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ARIZONA HIGHWAYS THE BATTLE OF APACHE PASS

(Continued from Page 11) More leisurely with the slow-moving wagon train. Roberts pushed on past Ewell's Station and arrived at the entrance to Apache Pass in the early afternoon of that hot and stifling day in July, little dreaming that he was about to engage in a life and death struggle with a desperate foe.

The officer, entirely unsuspecting any attack, started through the pass with his soldiers, after taking the ordinary military precautions. He had penetrated about two-thirds of the way, when, from both sides of that rough and rugged gorge, a veritable hail of lead was poured upon his troops within a range of from thirty to eighty yards. On either hand huge rocks-tossed about promiscuously by some mighty cataclysm of the pastafforded natural and almost unassailable defenses, behind which the attackers kept out of sight. It was an ideal place for Apache ambush and attack, and the warriors of Mangas Coloradas and Cochise, realizing its advantages, were hopeful of annihilating the troops before them. Almost every tree and mass of boulders within the pass sheltered a painted savage-well equipped with weapons-ready and determined to put up a desperate fight. From every place of concealment came angry, hissing bullets on their errands of death. Yet Captain Roberts and his men could not see or locate a single Apache. The troops fought back bravely and as best they could, but with negligible effect upon the hidden foe; ammunition was being expended uselessly for the enemy was invisible; it was impossible to ascend the boulder-strewn slopes of the pass and the mountain howitzers which they had brought along were for the moment useless. The men, though exhibiting great courage, were confused by the suddenness and nature of the attack.

Under these circumstances Captain Roberts determined to fall back, reform his lines and renew the contest. The orders to retire were given and obeyed with perfect discipline. Reaching the entrance to the pass the troops were reorganized; skirmishers were thrown out over the hills so as to command the road; the howitzers were loaded and belched forth their shells wherever found necessary. In this formation the troops again marched forward. It was absolutely necessary for them to reach the springs in Apache Pass, for water must be had at any hazard. A march of forty miles under a torrid Arizona sun and over wide alkaline plains-through blinding clouds of powdery dust-had already been accomplished, and it would be impossible to march back again without serious loss of life and untold suffering. Aside from this it would have been an unforgiveable disgrace to have been defeated by the Apaches, although in overwhelming numbers, for the captious outside world is ever ready to taunt and ridicule those who fail.

Determined to advance and not retreat, the California troops moved steadily forward, under a continuous and gall-ing fire, until they reached the old station house in the pass, about six hun-dred yards from the springs. The house was built of stone and afforded safe and ample shelter. But still the water, so badly needed, was not in reach. Eighteen hours, with a march of forty miles-including six hours of sharp fighting-had been passed without a drop. The men were faint and worn out with fatigue and want of sleep; still Captain Roberts, their tireless leader, urged them on and led the way. His person was already the most exposed to the enemy's fire, as he cheered and urged his troops forward in their dogged advance.

Immediately commanding the springs are two hills, both high and difficult of ascent. One is to the east and the other overlooks them from the south. On these heights the Apaches had built rude but efficient breastworks by piling good-sized rocks, one upon another, in such a manner that loop-holes were left between the intervening spaces. From these fortifications the savages kept up a rapid and scathing fusillade which could not be returned with effect by the rifle fire of the soldiers from three to four hundred feet below. Recourse was then had to the howitzers and they were gotten into position; but one of them was so inefficiently handled that the men were immediately brought under enemy fire, and the gunners, in their frantic efforts to get the field piece into position for action, finally overturned it. By concentrating a sharp fire upon them the savages forced the artillerists to retire and abandon the disabled howitzer. At this critical juncture, Sergeant Mitchell, with his six associates, made a rush to bring off the howitzer and place it in a better position. Upon reaching the gun, they determined not to turn it downhill-but up -so as to keep their fronts to the enemy fire. While performing this gallant act, they were assailed with a storm of balls, but escaped untouched; after having righted the gun, they dragged it away, and placed it in the most favorable position available. As soon as this had been done, the exact range was obtained, and shell after shell hurled upon the hills, bursting just at the proper time. The Apaches, wholly unused to such formidable engines of destruction, precipitately abandoned their rock works and fled in all directions, leaving the springs accessible. It was now nearly night. To remain under those death-dealing heights during the night, when camp fires would have to be lighted, was out of the question; so Captain Roberts ordered each man to take a drink from the hardlyearned springs and to fill his canteen; after that the troops retired within the shelter of the old stone stage station, where the proper guards and pickets were posted for the night. In this fight Captain Roberts had two men killed and three wounded, and it was afterwards learned from a prominent Apache who was present during the engagement, that sixty-three warriors were killed outright by the howitzer shells, while only three perished from musketry fire. He added: "We would have done well enough if you had not fired wagons at us." The how. itzers, being on wheels, were deemed a species of wagon by the Apaches, wholly inexperienced in that sort of warfare.

