SOME MEN WHO WERE ANXIOUS FOR A FIGHT AND GOT IT.--GEN. CROOK AT
BLACK CANYON.--BAD MISTAKE OF A GOOD MAN.--THE VICTIMS.
After the events of the last chapter I remained in camp most of
the time, and sent my assistants out in different directions, with
orders to return the same day.
In ten days Gen. Crook made his appearance, with two companies of
cavalry and one of infantry.
The next day after his arrival after having talked the matter over
relative to Black canyon and the country surrounding it, he asked
me how far it was to the noted place. I told him it was what we
called fifty miles. The General said: "There is where I want to
go. Those men I brought out with me are anxious for a fight. I
brought them out here to fight, and I will see that they get it."
He told me that the day following he wished me to accompany him to
that country, saying: "You can take as many of your scouts along
as you like, and I will make a detail of twenty men to do camp
duty."
We started out the following morning for Black canyon, taking
along my entire scout force. In the afternoon of the second day I
piloted Gen. Crook to a high ridge, where, with his glasses, he
could overlook the whole country. He could see Black canyon and
the perpendicular wall of rock on the opposite side for miles and
miles, in fact, as far as he could see with his glasses. After he
had looked the country all over he asked me where we could get
into the canyon. In answer to this question I said: "General it is
easy enough to get into it, but the question is where to get out."
He said: "We surely can get out where we go in if we only have
sense enough to keep our eyes open." So I told him that I would
show him the next morning. We returned to camp and I started out
on foot to find some fresh meat, and had gone but a short distance
when I ran on to a band of wild turkeys, and killed two fat
gobblers. Turkeys seemed to keep fat in that country the year
around, as those that I killed were very fat. During the time I
was out hunting George Jones had taken two other scouts and had
made an entire circle of our camp, and not seeing any Indians or
fresh sign we felt safe from any attack that night.
The next morning we did not move camp, but leaving the twenty men
detailed for camp duty in charge of the camp and stock, I took my
entire scout force to escort Gen. Crook to Black canyon. When we
came to where the trail started down the bluff, he asked me how
far I had been down. I told him about a mile, but did not let him
know that Lieut. Jackson was with me at the time, knowing that the
General wanted the glory of being the first officer to investigate
and take in the situation of Black canyon. He asked me if it was
safe for us to go down that far. I told him it was not at this
time of day as we could not go that far and back without being
seen by hundreds of Indians.
He decided not to look any further, but we returned to our camp
and made preparations to start back to headquarters the next
morning. He did not say anything to me as to what he thought of
Black canyon that evening, but next day on our way back to
headquarters he asked me if I thought there would be grass enough
where we camped the night before for three or four hundred head of
stock for three or four days. This led me to believe that he
intended moving a part of his command to that place.
As soon as we were back at headquarters he told me that if any of
the horses belonging to the scouts had shoes that needed resetting
to have it attended to at once, and also told me to have the
scouts pick out the very best horses for the trip.
During the time that these preparations were in progress, Lieut.
Jackson in a private conversation told me that Gen. Crook was
going to move up with a portion of the command near Black canyon
and try to get into it. I told him that he could get in there easy
enough, but had my doubts whether or not he would be able to get
out with half the men he took in.
After having completed our preparations we pulled out for the Camp
on the Mountain, this being the name given the camp by some of our
men when we were out before, and I am told that the springs where
we camped still go by that name. We started with two companies of
cavalry and one of infantry, taking a pack-train to carry the
supplies.
The first night at Camp on the Mountain Gen. Crook threw out a
strong picket guard, and the next morning he told me to place my
men both above and below the trail that they were to travel in
descending the mountain into the canyon. I had examined this part
of the country and was thoroughly posted in all the ways and by-
ways of the Black canyon, which I knew the General was not, and I
told him that there was no danger from above, from the fact that
it was at least six miles to the next place where the Indians
could climb the bluff, but this didn't seem to satisfy him, so I
placed my scouts according to his directions. This, he said, was
to protect his rear.
I took my stand farthest down the hill from any of the scouts,
being about half way down, and had my men scattered along on the
mountain side, both above and below. This I did so that in case
any of my men should see danger from above they would report to me
at once and I would report to Gen. Crook.
After I had my men all placed and was at my stand I saw two
companies of cavalry coming down the bluff supported by one
company of infantry. When they got to where I was stationed, it
being what we termed a bench on the mountain, they halted, and
Crook and Jackson held a council in which Lieut. Jackson advised
Gen. Crook to send the infantry ahead as "feelers," but the
General thought just the reverse, saying: "I will feel my way with
the cavalry." So they started down the mountain single file.
