Page 200 - Cooke's Peak - Pasaron Por Aqui

Cosgrove, operating as J. F. Bennett and Company, subcontracted the mail route from Mesilla to Tucson from Barlow, Sanderson and Company. Later the name was changed to the Southern Overland Mail and Express Line and the company advertised first- class Concord coaches between Santa Fe, El Paso, Mesilla, and Tucson.
Lyons had been acting as post trader for some time
based on his appointment by Lieutenant Fitch on
July 10, 1870. Finally, on February 9, 1871, the long
passed “the celebrated Hot Springs,” and later he noted that old Fort McLane was used as a stage
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station and that a Mr. Bisby was living there.
The reporter did not visit Pinos Altos where John Bullard and his brother were actively involved in the mining industry. In March, John and several other citizens lost some stock, and they trailed the raiding party to the Indians’ camp. The group attacked the camp, killed 14, captured 1 boy, and destroyed the Apaches’ lodges and supplies. John Bullard, unfor- tunately, was killed in the fighting. Later his brother
became an embittered guide for the army.
Further to the west, an incident took place that
caused many of the Apache leaders, including
Cochise, a great deal of concern, and it probably
interfered with their peaceful settlement on a reser-
vation. AgroupofthePinalandAvarapaiApaches
had settled quietly on a reserve near Camp Grant.
However, in April 1871, several citizens from Tuc-
son, led by men such as William Sanders Oury,
struck the camp at dawn. They raped, killed, and
mutilated scores of victims and took 29 children as
delayed appointment received official confirma- 1
On February 28, Lyons took over the
tion.
postmaster’s job from Applezoller. There may have been some connection between Lyons’ official con- firmation as post trader and his takeover as postmaster, because of the efficiency involved with
141
one man assuming both positions.
In the early spring of 1871 a newspaper reporter
from Las Cruces decided to take a stage trip to the new mining developments near Silver City. To ac- complish this he booked passage on Bennett’s Southern Overland Mail and Express Line as far as the Mimbres River and traveled the rest of the way on a branch line. The stage stopped at Slocum’s ranch for a meal, and the reporter commented very favorably on the food and the care the team received at Slocum’s.
The reporter supported stories that attacks on stages and emigrant or freighting outfits had oc- curred in Magdelena Canyon. 142 He noted that five miles after they left Slocum’s Ranch, they entered the canyon and he observed that there were a few rude crosses marking grave sites. Frequently a pile of rocks was the only tragedy marker, however, with the stones placed over the site to prevent coyotes or wolves from digging up the bodies.
The stage arrived at Fort Cummings at midnight. The reporter recorded no comments about the fort or stage facility, but he did mention that they had a good hot supper and then sat around the stove and chatted. At three in the morning, “Kyntuck” blew his bugle to signal the passengers to move out
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through “the dreaded Cook’s [sic] Canyon.”
At the Mimbres River station, the reporter changed from Bennett’s line to a branch line operated by two entrepreneurs identified only as Wiley and Smith. The conveyance was an open spring wagon pulled by a pair of fine California horses. The reporter enjoyed the open view of the beautiful surrounding vistas. Five miles out they
146
This raid may have caused a brutal
Indian Fighting and Post War Emigration
186
captives.
killing the following month. An Indian crawled into
the tent of a laundress at Camp Grant and murdered
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her.
Although the records of Fort Cummings almost
totally lacked information regarding women, there obviously were some women there, either as laundresses or as members of officers’ families. For example, a Lieutenant Drew (probably George Augustus of the Third Cavalry) met his wife at Fort Cummings. They visited Las Cruces before travel- ing through Cooke’s Canyon on their way to Fort Bowie. According to the Las Cruces newspaper editor, Mrs. Drew was an elegant lady, and if he (the editor) thought he could have done as well, he cer- tainly would have considered marriage also. The Drews may have narrowly escaped disaster, because a few days following their departure from Las Cruces a similar stage was attacked and the driver
. 1 43 and four passengers killed.
At Fort Cummings the following month, one of the more humorous incidents occurred, at least in hindsight. Second Lieutenant Ryan appealed to have his commanding officer, Captain Hedberg, temporarily released from arrest. Ryan explained that he was the only officer left at the fort on active duty, and he was fulfilling all the staff positions. Not only were regular the end-of-the-month reports due,