THE OLD SANTA FE TRAIL by COLONEL HENRY INMAN (best fiction novels of all time .TXT) 📕

Through The Deep, Rocky Gorge Known As Apache Canyon.  It Is

One Of The Wildest Spots In the Mountains, The Walls On Each Side

Rising From One To Two Thousand Feet Above The Trail, Which Is Within

The Range Of Ordinary Cannon From Every Point, And In many Places

Of Point-Blank Rifle-Shot.  Granite Rocks And Sands Abound, And The

Hills Are Covered with Long-Leafed pine.  It Is A Gateway Which,

In The Hands Of A Skilful Engineer And One Hundred resolute Men,

Can Be Made Perfectly Impregnable.

 

 

 

The Atchison, Topeka, And Santa Fe Railway Passes Directly Through

This Picturesque Chasm, Every Foot Of Which Is Classic Ground, And

In The Season Of The Mountain Freshets Constant Care Is Needed to

Keep Its Bridges In place.

 

 

 

At Its Eastern Entrance Is A Large Residence, Known As Pigeon'S Ranch,

From Which The Battle To Be Described derives Its Name, Though,

As Stated, It Is Also Known As That Of Apache Canyon, And La Glorieta,[39]

The Latter, Perhaps, The Most Classical, From The Range Of Mountains

Enclosing The Rent In the Mighty Hills.

 

 

 

The Following Detailed account Of This Battle I Have Taken From

The _History Of Colorado_,[40] An Admirable Work:

 

 

 

          The Sympathizers With And Abettors Of The Southern

          Confederacy Inaugurated their Plans By Posting Handbills

          In all Conspicuous Places Between Denver And The

          Mining-Camps, Designating Certain Localities Where The

          Highest Prices Would Be Paid For Arms Of Every Description,

          And For Powder, Lead, Shot, And Percussion Caps.

          Simultaneously, A Small Force Was Collected and Put Under

          Discipline To Co-Operate With Parties Expected from Arkansas

          And Texas Who Were To Take Possession, First Of Colorado,

          And Subsequently Of New Mexico, Anticipating The Easy

          Capture Of The Federal Troops And Stores Located there.

          Being apprised of The Movement, The Governor Immediately

          Decided to Enlist A Full Regiment Of Volunteers.

          John P. Slough Was Appointed colonel, Samuel F. Tappan

          Lieutenant-Colonel, And John J. M. Chivington Major.

 

 

 

          Without Railroads Or Telegraphs Nearer Than The Missouri

          River, And Wholly Dependent Upon The Overland Mail Coach

          For Communication With The States And The Authorities At

          Washington, News Was At Least A Week Old When Received.

          Thus The Troops Passed the Time In a Condition Of Doubt

          And Extreme Anxiety, Until The 6Th Of January, 1862, When

          Information Arrived that An Invading Force Under General

          H. H. Sibley, From San Antonio, Texas, Was Approaching

          The Southern Border Of New Mexico, And Had Already Captured

          Forts Fillmore And Bliss, Making Prisoners Of Their

          Garrisons Without Firing a Gun, And Securing all Their

          Stock And Supplies.

 

 

 

          Immediately Upon Receipt Of This Intelligence, Efforts

          Were Made To Obtain The Consent Of, Or Orders From, General

          Hunter, Commanding The Department At Fort Leavenworth,

          Kansas, For The Regiment To Go To The Relief Of General

          Canby, Then In command Of The Department Of New Mexico.

          On The 20Th Of February, Orders Came From General Hunter,

          Directing Colonel Slough And The First Regiment Of Colorado

          Volunteers To Proceed with All Possible Despatch To

          Fort Union, Or Santa Fe, New Mexico, And Report To General

          Canby For Service.

 

 

 

          Two Days Thereafter, The Command Marched out Of Camp Weld

          Two Miles Up The Platte River, And In due Time Encamped

          At Pueblo, On The Arkansas River.  At This Point Further

          Advices Were Received from Canby, Stating That He Had

          Encountered the Enemy At Valverde, Ten Miles North Of

          Fort Craig, But, Owing To The Inefficiency Of The Newly

          Raised new Mexican Volunteers, Was Compelled to Retire.

          The Texans Under Sibley Marched on Up The Rio Grande,

          Levying Tribute Upon The Inhabitants For Their Support.

          The Colorado Troops Were Urged to The Greatest Possible

          Haste In reaching Fort Union, Where They Were To Unite

          With Such Regular Troops As Could Be Concentrated at That

          Post, And Thus Aid In saving The Fort And Its Supplies

          From Falling Into Confederate Hands.  Early On The

          Following Morning The Order Was Given To Proceed to Union

          By Forced marches, And It Is Doubtful If The Same Number Of

          Men Ever Marched a Like Distance In the Same Length Of Time.

