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Show 494 AUTOBIOG~APHY 01<' made by one of the soldiers during their late engagement with the Indians. It was supposed I had entered their camp, hurled my lance through a soldier, and challenged another out to fight, telling him he was paid for fighting, and it was his duty to engage me. This suspicion, added to -flying reports of evil doings, which derived their origin in the Crow village from my adventure with Fitzpatrick, had associated me in the soldiers' minds with all the horse-raids and white massacres they heard rumors of, and I was regarded by tlwm all as a desperate, lawless character, who deserved l1anging to the first tree wherever met. At this moment two men came running toward the camp at full speed, shouting, "To arms! to arms!" as though the whole Apache nation were behind them. " Where is your party ?" asked· Colonel Edmondson of me. ".Coming yonder, sir," I replied, pointing in the di~ ·ectwn of the two approaching heralds; for I supposed 1 t was Colonel Willock's command they had seen, and whom, in their fright, they pad mistaken for Indians. !~mediately there was a bustle of preparation to recmve the coming foe: muskets were snatched up, and the men fell into line ; but in a few moments the re~l character of the approaching company was ascertain~ d, a~d the colonel advanced to greet them. At the JUnctwn of the two parties, both engaged on the same errand, matters were discussed by the two colone~ s, and it was resolved to abandbn the expedition; for It was manifest that the Indians were too much on t~e alert to be taken. I was dispatched to Santa Fe With a letter to Colonel Price from Colonels Edmond- '· JAMES P. BECKWOUR'l'H. 495 son and Willock, while they resolved to march back with their detachments, Colonel Edmondson to Santa Fe, and Colonel Willock to Taos~ The morning following I again set out for :Fort Leavenworth, having for companion M'lntosh, who, by the way, was a Cherol~ee, ~nd known as such to the Indians whom we fell In With on the road. . We Teached the foTt without any accident, and dehvered our dispatches safe. On our return we. overtook Bullar.~ and· Company's trains of wagons, wluch were on then way to Santa Fe with supplies for the army. Bulla:d and his partner proposed to leave their charge and go. In with us, if l thought we would be able to keep up Wit.h them. I answered that we would try and keep their company as far as possible, but that they w~uld be at liberty to proceed at any time that they considered we retarded them. They went with us as far as the Moro, two days' ride from Santa Fe, w~ere we were compelled to leave them, as they were tired put, and had already detained us two full days. My next engagement in the service. of Uncle. Sam was a trip to Chihuahua to conv~y d~spatches; but, previous to starting, Captain Morris wished to e~gage me as guide in an expedition against the Utah Indians ; so, preferring the latter service, I transferred my trust to my brave and faithful friend, M 'l~t.osh, and. accompanied Captain Morris. The expeditiOn consisted .of ninety men: the object was a treaty of peace .with the U tabs. We succeeded in finding the Indians.; but, as they supposed our only object was to fight, It was some time before we could get up to them. yY e at length surprised them in a gap in the m~untain, hen we succeeded in taking a number of pnsoners, :mong whom were some chiefs. We explained our |