Page 160 - Cooke's Peak - Pasaron Por Aqui

mant’s party left the mines, and it was feared that they may also have fallen prey to the Apaches. 131
The Arizona Guards returned to the mines area from one of their forays in time to hold Pinos Altos against the Apaches. Approximately 250 Apaches attacked in mass on September 27 at ap- proximately eight in the morning, but Mastin and about 15 men successfully fought off the attack. However, J. B. Corwin was killed in the fray, and
around noon Mastin received a wound that damaged an artery in his arm (he seemed to have trouble keeping his arms out of harm’s way in a fire-fight). Agroupof25miners(probablyinclud- ing some of the Guards) finally made their way through the Apaches to Mesilla for reinforcements and a doctor but did not return until five days later. It was too late, and Mastin died on October 7, 1861, at four in the afternoon. His ranching partner Helm assumed command of the guards and continued the fight against the Apaches.
The group of miners who returned with the doctor for Mastin must have barely missed being caught by the Apaches. On October 2, 20 men from Mesilla and 12 from Picacho had left to assist the citizens of Pinos Altos against the attacks. An express rider made it through to Mesilla on October 8, after having one horse shot out from under him. He brought the news that Pinos Altos and the copper mines were again under siege and that several large wagon trains between the two points were under attack. The men from Mesilla and Picacho who had left to aid Pinos Altos were bottled up, probably at Cooke’s Spring, and were under siege themselves. 136
While Colonel Baylor was having his problems attempting to control the Apaches in Confederate Arizona Territory and guarding against any Federal counterattack, the Union leaders, General Canby and Governor Henry Connelly, faced similar problems with the Navajos and were concerned over further Confederate invasion. On October 26, 1861, Governor Connelly reported to Secretary of the In- terior William H. Seward that the Indians were com- mitting depredations daily and suggested that each tribe either be placed on a reservation, with govern- ment furnished equipment and Anglo instructors, or exterminated by sword or starvation.
When rumors spread that the Union troops from Fort Craig were going to come down-river and at- tack, Baylor ordered Dona Ana to be evacuated and retrenched his headquarters in Mesilla. This
precipitated two events, one comical, the other not. Brewer, who had escaped the Apache attack in Cooke’s Canyon, was reported sacking the Con- federate stores left at Dona Ana, and “Hank” Smith and some others were sent to arrest their old friend. They were not too receptive to the idea and stopped at Picacho to attend a fandango which lasted all night. They returned to Mesilla the next day and reported that Brewer had acquired too much lead on them. Baylor demoted Smith from Sergeant to Private and put the entire squad in the guardhouse until it was learned that the news of the impending Union attack was just rumor.
Robert P. Kelley, by now the editor of the Mesilla Times, however, accused Baylor of cowardice for retreating to Mesilla from Dona Ana. Baylor demanded an apology, but Kelley refused. Several days later, on December 12, Baylor observed Kelley walking down Main Street (perhaps present-day CalledePrincipal)towardtheplaza. Heasked Smith to hand him a Mississippi musket that was standing against the wall. Baylor stepped out into the street and demanded a retraction from Kelley; when he refused Baylor struck him down. As Kelley lay partially paralyzed from the blow, Baylor shot him with his pistol and left him for dead. Kelley survived the attack, but only for a few days. As Kelley described the attack (in writing): “It was not the chivalry one gentleman would extend another.
Confederate Invasion and Withdrawal
He is supposed to have a show for life at least.”
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Nevertheless, Baylor was exonerated.
On December 14, 1861, Baylor lost his position as
the top Confederate commander in the theater. Brigadier General Sibley had finally arrived, recruit- ment of his invasion force having taken longer than anticipated, and took over control of the military situation. BaylorretainedtheGovernorshipofthe
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Territory, at least for the moment.
The year ended on a sour note. The first Mesilla
newspaper of 1862 noted the passing of Kelley, who lingered nearly two weeks after Baylor shot him. He was buried on Friday, December 27, in Las Cruces. Hagar was buried next to him. Kelley had ordered Hagar’s body preserved in anticipation of shipping it east, never considering that he would join his
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cousin in violent death at the hands of an enemy. Two weeks later, on a Saturday morning, some of the property belonging to Kelley’s estate was sold in the
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Mesilla Plaza, to pay for certain expenses.
Baylor continued to have problems with the