ty, and during his absence having no commissioned officer
available, I was in command of my troop subject to the
orders of the post commander. At 12 o'clock at night, August
17, 1881, while in my tent asleep, the commanding officer's
orderly knocked on my tent and informed me that the
commanding officer wanted me to report to him at once. I
asked the orderly what was up. He informed me that he
supposed a scout was going out, as the commanding officer
had sent for Lieutenant Smith, then in command of Troop H,
9th Cavalry.

I dressed myself promptly and reported, and found Lieutenant
Smith and the commanding officer at the office on my
arrival.

The commanding officer asked me about how many men I could
mount for thirty days' detached duty, leaving so many men
to take care of property and horses. I told him about how
many. He ordered me to make a ration return for that number
of men, and send a sergeant to draw rations for thirty days'
scout; and for me to hurry up, and when ready to report to
Lieutenant Smith. By 12.45 my troop was ready and mounted,
and reported as ordered, and at 1 o'clock Troop's B and H
pulled out from Fort Cumming for Lake Valley, New Mexico;
and when the sun showed himself over the tops of the
mountains we marched down the mountains into Lake Valley,
thirty-five miles from Fort Cumming. We went into camp
hoping to spend a few hours and take a rest, and feed our
horses and men.

About 9 o'clock a small boy came running through camp crying
as if to break his heart, saying that the Indians had killed
his mother and their baby. Some of the men said the boy must
be crazy; but many of them made for their horses without
orders. Soon Lieutenant Smith ordered "Saddle up." In less
than five minutes all the command was saddled up and ready
to mount. We mounted and pulled out at a gallop, and
continued at that gait until we came to a high mountain,
when we came down to a walk. And when over the mountain we
took up the gallop, and from that time on, nothing but a
gallop and a trot, when the country was favorable for such.
When we had marched about two miles from Lake Valley we met
the father of the boy, with his leg bleeding where the
Indians had shot him. We marched about half a mile farther,
when we c