Clarence E. Bennett to John Green, July 6, 1865

CAPTAIN:

I have the honor to report that on the 26th of June at 7 p.m. I left this post with a command consisting of thirty enlisted men of Company L, First Cavalry California Volunteers, ten men of Company M, and three of Company I’, same regiment. Mr. George Cox, Charles Kenyon, and Mr. Dysart, citizens, volunteered to accompany me. I had as guides Lojinio, the Apache boy, who so successfully guided Colonel Davis and Captain Tidball against the Apaches, and Merehildo, the guide at Fort Bowie, both good guides. I started west on the road leading out of the pass. Near the mouth of the pass I turned to the right on an old Indian trail, and followed along the west of the Chiricahua Range of mountains in the direction of Dos Cabezas. The trail runs over very rough ground, passing through canons nearly the whole way. Beyond the Dos Cabezas north about three miles 1 turned northeast through the mountains, through a kind of pass over broken hills. About five miles in the pass reached a deep canon with wood, water, and grass in good quantities. Camped at 4 a.m. on the 27th. Lay over at this camp during the day, which was exceedingly hot. Just before dark I moved down the cañon, which was narrow and very rocky, bad trail for horses, for about two miles. Two horses fell, considerably [injuring] their riders. About six miles from first camp I found a little cañon in which there was cold, clear water of excellent quality, as are all those mountain springs and streams. Here I camped. Called it Camp No. 2. Distance from Fort Bowie twenty-five miles. Waited here for darkness, so that emerging into the more open country my command would not be discovered by Indians. As soon as it was sufficiently dark I resumed the march, trail leading in a northerly direction. Continued until about 3 a.m. Halted a short distance from water to go in at dawn of day in case it should be used by Indians. Upon halting I found one man absent. Last seen he had dismounted to fasten his saddle on more securely. I sent back, but failed to find him. At dawn I camped in a deep cañon. Waterobtained by digging in the sand; not in great quantity; wood and grass. Day excessively hot. It wasimpossible for man or beast to procure rest. Lay over at Camp No.3 the 28th. Distance from Camp No. 2 twenty-five miles, Now on the east side of the Chiricahua Range in broken hills, and a very rough country. As soon as dark on the 28th started on the trail. Night rainy with drifting clouds of fog, rendering it very dark, and the trail difficult to find. The guides proved their excellence on this and, similar occasions.

At 3 a.m. 29th stopped about one mile and a half from cienega. Moved on it at dawn hoping to surprise a rancheria, but there had not been a track there for more than a week. Distance, thirty miles. Large cienega, running water. Remains of brush shanties used by the troops from New Mexico last year during the campaign against the Apaches. A portion or all the beef-cattle were grazed near this cienega. Encamped in the mesquite brush during the day, and as soon as dark resumed the march. The trail was discoverable with great difficulty. If I had not had the very best of guides it would have been impossible for me to have found and followed the trail that night. It led into and up one of the worst cations I have ever taken horses through. Persevered until 3 a. m., when I encamped. Sent the guides and a detachment to hunt for the rancheria. They, after making a thorough reconnaissance, found a large rancheria capable of containing between 200 and 300 Indians. It had [been deserted] for a week; had no fresh tracks about it. Moved down the cañon at dawn about three miles and stopped for breakfast. Cold mountain stream in a deep canon. Sides nearly perpendicular rendered us secure from observation. The distance made during the preceding night I estimated at six miles, and I am inclined to believe this is rather over than underestimated, but the guides had repeatedly to follow the trail on their hands and knees. As I was now within thirty miles of Fort Goodwin in a direct line, my horses and mules requiring shoes, some of my men being nearly barefoot, and likely to need provisions before reaching Fort Bowie, I determined to march directly for Fort Goodwin, cutting across the canons near the mouth of each and give a thorough reconnaissance as I went. At 9.30 I found a long mark in the sand across one of the Indian trails. The guides said that was to indicate the Indians had gone to the other side of the mountains, and, as on the west side, the mountains were perpendicular walls of rock on the east side, I determined to strike northeast for the river. I would then cross all trails going toward the mountains that I would pass going to Goodwin, and my animals would suffer greatly for water, as the day was excessively hot, and they were tired from traveling nearly the whole of the previous night. At12m. I reached the Gila River about twenty miles above Fort Goodwin. I rested two hours, then moved to the post that night. My command arrived about 10 p.m. Estimated distance by the trails I followed, 120 miles from Fort Bowie to Fort Goodwin, but I had been around mountains and into cañons considerably out of a direct line between the two posts. Upon my arrival at Goodwin I made application to the commanding officer to have my horses shod. He informed me he had by orders from department headquarters discharged his blacksmiths and could not have my horses shod. Fortunately Mr. Dysart, who had accompanied this command as a volunteer, was an excellent blacksmith, and I hired him to shoe the horses and mules of my command, and ordered the acting assistant quartermaster at Fort Bowie to pay the account. I remained at Goodwin until the night of the 2d of July. I set out with four days’ subsistence and instructions from General Mason, commanding, to push on to Fort Bowie with all practicable dispatch. I left Fort Goodwin about 7 p. m.; reached Cottonwood Creek, distant twenty-one miles, at 3 a. m. Found very little water in holes in the rock; good grass and wood, Want of water compelled me to move on. About10 a. m. on the 3d found a fresh footprint of an Apache hunting. I kept in to the left along the base of the mountains as much out of sight as practicable. In about half an hour found another track, also hunting, indicating the proximity of rancheria. I sent the guides to the top of a mountain to our left. They discovered seven bucks going slowly west. I moved on to a deep arroyo, dismounted, unpacked, secured the horses well, posted the guard over the animals, and crept over the side with the remainder of the command into a cañon that ran north and south. Moved south until we got below the Indians; then moved parallel to’them. About six miles from where I left the horses I discovered the rancheria, I got my command within about 200 yards of it behind a high ridge. The rancheria was surrounded by a thick growth of scrub oaks, and just at the mouth of three cations. I charged from the top of the ridge. The rattling of stones probably alarmed the Indians. They fled, leaving everything in the rancheria. Every time an Indian was seen in the openings in the oaks he was fired on. None were killed that I know of, though it was believed that some of the shots took effect. In the rancheria I found a McClellan saddle, broken, bridle bits of Government pattern cut down, a hatchet, tin cup, and an awl taken from Fort Buchanan at the time of the murder of Mr. Wrightson, Mr. Hopkins, and the soldier in February last. Found soldier stockings, blouse, large quantity of mescal prepared for food, a brass kettle (now in possession of Company L, cavalry), hides of all kinds, a great many; large number of old saddles, panniers, &c. I burned the rancheria and everything it contained, first putting sand and ashes into the cakes of mescal, then put them into the bonfire. As there was a fine stream of clear cold water at this place I sent for horses and pack animals and made dinner in this cañon, which was about forty miles from Fort Goodwin, nearly due south from Eureka Springs, and a number of miles from it. This attack could have been, if made at dawn of day, a perfect success, but it was impossible for me to delay that long, for the two Apaches hunting would cross my trail on their return before night. The squaws and children were out gathering acorns and we would be discovered before the next morning. As it proved, the hunters discovered the horses just as I charged the rancheria and gave the alarm. That the Indians escaped with their lives nobody regrets more than I do. After grazing the animals until near sundown I made a thorough examination to see that everything was destroyed, then started in the direction of Fort Goodwin and continued until after dark. A cold drizzly rain set in accompanied by a thick fog. I then turned about and followed the base of the mountain around to the left, first west, then south in the direction of Apache Pass. Marched hard all night on Indian trails. At dawn of day approached a large cañon, cottonwood trees extending from it far into Sulphur Spring Valley. Rained furiously at times. Reached the mouth of cañon, and upon crossing it [found that horses running had within ten minutes gone up the cañon. I charged on after them. About three miles up the cañon charged another rancheria, but the Indians had been alarmed and were seen in every direction, from 500 to 1,000 yards, ascending the mountains. A brisk fire was opened, and I thought two shots that I particularly noticed took effect. This was the notorious Francisco’s band. He made his appearance on the mountain and abused everybody ; declared he never would make peace with the whites, and said the Apaches did not intend to. I then moved down the cañon, which I called Cavalry

