Post by blackcrowheart on Oct 31, 2007 15:10:42 GMT -5
Fight With The Enemy On The Arkansas River - Apache
The Apache and Ute were camping together near Cimarron. After they had held
the bear dance, they moved away to the Canadian River and continued camping
at "small hills", "saddle-washed-away", Carriso, "Cimarron dry", and "five
peaks" until they came to a plain where there were many ponds of water. From
here, they moved toward the east to the plain where many buffalo had been
killed. They could not tell who had killed them. They next moved to a place
on the Arkansas River called "white sands." From this camp they rode
eastward looking in vain for buffalo. They found only bulls going about by
themselves, one of which they killed and brought back with them.
About half the hand turned back west from this point While the others went
on eastward. Another buffalo bull was found by itself and killed. East of
the Arkansas River they found the track of a mule and a horse led behind,
evidences of the enemy They moved their camp back toward the west to a
mountain called, Tseintcincyihi.
Three men turned back to hunt deer. The enemy who had been following,
discovered these hunters and riding up, took away their horses. One man hid
himself successfully, another escaped through the thick brush, and the third
was followed by the enemy. On this side, where a small arroyo passing
through a little flat enters the larger arroyo, the enemy began shooting at
him. An arrow which the Apache was holding in his hand was hit in the
middle. The Apache, having dismounted, waited close by in the arroyo. He
shot one of the enemy who came up close to him causing him to fall from his
horse. The others, coming to the same place continued the fight, shooting
the Apache in the back. He pulled out the arrow but the small flint
arrow-head remained in his body. He shot again and another enemy fell from
his horse. The enemy were now afraid and withdrew. The Apache went into the
brush. One of the men came to the Apache camp and brought them word of what
had happened. That evening, several of them rode to the place on horseback.
Having spent the night in the thick brush close to the enemy, they came
early the next morning to the place where the two men were still staying.
They found that the stones on which the blood had dropped where the enemy
had been shot from his horse, had been all turned over and the bloody grass
had been pulled up and thrown into the brush.
On the top of a small hill near by, a platform had been built on which the
body had been placed together with all of his personal belongings. The
Apache rode close by this place. They found where the enemy had been
encamped in large numbers near the creek and had killed sheep and eaten
them. The enemy had gone to the mountains on the other side of the river.
The Apache turned about and started toward home.
Some of the Apache, two men, two women, and three children; seven in all,
had started on in advance. They noticed some people traveling behind them
and sent one of the men back to see if they were their own people. When he
had ridden close enough to them he saw they were not his people. When he
turned to ride away the enemy rode after him, calling to him to wait. Then
he stopped his horse, took off his clothes, put on his war-bonnet and
shouted to them, "Now." A chief of the enemy rode toward him. The two men,
drawing their knives, and stopping their horses close together, tried to
pull each other from their horses. Each stabbed the other with a knife and
both were killed.
The enemy then rode up and surrounded the remaining Apache. The man kept
shooting at the enemy. Although the arrows fell all about none of them hit
him nor was he wounded by the bullets. After a while, he was shot in the
sole of his foot. He killed many of the enemy. The enemy killed two white
horses near one of which the wounded man was lying. He took off the bridle
and then put it down again on top of the horse. While standing there he was
killed. They were all killed except one small child whose body was not
found. The enemy had taken it captive. The arms and legs of two of the
children had been cut off.
When the remainder of the Apache came back to Cimarron they inquired for
their relatives. Finding they had not returned, a party of eight went out on
horseback and found their bodies where they had been killed. They gathered
up and brought home four large bundles of arrows some of which they
distributed among the Ute. The Ute said that even when several had been
engaged in the fight they had never found so many arrows.[1]
Footnotes:
[1] When asked how the information was obtained concerning this encounter
Casa Maria explained that a Mescalero Indian who was with the enemy at the
time, afterward told of the occurrence on a ration day. The immediately
killed him.
Jicarilla Apache Texts, by Pliny Earle Goddard; New York: Anthropological
Papers of the American Museum of Natural History, Vol. VIII; [1911] and is
now in the public domain.