 

 

 

          When The Summit Of Raton Pass Was Reached, Another Courier

          From Canby Met The Command, Who Informed colonel Slough

          That The Texans Had Already Captured albuquerque And

          Santa Fe With All The Troops Stationed at Those Places,

          Together With The Supplies Stored there, And That They

          Were Then Marching On Fort Union.

 

 

 

          Arriving at Red river About Sundown, The Regiment Was

          Drawn Up In line And This Information Imparted to The Men.

          The Request Was Then Made For All Who Were Willing To

          Undertake A Forced march At Night To Step Two Paces To

          The Front, When Every Man Advanced to The New Alignment.

          After A Hasty Supper The March Was Resumed, And At Sunrise

          The Next Morning They Reached maxwell'S Ranch On The

          Cimarron, Having Made Sixty-Four Miles In less Than

          Twenty-Four Hours.  At Ten O'Clock On The Second Night

          Thereafter, The Command Entered fort Union.  It Was There

          Discovered that Colonel Paul, In charge Of The Post, Had

          Mined the Fort, Giving Orders For The Removal Of The Women

          And Children, And Was Preparing To Blow Up All The Supplies

          And March To Fort Garland Or Some Other Post To The

          Northward, On The First Approach Of The Confederates.

 

 

 

          The Troops Remained at Union From The 13Th To The 22D Of

          March, When By Order Of Colonel Slough They Proceeded in

          The Direction Of Santa Fe.  The Command Consisted of

          The First Colorado Volunteers; Two Light Batteries,

          One Commanded by Captain Ritter And The Other By Captain

          Claflin; Ford'S Company Of Colorado Volunteers Unattached;

          Two Companies Of The Fifth Regular Infantry; And Two

          Companies Of The Seventh United states Cavalry.

 

 

 

          The Force Encamped at Bernal Springs, Where Colonel Slough

          Determined to Organize A Detachment To Enter Santa Fe By

          Night With The View Of Surprising The Enemy, Spiking His

          Guns, And After Doing What Other Damage Could Be Accomplished

          Without Bringing On A General Action, Falling Back On The

          Main Body.  The Detachment Chosen Comprised sixty Men Each

          From Companies A, D, And E Of The Colorado Regiment, With

          Company F Of The Same Mounted, And Thirty-Seven Men Each

          From The Companies Of Captains Ford And Howland, And Of

          The Seventh Cavalry, The Whole Commanded by Major Chivington.

 

 

 

          At Sundown On The 25Th Of March It Reached kosloskie'S Ranch,

          Where Major Chivington Was Informed that The Enemy'S Pickets

          Were In the Vicinity.  He Went Into Camp At Once, And About

          Nine O'Clock Of The Same Evening Sent Out Lieutenant Nelson

          Of The First Colorado With Thirty Men Of Company F, Who

          Captured the Texan Pickets While They Were Engaged in a Game

          Of Cards At Pigeon'S Ranch, And Before Daylight On The

          Morning Of The 26Th, Reported at Camp With His Prisoners.

          After Breakfast, The Major, Being apprised of The Enemy'S

          Whereabouts, Proceeded cautiously, Keeping His Advance

          Guard Well To The Front.  While Passing Near The Summit

          Of The Hill, The Officer In command Of The Advance Met

          The Confederate Advance, Consisting Of A First Lieutenant

          And Thirty Men, Captured them Without Firing a Gun, And

          Returning Met The Main Body And Turned them Over To The

          Commanding Officer.  The Confederate Lieutenant Declared

          That They Had Received no Intimation Of The Advance From

          Fort Union, But Themselves Expected to Be There Four Days

          Later.

 

 

 

          Descending apache Canyon For The Distance Of Half A Mile,

          Chivington'S Force Observed the Approaching Texans, About

          Six Hundred strong, With Three Pieces Of Artillery, Who,

          On Discovering The Federals, Halted, Formed line And Battery,

          And Opened fire.

 

 

 

          Chivington Drew Up His Cavalry As A Reserve Under Cover,

          Deployed company D Under Captain Downing To The Right,

          And Companies A And E Under Captains Wynkoop And Anthony

          To The Left, Directing Them To Ascend The Mountain-Side

          Until They Were Above The Elevation Of The Enemy'S Artillery

          And Thus Flank Him, At The Same Time Directing Captain

          Howland, He Being The Ranking Cavalry Officer, To Closely

          Observe The Enemy, And When He Retreated, Without Further

          Orders To Charge With The Cavalry.  This Disposition Of

          The Troops Proved wise And Successful.  The Texans Soon

          Broke Battery And Retreated down The Canyon A Mile Or More,

          But From Some Cause Captain Howland Failed to Charge As

          Ordered, Which Enabled the Confederates To Take Up A New

          And Strong Position, Where They Formed battery, Threw Their

          Supports Well Up The Sides Of The Mountain, And Again

          Opened fire.