Cañon, into the plain. About six miles below the cañon I found twentyseven head of cattle. The Indians herding had discovered me and run up on the opposite side of the cottonwoods and gave the alarm. It was nearly dark by the time the cattle had been got together. I moved out into the plain, killed one of the cattle for my command, grazed the animals, and got supper. This cañon is a rendezvous for the Indians, heavy trails leading to it? A great deal of stock has been kept there, and those mountains in that vicinity are the permanent home for a number of hundred warriors.

At dark on the 4th of July I started with the cattle nearly direct for the Dos Cabezas. Distance preceding night, twenty-five miles. I traveled until 3.30 a. m. July 5; rested until 5 a. m.; then continued on, and at 2.30 p. m. arrived at Camp No. 2, crossing this time from the west to the east, going southeast. My object was to show the mountains to my men so they would know them, particularly as Company L was to be stationed at Fort Bowie, and also to see which side ot the mountains was preferable in going from Fort Bowie to the Dos Cabezas. At dark I resumed the march, having marched thirty-five miles to Camp No. 2. Traveled until 12 o’clock. My men and horses were exhausted. I stopped until daylight. Moved into the fort in the morning. Distance from Camp No. 2, twenty-five miles. Turned over twenty-six head of cattle to Lieut. Thomas Coghlan, First Infantry New Mexico Volunteers, acting commissary of subsistence at Fort a deep, well-defined trail. The men learned the mountains, as I made a thorough reconnaissance of the Chiricahua Range between Apache Pass and Goodwin. Themen perfcrmed their duty cheerfully and well, and were enthusiastic to be kept on this service of hunting and punishing these long-time murderers. ‘The numerous trails well beaten, lately used, leading through the passes and into the many cañons, indicate a large number of Indians. The cartridges, made of envelope paper, issued to the men of my command would break, and finally it became necessary at each halt to replace broken cartridges. The average loss from this cause was from one to four per man á day. The large cartridge-boxes hit on the cantle of the saddle and break both cartridges and boxes. The cloth cartridges do not break in carrying; none have thus far. The McClellan saddles in the heavy rain-storms [were damaged]. Therawhide soaked and became slack, the wood swelled, and many of the saddles spread and hurt the backs of horses. The hot sun drying the rawhide rapidly over the swelled wood cracked the rawhide. The saddles are old and well worn, and will many of them have to be replaced by new ones. On such a trip the wear and tear_on clothing is very great. On my return the distance from Fort Goodwin to Fort Bowie [was] 125 miles, but not a few miles of this was out of the direct line of march. The trail from Fort Bowie to Dos Cabezas is far preferable on the east side of the mountains. In my opinion, vigorous efforts should be made to annihilate the bands of Cochise and Francisco and the other Indians infesting those mountains west of Fort Goodwin. On this scout I took every possible precaution to insure success, and under the cir cumstances I think I did as well as possibly could have been done. I do not expect much success in killing these Indians until the severity of winter is upon them. Housed in the cañons with their winter stores, then they cannot escape so easily. The deep snows and bitter cold on the mountains will be far different from this pleasant summer breeze. The trails that 1 followed as a general thing were excellent.

ee results will be satisfactory to the general commanding the district.

I have the honor to be, captain, very respectfully, your obedient