Apache Campaigns - Fort Huachuca - U.S. Army

chiefs for joy.
Upon our arrival in the town we found that only a few straggling Indians had gotten
there ahead of us and had killed an old man in a cornfield. The people gave us shelter, and
after we had rested up a bit we began making a stockade out of an old corral, and also a
temporary fort close to the timber.
On the evening of the 14th, while I was standing outside the fort conversing with one of
the citizens, the Indians came upon us unexpectedly and attacked. This citizen was telling me
that the Indians had killed his brother that very morning and wanted me to go out and attack
them. I could not do this, as my orders were to protect the people in the town. It was then
that the Indians surprised and fired fully 100 shots into us before we could gain the shelter of
the fort. As the Indians’ rifles began to crack the people rushed to the fort and stockade, all
reaching it in safety except our teamsters and two soldiers who were herding the mules and
about 500 head of cattle. The bloodthirsty savages tried time and again to enter works, but we
repulsed them each time, and when they finally saw that we were masters of the situation they
turned their attention to the stock and tried to run it off. Realizing that they would be likely to
kill the herders I sent out a detail of ten men to their assistance. Keeping under cover of the
timber, the men quickly made their way to the herders and drove the Indians away, thus
saving the men and stock. The whole action was short but exciting while it lasted, and after it
was all over the townspeople congratulated us for having repulsed a band of more than 100
redskins.
Our little detachment was somewhat of a surprise to the Indians, for they did not expect
to see any troops in the town, and when we repulsed them they made up their minds that the
main body of the troops was in the vicinity and would pursue them as soon as they heard of the
encounter. The remainder of the regiment did arrive the next morning, and two squadrons at
once went in pursuit, but the wily redskins did not stop until they reached the mountains.
There they had encounters with the troops and were finally driven into Old Mexico. 44
On 24 May an Indian Scout company, under civilian scout “Captain” H. K. Parker,
happened upon Victorio near the headwaters of the Palomas River. Parker’s plan was to have a
scout named Sergeant Jim, with thirty men, to flank the camp on the high side, while he and
eleven marksmen would take the exposed flank, and Sergeant Jack Long, with twenty scouts,
would circle behind the camp. The attack was to open with Jim’s group at daybreak. Parker later
reported the details of the engagement.
The Indians had a sentry out on the side next to Jim’s position, and Jim selected a man
to kill him, while the balance fired down into the camp. According to orders, Sergeant Jim
opened fire at daylight, and the hostiles broke up [to] the position held by Captain Parker. A
galling fire sent them back into the canyon and they ran down it, gathering together as they ran,
when they came plumb upon Sergeant Jack Long’s command and received a fire that drove them
pell mell back to their camp. The hostiles then commenced fortifying, supposing that they were
surrounded, being fired upon from all sides; those who got into the fortifications fought desperately
until night. Many were killed before they could reach the fortifications. 45
According to Parker, thirty hostiles were killed and Victorio himself wounded in the leg.
Other accounts reported as many as sixty hostiles killed and maybe as few as ten. There were no
friendly casualties. Seventy-four Apache horses were taken. In any case, Victorio had suffered
his first major defeat. The scouts, nearly out of water and ammunition, had to break off the battle,
and the wounded Victorio raced his band toward Mexico.
A MAGAZINE OF THE FORT HUACHUCA MUSEUM
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