 

 

 

          Chivington Dismounted captains Howland And Lord With Their

          Regulars, Leaving Their Horses In charge Of Every Fourth

          Man, And Ordered them To Join Captain Downing On The Left,

          Taking Orders From Him.  Our Skirmishers Advanced, And,

          Flanking The Enemy'S Supports, Drove Them Pell-Mell Down

          The Mountain-Side, When Captain Samuel Cook, With Company F,

          First Colorado, Having Been Signalled by The Major, Made

          As Gallant And Successful A Charge Through The Canyon,

          Through The Ranks Of The Confederates And Back, As Was

          Ever Performed.  Meanwhile, Our Infantry Advanced rapidly;

          When The Enemy Commenced his Retreat A Second Time, They

          Were Well Ahead Of Him On The Mountain-Sides And Poured

          A Galling Fire Into Him, Which Thoroughly Demoralized and

          Broke Him Up, Compelling The Entire Body To Seek Shelter

          Among The Rocks Down The Canyon And In some Cabins That

          Stood By The Wayside.

 

 

 

          After An Hour Spent In collecting The Prisoners, And

          Caring For The Wounded, Both Federal And Confederate,

          The Latter Having Left In killed, Wounded, And Prisoners

          A Number Equal To Our Whole Force In the Field, The First

          Baptism By Fire Of Our Volunteers Terminated.  The Victory

          Was Decided and Complete.  Night Intervening, And There

          Being No Water In the Canyon, The Little Command Fell Back

          To Pigeon'S Ranch, Whence A Courier Was Despatched to

          Colonel Slough, Advising Him Of The Engagement And Its

          Result, And Requesting Him To Bring Forward The Main

          Command As Rapidly As Possible, As The Enemy With All His

          Forces Had Moved from Santa Fe Toward Fort Union.

 

 

 

          After Interring The Dead And Making a Comfortable Hospital

          For The Wounded, On The Afternoon Of The 27Th Chivington

          Fell Back To The Pecos River At Kosloskie'S Ranch And

          Encamped.  On Receiving The News From Apache Canyon,

          Colonel Slough Put His Forces In motion, And At Eleven

          O'Clock At Night Of The 27Th Joined chivington At Kosloskie'S.

 

 

 

          At Daybreak On The 28Th, The Assembly Was Sounded, And

          The Entire Command Resumed its March.  Five Miles Out

          From Their Encampment Major Chivington, In command Of

          A Detachment Composed of Companies A, B, H, And E Of The

          First Colorado, And Captain Ford'S Company Unattached,

          With Captain Lewis' Company Of The Fifth Regular Infantry,

          Was Ordered to Take The Galisteo Road, And By A Detour

          Through The Mountains To Gain The Enemy'S Rear, If Possible,

          At The West End Of Apache Canyon, While Slough Advanced

          Slowly With The Main Body To Gain His Front About The

          Same Time; Thus Devising an Attack In front And Rear.

 

 

 

          About Ten O'Clock, While Making His Way Through The Scrub

          Pine And Cedar Brush In the Mountains, Major Chivington

          And His Command Heard Cannonading To Their Right, And

          Were Thereby Apprised that Colonel Slough And His Men

          Had Met The Enemy.  About Twelve O'Clock He Arrived with

          His Men On The Summit Of The Mountain Which Overlooked

          The Enemy'S Supply Wagons, Which Had Been Left In the

          Charge Of A Strong Guard With One Piece Of Artillery Mounted

          On An Elevation Commanding The Camp And Mouth Of The Canyon.

          With Great Difficulty Chivington Descended the Precipitous

          Mountain, Charged, Took, And Spiked the Gun, Ran Together

          The Enemy'S Supply Wagons Of Commissary, Quartermaster,

          And Ordnance Stores, Set Them On Fire, Blew And Burnt

          Them Up, Bayoneted his Mules In corral, Took The Guard

          Prisoners And Reascended the Mountain, Where About Dark

          He Was Met By Lieutenant Cobb, Aide-De-Camp On Colonel

          Slough'S Staff, With The Information That Slough And His

          Men Had Been Defeated and Had Fallen Back To Kosloskie'S.

          Upon The Supposition That This Information Was Correct,

          Chivington, Under The Guidance Of A French Catholic Priest,

          In the Intensest Darkness, With