hanan, on the Sonoita, where he could probably
get some employment.

He went on to the Sonoita and took up a ranch, forming a temporary
partnership with a Mexican woman, according to the customs of the
country at that time.

She had a little boy who also appeared to be partly of Celtic descent,
as he had a red head, and was nicknamed "Micky Free." This probably
formed the only matrimonial tie between John Ward and the Mexican woman.
In the course of time John Ward got a hay contract, a wagon, and a few
yoke of oxen, and appeared to be thriving at Uncle Sam's expense. Fort
Buchanan was garrisoned by a portion of the First Regiment of dragoons.
The most of the men were Germans, and could not mount a horse without a
step-ladder.

In the early part of 1858 John Ward got drunk, and beat his step-son
Micky Free until he ran away to Sonora. Ward became so blind drunk that
he could not find his oxen; so he went to the Fort and complained to
Major Stein, the commanding officer, that the Apaches had stolen his
oxen and carried off the woman's boy.

Major Stein was a very good man, and very capable of running a saw-mill
in Missouri, where he came from. He listened to John Ward's tale of woe,
and ordered out a detachment of the First Dragoons, under Lieutenant
Bascomb, to pursue the Apaches and recover Micky Free and the oxen.
Bascomb was a fine-looking young fellow, a Kentuckian, a West Pointer,
and of course a gentleman; but he was unfortunately a fool; although his
uncle, Preacher Bascomb, of Lexington, was accounted a very eminent
clergyman of the Presbyterian Church. This is a very different family
from Bascomb of the Confederate X roads.

Lieutenant Bascomb's command pursued some Apaches, who had been raiding
in Sonora, into the Whetstone Mountains, where they called a parley. The
Apaches were summoned to camp _under a white flag_; and feeling
perfectly innocent of having committed a crime against the Americans,
fearlessly presented themselves before Lieutenant Bascomb and his boys
in blue. They positively denied having seen the boy or stolen the oxen;
and they told the truth, as was well known afterward; but the Lieutenant
was not satisfied, and ordered them seized and executed.

Four Apache chiefs were seized and tied. Cochise (in the Apache dialect
Wood) managed to get hold of a knife, which he had concealed, cut his
bonds, and escape. He was a very brave leader, and after having wreaked
a terrible vengeance for the