I 
EL PASO. 169 
March ^th. Major Shepard, commanding at Dona 
Ana, gave me information to-day that seven soldiers 
belonging to Colonel Craig’s command, had deserted 
from our escort at the Copper Mines, and wished me 
to aid him in having them arrested and brought back. 
With this view, I rode over immediately to the quar- 
ters of General Conde, at El Paso, accompanied by 
Major Yan Horne, to ask his co-operation. The Gene- 
ral agreed to send a courier at once to the military 
commandant at Chihuahua, three hundred and twenty 
miles distant, requesting him to take such measures as 
would lead to the capture and restoration of the 
deserters, if they should be seen at any of the military 
posts on the frontier. 
March 28^^. Made up a little party of nine per- 
sons, besides a cook and servant, for an excursion to 
the Sierra Waco, about thirty miles distant, the last 
stopping place on our journey from San Antonio. It 
was so interesting a spot, and our stop there was so 
short, that I determined at the time to take an opportu- 
nity to revisit it, in order to make a more thorough ex- 
amination. We left at eight o’clock, a. m., with my 
carriage and one wagon for camp equipage, cooking 
utensils, and provisions, all the gentlemen going on 
horseback or on mules. After a very tedious ride over 
a sandy road, we reached the tanks at four in the 
afternoon, and encamped near a natural cavern in the 
rocks, where we found excellent water. As this was 
a favorite place of resort for the Apaches, we did 
not feel safe until we had climbed the rocks which 
overhung our place of encampment, and searched for 
“ Indian sign.” We found many traces of visitors, 
