498 Ex. Doc. No. 41. 



r 



men, had had a fight with a party of Navajoe Indians, It appears 

 that while the companies were on their march down the riverj some 

 Mexicans rushed hurriedly up to themj crying out that theNavajoes 

 had just heen into the village, murdering the people, and carrying 

 off their flocks and herds. Captain Grier immediately set off in 

 pursuit, and soon came in sight of the bold marauders. In a little^ 

 while the Indians began to abandon the cattle they were driving 

 off, until at last 400 "head had been left along the route. So warm 

 and exciting was the chase, that the officers, who- were well 

 mounted, heeded not the want of their men who were unable to 

 keep pace with them, but they pressed on, anxious to recover the 

 immense '^cayalgada'' of sheep that the Indians were yet driving. 

 Suddenly they saw they had rushed into an r.mbuscade, for the In- 

 dians, rising up from their concealment, surrounded Captain Grier 

 and his three brave companions. With horrid cries and shouts of 

 ^'Naivahoe, Navahoe,'' the Indians sprang forward to the combatj 

 they were dres'sed for war, being ornamented with paints and 

 plumes, and mounted on good horses, and armed with bows and 

 arrows, and lancesj but, fortunately, they were so crowded that 

 they feared lest they should shoot each other. At length one of 

 the chiefs came along side of Lieutenant Wilsonj their horses were 

 on the gallop, each one w^aiting until the horses should jump to- 

 gether, when, at the same moment. Lieutenant Wilson and the In- 

 dian fired^ the officer's pistol did not go off, and the arrow of the 

 chief only cut off a coat button, and lodged in the saddleblanket of 

 Captain Grier. As the Indian turned his horse, a Mexican, who 

 had started at full speed, came in contact with him, and rolled 

 horse and rider in the dust; the Indian was immediately upon his 

 feet, and rushed up to a dragoon soldier, who had a patent carbinej 

 such as loaded at the breach, and had, unseen by the Indian, re- 

 loaded it, and the Indian coming up within two or three feet, the 

 soldier shot him dead. One other Indian was killed, when Captain 

 Grier ordered a retreat, and the four, drawing their sabres, cut 

 their way out and rejoined their company, while the Navajoes suc- 

 ceeded in carrying off 3,000 head of sheep. 



Lieutenant Wilson was again fortunate; being out on a patrole 

 he captured a courier with letters to Chihuahua, which had been 

 written by some of the principal men in New Mexico, and mani- 

 fested a spirit of readiness for any insurrectionary movement. 



JVcvcmher 13,— This morning I crossed the river at ^^Bosquecito/' 

 and went to the encampment of the dragoons. Captain Burgwin 

 informed me that the traders were well prepared to defend them- 

 selves in case of an attack; that they had constructed quite a for- 

 midable fort of wagons at Valverde, and that the country in the 

 vicinity of their camp afforded plenty of wood and grass, and, I there- 

 fore, determined to move down the river on the next morninc^. 



J^Gvemher 14. — The day proving very favorable, we made a much 

 longer march than we had at first intended, as we proceeded at 

 least 10 miles below San Pedro, which place is 4^ miles south of 

 Bosquecito. The road for many miles, in the latter part of our march, 

 was covered with a deposite of saline substances, which lay like 