Captain Roberts suffered his men to recruit their wasted energies with supper, and then taking one-half of his company-the remainder being left under command of Lieutenant Thompsonmarched back to Ewell's Station, fifteen miles away, to assure the safety of the train under Captain Cremony's command and escort it through the pass.

Starting from Dragoon Springs Cap-tain Cremony had reached Ewell's Station in his eastward march, where he decided to camp and await some message from the front. After receiving information of the desperate engagement at Apache Pass he parked his wagons-posted his men to the best advantage, each well supplied with ammunition-and awaited the arrival of Captain Roberts. The latter reached Captain Cremony's camp in the early morning hours of the 15th. After a short rest-at about five o'clock in the morning-Cremony's train was straightened out, with half the effective cavalry force three hundred yards in advance, and the other half about as far in the rear, while the wagons were flanked on either side by the infantry. In this order they reached the westerly entrance to Apache Pass, where the column was halted. The infantry were then thrown out on either side as skirmishers-with a small reserve as the rallying point-while the cavalry was ordered to guard the train and make occasional dashes into the side canyons. The skirmishers-alert and

JANUARY, 1936 ARIZONA HIGHWAYS

watchful plunged into dark, rocky defiles and clambered over steep, rough slopes, while the cavalry made frequent sorties from the main body to a distance of several hundred yards on each side. In this manner they advanced through the Apache stronghold, until they joined the detachment under Lieutenant Thompson -at the old stage station-where they remained until the next day-the 16th.

It is fitting to remark at this point that Captain Roberts' troops had marched forty miles without food or water; had fought for six hours against over six times their numbers of well-armed Apaches, upon a battle-ground of their own choosing, and with every advantage on their side; had driven the opposing force before them and dislodged them from their fortified positions; and then, after only one draught of water and a hasty meal, had made another march of thirty miles, almost absolutely without rest. It was a splendid exhibition of courage and endurance, of self-sacrifice and devotion to duty.

Numerous camp fires were quickly started and preparations for serving breakfast were soon under way. But once more water was necessary for men and animals. Some of the Apaches had again occupied the heights above the watering place, while others lay concealed in the thick groves of trees and willow underbrush that surrounded the springs. Roberts again made preparations to dislodge the savages, and ordered his howitzers into the most favorable positions. These instruments of war then opened fire-the shells bursting splendidly; large numbers of Apaches were observed to decamp from the heights in the most hurried manner; the springs also underwent a similar cleaning, and in less than twenty minutes the troops were permitted to advance and fill their canteens, while the cavalry, without awaiting further orders, made a rush after the retreating savages until the rapid rise and terribly broken nature of the terrain checked the pursuit. The hillsides were covered with fleeing Apaches who seemed imbued with supernatural powers of locomotion. They bounded along the broken slopes with the surefootedness and rapidity of mountain goats, until they disappeared behind the jagged crests of the surrounding mountains. Horses and mules which had not tasted water for forty-eight hours and were nearly famished from so dusty a road and so long a journey, under a broiling Arizona sun, drank as if they would never be satisfied. An hour later Roberts' outfit moved through the pass, entered upon the wide plain which separates it from the San Simon River, andreached camp on that creek, without further trouble, about 4 o'clock in the afternoon of that same day.

After three days of rest on the San Simon, Captain Cremony started back to the San Pedro with a train of twenty-six empty wagons for the purpose of providing transportation for the food, stocks, ammunition, clothing and other supplies of the column yet remaining there. The escort consisted of fourteen troopers and seven men of Roberts' Infantry. The return journey was not made by way of Apache Pass, but over Railroad Pass, which made the distance to the river some seven miles longer. Railroad Pass is about four miles wide-clear of trees and rocks-and in the early 60s was thickly covered with the finest of gramma grass. Captain Cremony preferred to travel at night, with the cavalry covering the front and rear, and every little while patrolling the length of the column to ward off any sudden and unforeseen attack; the seven infantrymen rode in the empty wagons with their weapons loaded and ready for action at a moment's notice. Captain Cremony's first day-camp was made on the20th in the center of the open plain comprising Railroad Pass, where the wagons were corralled-nearly in a circle-with all the men and animals on the inside, except the outer guard who were stationed where they could most readily frustrate any surprise attack; the animals belonging to the train were tied to a rope which was stretched across the open end of the corral. While the outfit was camped at this place large numbers of Apaches could be distinctly seen riding furiously up and down the steep slopes of the Chiricahua Mountains and sometimes advancing on the plain as if to attack. But experience had taught them that the carbines and Minnie rifles in the hands of the soldiers were deadly at a distance of nearly a mile and they did not approach within range. As soon as it became dark the animals were hitched up and the journey resumed. Daylight found them within six miles of Ewell's Station, where a stop was made. They had come seventy miles in two nights. The next camp was made at Brothers' Springs (Ojos de los Hermanos), in order to avoid stopping at Dragoon Springs, always a dangerous camp-

