Capt…
source date: 1891
availability: public-domain

pursuit, and all uncon- scious of the impending danger, are mowed down by the bullets from the hidden foe. Capt. Byer’s fight on the middle fork of the Palomas, was a one sided affair, as the Indians esconsced behind rocks and trees, poured a murderous fire upon the troops. Parker’s scouts, below the box canyon on the main Palomas, surrounded old Victorio’s camp and engaged with the hostiles. After the smoke of battle had cleared away, it was dis- covered, that during the night the Indians had escaped, leaving a number of their dead upon the fields. A commission was sent out from Washington to investigate the reported massa- ( 43 ) ere, but things had been so carefully arranged, that only two or three good Indians could be found. This engagement is the only one within the memory of this writer, where the hostiles were defeated in this section of country. During the early days of the mining excite- ment in the Range, prospectors met the Indians, and had a brush with them. In the fall of ’80, Capt. Jim Blain with two or three others were coming in with a supply of provisions and were jumped by the red devils about two miles below the present site of Chloride. No casualties re- sulted however, and the only loss sustained was that of the team they were driving.