Apache Campaigns - Fort Huachuca - U.S. Army

as the result justified the end; but the less said the better. 88
Betzinez presented the Apache side of the fight in Mexico.
We were camped about twenty-five miles northwest of Janos near a little round, rocky
butte that stood by itself west of some hills. Just west of our camp was a marshy place which
Mexicans call a cienaga, where cattails grew, and where we could water our animals. To the
west and south stretched a dry, treeless plain for as far as the eye could see.
For two days and nights we gave ourselves up to merriment and dancing. Our leaders
had taken their usual precaution of selecting and announcing rendezvous points farther south
in the mountains west of Casas Grandes, where we would assemble in case we were attacked
and had to scatter. There was also chosen an alternate assembly point in case the first one
proved to be unsafe or couldn’t be reached.
Our two days of rest and relaxation gave the cavalry a chance to catch up with us. On
the third morning I was out at daylight looking for our mule, which had been turned loose to
graze and was with the other animals a mile or so from camp. All at once I heard a gun fired
from the foothills east of the camp. I opened my eyes wide in sudden excitement, for there in
plain sight south of the horse herd was a troop of cavalry galloping my way. I guess they
didn’t notice me among the animals or they would have gotten me easily. I ran just as fast as
my legs would carry me toward camp. Arriving at the foot of the butte I looked back to see the
soldiers driving away our horses.
All our people took cover in the broken ground at the butte, in some cases several
trying to squeeze into the same crevice in the rocks. Our warriors were on the butte firing
back at the troops while the rest of us were between the two firing lines. The soldiers were
about a half mile away, so our men didn’t waste too much ammunition trying to hit them at
that range. This intermittent skirmishing lasted all morning, the soldiers apparently having
little urge to make a real attack.
About noon we heard our leaders calling to the men to get ready to attack the soldiers,
who now were in the plain southwest of the butte, near the marsh. The warriors stripped off
their shirts ready for action. Then under shouted directions from the leaders the Apaches
began sneaking down through the rocks toward the soldiers. In a few moments the firing
began again. After this had gone on for awhile our men began withdrawing up the butte. The
soldiers kept firing into the rocks in spite of the fact that no Indians were in sight. Therefore no
damage was done, as far as I could see, except that Old Man Loco was wounded slightly in
the leg while leaning against a rock right beside me.
Several hours passed, with occasional shots being fired from both sides. About noon
an old Apache woman climbed up to the highest point of the butte where she stood in plain
sight calling out to her son, Toclanny, who was an Indian scout. She thought mistakenly that
he was with these particular troops. In vain she called to him, telling him that we had been
run off against our will by the hostiles from Mexico. But her son wasn’t there; and she was
shot and killed.
Early in the afternoon four young warriors slipped through to the southeast and circled
around behind the Indian scouts. They attacked the scouts from the rear, driving them out into
the plain where they joined the troops. The four warriors ducked behind some rocks and kept
on firing. This diversion gave those of us who were between the lines a chance to escape. So
while the soldiers and scouts were occupied with this party in their rear, we who were
watching from the rocks on the butte ran for the foothills to the east leaving all our belongings
A MAGAZINE OF THE FORT HUACHUCA MUSEUM
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