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Ing site. In due time the San Pedro was reached, where General Carleton had arrived with a considerable body of troops. When everything was ready the column of soldiers with their long train of loaded wagons started for the San Simon, going again by way of Apache Pass. But when that gateway of death was entered, it seemed as if no painted savage had ever lingered there or broken the reigning silence with his terrifying war-cry-as if it had ever been the seat of solemn stillness and solitude. The wagon-train with its heavy escort of soldiers traversed the pass without molestation, and without seeing a single Apache warrior. Under the telling blows of Captain Roberts the Apaches of the Chiricahuas had evidently learned an enduring lesson.

After emerging from Apache Pass these troops took the Cienega instead of the San Simon Station road. San Simon River-really more of a creek disappeared in its sandy bed about a mile south of San Simon Station, on the overland road, and, eight miles still farther south, apparently came to the surface and made the Cienega a flat, marshy place that seemed to have a mysterious underground water supply.

The troops had marched about two miles along the Cienga road when they suddenly came upon the bodies of nine persons, pierced repeatedly with bullet and arrow wounds; arrows had been driven so deeply into some of the corpses that they were still sticking in the stark and staring cadavers. After a cursory examination, the verdict was that they were bodies of white men killed by the Apaches but a short time before. This conclusion proved correct, as was afterward ascertained, beyond all doubt, and their destruction was brought about by a trick peculiarly illustrative of Apache character. While the united forces of Mangas Coloradas and Cochise were awaiting the

ARIZONA HIGHWAYS

arrival of the California Volunteers at Apache Pass, they spied-from their mountain outlooks-a small band of white men approaching Apache Pass from the direction of the Cienega and determined to destroy them. The Indians soon realized that the approaching men represented a small but well-armed party of fearless and experienced miners from the Santa Rita del Cobre region in New Mexico-men who were always on their guard while travelling, and ever prepared to defend their lives with the greatest courage and determination. Knowing that they would be especially on the alert while traversing Apache Pass, the Indians decided to exterminate them by strategy before they reached that defile. Two miles east of the passin the midst of the clear and unobstructed plain there was, at that time, a deep, wide gulley-from six to eight feet deep and nine to twelve feet wide that could not be seen from horseback until the rider was within fifty yards of the spot. It was about a quarter of a mile long and had been caused by erosion in the porous and yielding soil of the plain. With devilish cunning a large body of the Apaches hid themselves in this gully -knowing that the small group of miners would be off their guard while crossing the wide-open plain, where apparently there was no obstruction behind which a lurking foe could hide-and awaited the approach of their unsuspecting victims. Not apprehending any danger, the hardy miners were riding leisurely along with rifles resting across saddles and pistols in holsters. Upon approaching to within some forty yards of the gully-suddenly and without warning-a terrific and devastating fire was opened upon them by the concealed Indians which killed outright one-half of their number; the remainder-wounded and panic stricken-sought safety in flight, but were pursued, overtaken and massacred to a man. It was subsequently learned that the victims had with them a considerable sum in gold dust-nearly

JANUARY, 1936

Fifty thousand dollars worth all of which fell into the hands of their slayers, who had become well acquainted with its value. A detachment of soldiers stepped out from the ranks of the marching column and gave the bodies a hasty burial. Another incident that might have had far-reaching consequences occurred immediately after the Apache Pass engagement. Following his first contact with the Indians, Captain Roberts sent a message to Captin Cremony by the seven mounted men who were acting as scouts and couriers for him. After leaving the pass the horsemen were pursued by a large band of Apaches, who made every effort to overtake them. The troopers got through safely, however, and met Captain Cremony at Ewell's Station just before dark. Sergeant Mitchell made the following report: "Captain Roberts has been attacked in Apache Pass by a very large body of Indians. We fought them for six hours and finally compelled them to run. Captain Roberts then directed us to come back through the pass and report to you with orders to park the train and take every precaution for its safety. He will join you tonight. On leaving the pass, we were pursued by over fifty well-armed and mounted Apaches, and we lost three horses, killed under us, and that one (pointing to a splendid gray) is mortally wounded. Sergeant Maynard, now present, has his right arm fractured at the elbow with a rifle ball, and John Teal, we believe to be killed, as we saw him cut off by a band of fifteen or twenty savages, while we were unable to render him any assistance." But to the surprise of all, John Teal, given up for lost, arrived at Captain Cremony's camp about one o'clock in the morning, bringing with him his saddle, blanket, sabre and pistols, but without his horse and spurs. His narrative illustrates so well another phase of Apache character that it is well worth repeating: To be concluded in February's Issue A complete unit of the petroleum Industry-Producers-Refiners-Marketers.

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