El Paso in 1858 13
Roster of Ante-bellum Residents of El Paso 18
Incidents Before the War and Early Impressions 22
Murder and Robbery of Giddings’ Store (Sheldon Block) 36
The Canby-Sibley Campaign in 1861-62 38
The Battle of Valverde 56
Captain Moore 61
A Story Without a Moral 64
Benjamin S. Dowell 65
Brad. Daily 68
John Lemon 71
“Bob” Crandall as a Damphool 73
Robbery of My House in 1865—Indian Trailers 74
Attempt at Assassination in 1867—A Mystery 77
Fate of My Custom-House Deputies 79
Change of Customs District—Samuel J. Jones (1863) 80
Captains Skillman and French 82
Furnishing Arms to Mexico—1865 85
President Juarez’ Government at Ciudad Juarez, Near El Paso—1865-66 88
A Visit to Washington—Political Contests 89
Reconstruction—Constitutional Convention of 1868-69 94
Hamilton-Davis Contest of 1869—Adoption of Constitution 100
Marriage and Journey to My El Paso Home 102
Assault by Kuhn at Fredericksburg 108
Third Voyage Over the Plains—Enemies and Plots 110
A. J. Fountain—My Worst Enemy 114
Arrest at San Elezario—Assault by Atkinson 117
From El Paso to Austin—Stage Drivers 119
Some Texas Lawyers 122
Litigation About El Paso Property 126
“Star” Mail Contracts—The First Trust—1869-70 131
Victorio, the Great Apache General 136
The Killing of Clarke and Williams—The Causes—1870 138
The Cardis-Howard Feud—The Mob at San Elezario, 1877 142
The Bloody Reign of Marshal Studemeier 154
Longmeier—A Close Call 159
A Hold-Up 160
The Union Men of the South 163
Enemies and Philosophy 165
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=FORTY YEARS AT EL PASO.=
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I was born on a farm near Thorntown, Indiana, in 1836, and labored
alongside of my father and brothers and the hired men during the crop
season, attending the village school during the winter months, till I
was seventeen years old, when my father sent me for two years to an
academy in New York State. While there he secured for me an appointment
as a cadet at the Military Academy at West Point, but I gave way to my
brother, Anson Mills, who is now a Brigadier General in the United
States army. After returning home for a year, I came to Texas with my
brother Anson. We came down the Mississippi at the time of the great
flood in 1857, to New Orleans, and thence up the Red River to Jefferson,
Texas. From Jefferson we walked to McKinney, in Collin County, where my
brother had previously resided, and I secured a school at Pilot Grove,
in Grayson County, and spent a year there happily, and, I trust,
usefully. During that year my brother was appointed surveyor on the part
of Texas to the joint commission which located the boundary line between
Texas and the United States, Col. William R. Scurry being the
commissioner on the part of Texas.
At the suggestion of my brother, I joined this expedition at Horsehead
Crossing on the Pecos River, and accompanied it to El Paso. When we
arrived at Waco Tanks, twenty-six miles east of El Paso, we failed to
find water, and were somewhat distressed in consequence. Colonel Scurry
said that young men on foot could make the trip to El Paso for relief
better than any of our worn-out animals, and my brother and I
volunteered for the tramp. We left the tank, thirsty, at sunset and
reached the river below El Paso before daybreak, and after slaking our
thirst, slept on the ground till morning, when we sent out a relief
party, with water. Soon thereafter I went to Fort Fillmore, in New
Mexico, forty-five miles above El Paso, where I clerked in the sutler’s
store of Hayward & McGrosty, for nearly a year, when I returned to El
Paso, and was employed in the same capacity by St. Vrain & Co.,
merchants. This firm had a branch store at the Santa Rita copper mines
near where Silver City now stands, and I made two journeys to and from
that place, the first time on horseback and alone. There was no
habitation between La Messilla and Santa Rita, and the country was full
of hostile Indians; but of them later on. I remember camping alone over
night at the place now known as Hudsons Hot Springs. The second journey
I made as wagonmaster of our train laden with merchandise for the Santa
Rita store, and brought back a load of copper, which we sent by wagons
to Port La Vaca, eight hundred miles, and thence to New York by Gulf and
Sea.
While at the copper mines, three prospectors—Tayor, Snively and
another—came to my camp and reported that they had discovered placer
gold at Pinos Altos, near there, and, as they were out of provisions and
money, I gave them what was called a “grub stake”—that is, provisions to
continue their explorations. That was in 1859, and I am told that gold
is still being washed out at Pinos Altos, in 1900.
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