's probably gone back to her
By LOUISE CHENEY AUER —
THE STATE'S TRIBUTE TO AN INDIAN HEROINE
The Indians, meanwhile, were raiding
the whites with increasing boldness.
Wagon trains, stages, travelers and outlying
ranches were attacked. Fort Davis
was on constant alert.
One dark night a sentry at the Fort
detected muted footsteps near the post.
"Halt or I'll fire!" he commanded. No
answer came from a shadowy form
that whirled past him. The soldier
squeezed his trigger, and a woman cried
out in pain.
They found Emily on the ground.
She was fatally wounded.
"I hear talk," she was able to tell
her friend, Mrs. Easton. "My people
coming to kill by the light of morning—
I tell so Tom no get killed." And then
the Apache girl died.
The raiding party struck at dawn, but
the entire garrison was waiting. The
Apaches did not have a chance.
Emily was buried at the foot of the
mountain between the post buildings
and Limpia Creek. The fort carpenter
cut out a crude wooden headboard, and
printed upon it: "Indian Squaw—Killed
by Accident."
This caustic monument eventually
fell victim to the consuming efforts of
time and weather. Only a heap of rocks
remained to mark Emily's lonely grave
when, in 1936, the State Centennial
Commission of Texas erected a more
fitting headstone. The granite monument
reads: "Here lies Indian Em'ly,
an Apache girl whose love for a young
officer induced her to give warning of
an Indian attack. Mistaken for an enemy
she was shot by a sentry, but saved
the garrison from massacre." ///
PRESENT-DAY RUINS OF FORT DAVIS, TEXAS
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