After they had been gone about two hours, or it seemed that long
to me at least, I heard the firing commence; but I could tell from
the direction that they were not yet down to the foot of the
mountain. The firing continued about an hour, but I could not get
to see any of the battle, for I dared not leave my post for fear
that some of the scouts might come to report to me, and in case I
was away he would not know what to do.
At last I saw the cavalry coming back up the mountain, some on
foot, some leading their horses, and a very few riding. The
Indians were being held in check by the infantry in order to give
the cavalry a chance to get out of the canyon with their horses.
As well as I can remember, in this fight Gen. Crook lost forty-two
men killed, twenty-one wounded, and sixty horses killed.
That night I heard one sergeant ask another in the presence of
Gen. Crook when the dead would be buried, but the question was not
answered. The next morning the General told me to take as many men
as I wanted and see if I could recover the dead bodies. I said.
"General, if you will wait until night I will take my men and if
there are any dead bodies left on the battlefield I will try and
get them, but I do not propose to take my men and stick them up
for a target to be shot at by the Indians when they have no show
whatever, for I will not ask my men to go where I will not go
myself."
He said: "Suit yourself about it," and turned and walked away.
That night I took my entire scout force, besides twenty soldiers
that volunteered to go along, and descended the mountain. We
worked hard all night, and all that we could find was twenty-one
bodies, and that day they were buried, after which we commenced
making preparations to return to headquarters.
Up to that time I had not had a chance to talk to Lieut. Jackson
concerning the battle in Black canyon, as we had both been busy
ever since. When on a march it was my custom to ride ahead of the
army, so the morning that we were ready to start back I had given
my orders to the scouts, had mounted, and was just ready to start,
when Lieut. Jackson said: "Wait a minute, Captain, and I will ride
with you."
The reader will understand that by this time the Lieutenant and I
were as intimate friends as though we were brothers, and when he
told me anything I could rely upon it, and I had always made it a
rule to be punctual with him. If he would ask me a question I
would always answer it the best I could, and if I asked him for
any information, if he knew he would tell me. And here I would
like to say that while Gen. Crook bore the name of being a great
Indian fighter, I know for a fact that Lieut. Jackson planned more
victories two to one than Gen. Crook did himself, and had it been
in the Lieutenant's power to have kept those soldiers out of Black
canyon, they never would have entered it.
That morning after we had ridden a short distance he mentioned the
fight and said: "Cap, that was a horrible affair." I said:
"Lieutenant it was not half as bad as I thought it would be, for
when I saw you go down there I did not expect to see half of the
boys come back." He said: "Had it not been for the infantry coming
to our rescue just when it did not a horse would have come out of
the canyon, and but very few soldiers."
I asked him where the next move would be and he said that Gen.
Crook was going to return to the fort and we would go farther out
on the road to protect the emigrants, who would soon begin to move
toward California. For the next two or three days everything was
undergoing a change around camp; rigging up packs and fitting up
in general.
The soldiers who had their horses killed were mounted on the
choice horses that we had captured from the Indians, which made
very fair cavalry horses.
As soon as we had completed our arrangements Gen. Crook started
back for Fort Yuma, much wiser than he came, while we pushed
farther out on the Butterfield route, with two companies of
cavalry and fifty infantry-men.
We traveled four days from our old camp before making a general
halt. The evening of the fourth day just a short time before we
were ready to go into camp the scouts came in and reported having
seen a small band of Indians only a short distance west of us, and
they said they had watched them go into camp.
I reported to the Lieutenant and he started with one company of
cavalry after them, leaving orders for the command to go into camp
at the next water, which was about a mile ahead of us. This proved
to be a small hunting party, and they in some way discovered us
before we got to their camp. When we came in sight of them we were
about a quarter of a mile away from their camp and they had their
horses all packed and were beginning to mount. We gave chase, but
they had the start of us so that we only got two out of the band,
but we crowded them so close that they had to leave their pack-
horses, and we got all of them, there being twenty.
I captured a fine American horse that showed good breeding. He was
a sorrel, with white hind feet and a white stripe on his face and
branded C on the left shoulder. I made the Lieutenant a present of
this horse, and he afterwards proved to be a very fast animal, as
the Lieutenant told me several years after, that during the winter
months he kept the soldiers nearly all broke with that horse. He
told me that he proved to be the fastest half mile horse he ever
saw.