Apache Campaigns - Fort Huachuca - U.S. Army

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behind. This was the worst thing that had happened to us since we left the agency at San
Carlos. While it is true we hadn’t been able to take much with us when we were forced to
leave the agency, we did have a few blankets and utensils. Now we had nothing except our
bare hands and the clothes on our backs.
While we were running toward the hills several women and children were hit. This
added to our difficulties, for we had no way to help them to safety and no medicines of any
kind to treat the wounded.
We were safe in the hills, the soldiers not pursuing us into that rough country. At dusk
we assembled prior to resuming our flight south. Before we started we had a good drink of
water at a spring and distributed what little food some of us had been able to grab up when we
fled from the butte. We were now on foot again, the soldiers having captured all our horses
and mules. No doubt they were rejoicing over this and laughing at us in our sorry condition.
In counting up our losses we found that three women had been killed and four wounded but
the warriors had suffered no injuries or losses. One wounded woman who had been shot in
the ankle was carried for a ways on a stretcher made of reeds, then on a recaptured horse.
The animal bucked her off, so she asked her relatives to leave her there. They finally had to
abandon her. I understand that she was later picked up by the troops, who gave her medical
attention.
About night, just as we were starting off, some of the warriors came in with a few
horses which they had been able to recapture. We were very proud of these brave young men,
who were some of the best fighters in the Apache tribe.
During the night we crossed a wide valley and continued on toward the north end of the
Sierra Madre Mountain range. While we were still far from the foothills we had to stop to rest
because many of our band were completely worn out. We rested and slept for an hour or so,
then early in the morning continued the march. We were now traveling very slowly on
account of being mostly on foot and nearly exhausted. Those who were mounted did not stop
but went right on to the foothills. Early in the morning they saw some Mexican soldiers, but
were afraid to go back and let us know. Some of the men who took part in this disgraceful
abandonment of their mission as a security detachment were subchiefs Chato and Naiche and
one of Nanay’s warriors, a man named Kaahtenny.... 89
The rest of us in the main party were unaware that we were between two hostile
groups, the U.S. troops who were following us, and the Mexican troops who were ahead,
preparing to ambush us. 90
The entire campaign, from the 6 th Cavalry’s point of view was summed up by Lieutenant
Mills when he wrote: “Our command took them out of Arizona across New Mexico, into Old
Mexico, surprised them where they thought themselves safe, captured and killed most of their
stock, demoralized them so they ran into the hands of the Mexicans in open counry and they
finished the job. It’s the best piece of Indian work that has been undertaken in the southwest
for many years and I think we have a right to feel proud of it.” 91
Roll Call: Colonel Wilber E. Wilder and the Fight at
Horseshoe Canyon
As colonel, 5th U.S. Cavalry, Wilber E. Wilder was post commander of Fort Huachuca
HUACHUCA ILLUSTRATED