Apache Campaigns - Fort Huachuca - U.S. Army

apidly in force. They were vigorously repulsed and our position held until the arrival of
Capt. Viele at about eleven A.M. with his company and a part of Company G, Tenth Cavalry,
and upon his approach a sharp action took place between the troops and the Indians, in which
the latter were severely punished and [First] Lieut. [Samuel R.] Colladay wounded and one
man of Company E killed and eight animals. In the entire engagement, which lasted about
three hours, seven Indians were killed and many wounded. Upon the approach of Capt.
Nolan’s Company, the Indians fled rapidly to the Rio Grande, none having gone north. The
Mexican troops returned to the Rio Grande opposite Quitman on the twenty-eighth, being
entirely out of supplies. They are now moving down the River and are opposite here. 46
In a letter to his wife, he gave his reasoning for his decision to make the stand at Tenaja de
los Palmos against four-to-one odds.
It may seem to have been a very rash and dangerous undertaking to get ready to fight
Victorio and his hundred Indians with only (at first) seven men, but I had looked the ground
over well before going into camp, and saw clearly what a strong position I had, and with what
ease it could be fortified. I decided immediately what to do, and it turned out to be the best
thing that could possibly have been done under the circumstances.... If I had not made my
stand as I did, Victorio and his whole outfit would have gotten through without a fight, and we
would have had only the uncertain chance of pursuit. 47
His son Robert, just out of school and looking for adventure, kept a diary of the trip. Like
most 20-year-olds on school vacation, he had his priorities. He wrote, “We’ve got a good supply
of beer along. [The post trader] gave us a dozen bottles, and we had more than that before.” 48
Here is Robert’s diary description of that fateful morning, perhaps more adventure than he had
expected.
The vedettes holloed: “Here come the Indians!!” We made for our posts immediately.
The Indians came through a canyon in the hills S.E. of camp & got within half a mile before
we saw them. Their intention was to cross northward. After considering for a while Papa
had Lt. Finley and ten men charge after a party of them who’d crossed the road—couldn’t tell
how many Indians there were at first—they kept coming through the hills. Several Indians hid
in a hollow till Lt. F. passed, & then fired on his party—he had them on both sides of him &
poured it into them thick & vice versa. The rifles sounded splendidly and you could hear the
balls singing. Just as Lt. Finley was about to dislodge the Indians from behind a ledge, Capt.
Viele’s and Lt. Colladay’s companies came & in the smoke and dust took F. for Indians &
fired on him. F. thought they were troops at first, but when they fired he thought they were
Indians and returned the fire. He concluded that if all those were Indians he’d better get back
to our fortifications & ordered his men mounted & charged back to camp & lots of Indians
following howling like coyotes. Lt. F.’s party killed two Indians & one of his men had his
horse killed and the same man had his finger grazed by a ball. All got back about the same
time except the dismounted man—he got along as best he could—the Indians were nearly on
him—he turned & fired his revolver & this checked them some. We then let fly from our
fortifications at the Indians about 300 yds. off & golly!! you ought to’ve seen ‘em turn tail &
strike for the hills. If this man had only got back with the rest we could have waited till the
Indians got very close to us before firing and would have played hob with them (they supposed
that Lt. F.’s party was the whole force). As it was the sons of guns nearly jumped out of their
skins getting away. 49
On 4 August Victorio’s Apaches brushed past Grierson’s skirmish line and headed north.
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HUACHUCA ILLUSTRATED