Felix Knox, gambler killed by Apaches in 1882
In the spring of 1882, Knox, his wife, their baby, and a Mexican driver traveled from Silver City to Clifton [2][5]. They stopped at York's ranch on the Gila River, about thirty miles from Clifton, where they were warned of Apache signs and advised to camp [2][5]. Knox, who had fought Apaches dozens of times and did not know fear, insisted on pushing on to Clifton that day [2][5]. About two miles from York's ranch, Knox saw an Indian come from behind a low hill [6][1]. Filling his pockets with cartridges, he kissed his sleeping baby girl and his wife for the last time, said goodbye, jumped from the wagon, turned the team, and told the Mexican driver to whip the horses back to the ranch while he stood off the Apaches [6][1]. Knox faced his foes with a Winchester, pumping lead into them as the Indians circled around him [7][3]. The Mexican driver lashed the team back to the ranch, where both horses fell dead from wounds from the first volley [7][3]. A party later found Knox's body; the Apaches had not mutilated it, but had taken a clean handkerchief from his pocket, spread it over his face, and fastened it with stones at each corner [4][3]. Seventy empty shells were found from Knox's Winchester, and one of the raiding Indians later said their party numbered forty-two and that Knox had killed seven of them [4][8].
Sources
- Silver City Enterprise — 1891 (full OCR, Internet Archive) — 1891-05-08 (1891)es from Clifton, all right, but were told there that signs of Apaches had been seen, and that they had better go into camp there for a few days, but Knox, who had fought the Apaches dozens of times and …
- “Talk about sand in a man! I tell you it… (1891)“Talk about sand in a man! I tell you it takes sand in a man to try and stand off single- handed forty or fifty Apaches, when he knows how the scrap will end, and that the end will be his own death. But …
- Silver City Enterprise — 1891 (full OCR, Internet Archive) — 1891-05-08 (1891)Knox faced his foes and pumped the lead from his Winchester into them. The Indians gradually circled around Knox and the end came. The Mexican driver lashed his team back to the ranch, where both of the …
- “A party, after a little delay, was made up… (1891)“A party, after a little delay, was made up and returned to the place where the fight took place, and there they found Knox’s body, and the Indians, contrary to their usual custom, had not mutilated it in th…
- Silver City Enterprise — 1891 (full OCR, Internet Archive) — 1891-05-08 (1891)hich were drawn a score or more of the freighters, who, with their outfits, were in camp for the night. Stories of old times, when the Indians were bad, and of the bravery of the white pioneer, had gone …
- “They drove on, and were about two miles… (1891)“They drove on, and were about two miles from York’s ranch, when Knox saw an Indian come from behind a low, round-topped hill, and feeling assured there were more of them, and that it was a fight to death, h…
- can driver to whip them back to the ranch, and… (1891)can driver to whip them back to the ranch, and that he would stand the Apaches off. As the wagon turned and was furiously driven away, the Apaches, who now came in sight, fired a volley, but killed no one.…
- Silver City Enterprise — 1891 (full OCR, Internet Archive) — 1891-05-08 (1891), and one of the raiding In- dians afterward said that their party numbered forty-two, and that Knox had killed seven of them.” A Jeweler's Adventure His Fortunate Escape From a Family of Murderers in New Me…