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Show 436 LEADING FACTS OF NEW MEXICAN HISTORY INDIAN eight hundred The Mescalero Apaches numbered between six and d at Bosque gathere were hundred in 1866. at which time about four to trouble owing but, , Redondo | left ae they , Navajos the APACHES, MESCALEROS, CHIRICAHUAS, with raided and tion reserva LARGO AND NAN#, VICTORIO, MANGAS, In southern New Mexico. ) huas. Chirica the of bands by joined often their raids they were New In 1871 John Bullard, a prominent citizen of Silver City, oe of force a leading while , Apaches Mexico, was killed by the ‘ teers against them; the tragedy occurred near the present site i t near point a to d comman his Clifton, Arizona. He had brought comman his divided He seen. was Apaches of band a when place to and, after detailing a guard for the pack-train, gave the command the from and north the from enemy the strike and anys forward south. Captain Bullard and a companion suddenly ran upon an outlying Indian, who was running in evident effort to reach and give the alarm to his friends. Bullard’s companion fired, wounding the Indian in the thigh; Bullard also fired, his bullet piercing the body of the Indian, who sank slowly to the ground. The two rushed forward, when the dying Indian, in his last agony, raised a pone with both hands, aimed at Bullard, whom he evidently recognize as the leader. Bullard saw his danger; he had failed to throw 4 fresh charge into his rifle and called to his companion to me Two shots were fired almost simultaneously. The Indian fell We the entire top of his head blown away, while Bullard reeled and fe into a half recumbent position. He tore open his shirt, gazed ‘i moment at the bleeding wound, and without a word or groan, me Speedy vengeance folThe ball had pierced his heart. back dead. lay dead aa Apaches n other fourtee lowed. Within a few minutes the ground, while the remainder of the hostiles scattered eu huge boulders, many badly wounded as was afterwards learned tit ee d the Fort Grant reservation, where the Indians took refuge. attacking party suffered no further loss, and an Apache boy me captured and brought to Silver City. He was taken in ym ‘“General’’ Wardwell, who afterwards surrendered him to his i e. we The remains of Captain Bullard were brought to Silver and the interment took place in the cemetery which then oe present re the slope to the south and west of Professor Light’s CAMPAIGNS 437 dence. Major Kelly brought over a company of troops from Fort Bayard, and military honors were accorded the dead. The remains were afterwards removed to the cemetery east of town and to the southward of the Fort Bayard road, where they now rest. The loss of John Bullard was deeply felt. He had been a recognized leader; one of the principal streets of the town bore his name, and to this day a shade of regret colors the old timer’s mention of the man’s name. A public meéting was held, and resolutions were adopted expressive of the general grief. It was by a remarkable coincidence that Major Kelly and his command had just returned to Fort Bayard from a raid among the hostiles, in which they also succeeded in killing fourteen braves. The effect of the two blows was most salutary. For years afterward Silver City enjoyed comparative peace, in so far as the immediate surroundings of the town were concerned. Almost coincident with these tragic events, others of the Warm Spring Apaches made their presence felt near the Mexican border. Kearl and Miller’s train was moving northward laden with freight for Fort Bayard. Charles Kearl and his wife, accompanied by six men, had ridden out several miles in advance of the train. They were attacked and but two escaped, one of these badly wounded and dying a day or two later. The bodies were horribly mutilated, especially that of Mrs. Kearl, then but recently a bride. Beside the Kearls, the dead were Gus Hepner, Charles DeLard, and three men named Sutherland, Bellhouse, and Burnham. The early settlers of Silver City never forgave the Apaches for the untimely death of John Bullard, and shortly after the tragedy a measure was introduced in congress providing for an appropriation of $30,000 to defray the expenses of gathering their enemies upon permanent reservations. The people of Silver City thereupon held a Mass meeting, at which. Richard Yeomans presided and William H. Kekles acted as secretary. With I. J. Stevens, James Bullard, and E. M. Pearce, they formed a committee of resolutions, who, after calling the attention of congress to the fact that the proposed action Was a misappropriation of public moneys, concluded with the following, which was unanimously and enthusiastically adopted: ‘*ReSolved: That by the expenditure of $30,000 among volunteers, the Indians can be gathered upon reservations where they will stay forever,”? |