The Apache and Ute were camping together near Cimarron. After they had held
the bear dance, they moved away to the Canadian River and continued camping
at "small hills", "saddle-washed-away", Carriso, "Cimarron dry", and "five
peaks" until they came to a plain where there were many ponds of water. From
here, they moved toward the east to the plain where many buffalo had been
killed. They could not tell who had killed them. They next moved to a place
on the Arkansas River called "white sands." From this camp they rode
eastward looking in vain for buffalo. They found only bulls going about by
themselves, one of which they killed and brought back with them.
About half the hand turned back west from this point While the others went
on eastward. Another buffalo bull was found by itself and killed. East of
the Arkansas River they found the track of a mule and a horse led behind,
evidences of the enemy They moved their camp back toward the west to a
mountain called, Tseintcincyihi.
Three men turned back to hunt deer. The enemy who had been following,
discovered these hunters and riding up, took away their horses. One man hid
himself successfully, another escaped through the thick brush, and the third
was followed by the enemy. On this side, where a small arroyo passing
through a little flat enters the larger arroyo, the enemy began shooting at
him. An arrow which the Apache was holding in his hand was hit in the
middle. The Apache, having dismounted, waited close by in the arroyo. He
shot one of the enemy who came up close to him causing him to fall from his
horse. The others, coming to the same place continued the fight, shooting
the Apache in the back. He pulled out the arrow but the small flint
arrow-head remained in his body. He shot again and another enemy fell from
his horse. The enemy were now afraid and withdrew. The Apache went into the
brush. One of the men came to the Apache camp and brought them word of what
had happened. That evening, several of them rode to the place on horseback.
Having spent the night in the thick brush close to the enemy, they came
early the next morning to the place where the two men were still staying.
They found that the stones on which the blood had dropped where the enemy
had been shot from his horse, had been all turned over and the bloody grass
had been pulled up and thrown into the brush.
On the top of a small hill near by, a platform had been built on which the
body had been placed together with all of his personal belongings. The
Apache rode close by this place. They found where the enemy had been
encamped in large numbers near the creek and had killed sheep and eaten
them. The enemy had gone to the mountains on the other side of the river.
The Apache turned about and started toward home.
Some of the Apache, two men, two women, and three children; seven in all,
had started on in advance. They noticed some people traveling behind them
and sent one of the men back to see if they were their own people. When he
had ridden close enough to them he saw they were not his people. When he
turned to ride away the enemy rode after him, calling to him to wait. Then
he stopped his horse, took off his clothes, put on his war-bonnet and
shouted to them, "Now." A chief of the enemy rode toward him. The two men,
drawing their knives, and stopping their horses close together, tried to
pull each other from their horses. Each stabbed the other with a knife and
both were killed.
The enemy then rode up and surrounded the remaining Apache. The man kept
shooting at the enemy. Although the arrows fell all about none of them hit
him nor was he wounded by the bullets. After a while, he was shot in the
sole of his foot. He killed many of the enemy. The enemy killed two white
horses near one of which the wounded man was lying. He took off the bridle
and then put it down again on top of the horse. While standing there he was
killed. They were all killed except one small child whose body was not
found. The enemy had taken it captive. The arms and legs of two of the
children had been cut off.
When the remainder of the Apache came back to Cimarron they inquired for
their relatives. Finding they had not returned, a party of eight went out on
horseback and found their bodies where they had been killed. They gathered
up and brought home four large bundles of arrows some of which they
distributed among the Ute. The Ute said that even when several had been
engaged in the fight they had never found so many arrows.[1]
Footnotes:
[1] When asked how the information was obtained concerning this encounter
Casa Maria explained that a Mescalero Indian who was with the enemy at the
time, afterward told of the occurrence on a ration day. The immediately
killed him.
Jicarilla Apache Texts, by Pliny Earle Goddard; New York: Anthropological
Papers of the American Museum of Natural History, Vol. VIII; [1911] and is
now in the public domain.