The Colored Regulars in the United States ArmySteward, T. G. (Theophilus Gould)
History
The Colored Regulars in the United States Army
Steward, T. G. (Theophilus Gould)
African American soldiers; Spanish-American War, 1898 -- Participation, African American
About 9 o'clock a small boy came running through camp crying
as if to break his heart, saying that the Indians had killed
his mother and their baby. Some of the men said the boy must
be crazy; but many of them made for their horses without
orders. Soon Lieutenant Smith ordered "Saddle up." In less
than five minutes all the command was saddled up and ready
to mount. We mounted and pulled out at a gallop, and
continued at that gait until we came to a high mountain,
when we came down to a walk. And when over the mountain we
took up the gallop, and from that time on, nothing but a
gallop and a trot, when the country was favorable for such.
When we had marched about two miles from Lake Valley we met
the father of the boy, with his leg bleeding where the
Indians had shot him. We marched about half a mile farther,
when we could see the Indians leaving this man's ranch. We
had a running fight with them from that time until about 5
o'clock that evening, August 18th, 1881. Having no rations,
we returned to Lake Valley with the intention of resting
that night and taking the trail the next morning; but about
9 o'clock that night a ranchman came into camp and reported
that the Indians had marched into a milk ranch and burned up
the ranch, and had gone into camp near by.
Lieutenant Smith ordered me to have the command in readiness
to march at 12 o'clock sharp, and said we could surprise
those Indians and capture many of them and kill a few also.
I went and made my detail as ordered, with five days'
rations in haversacks, and at 12 o'clock reported as
ordered.
About half-past 12 o'clock the command pulled out and
marched within about a mile and a half of the milk ranch and
went into camp; and at daylight in the morning saddled up
and marched to the ranch. The Indians had pulled out a few
minutes before our arrival. We took their trail and came up
with them about 10 o'clock, finding the Indians in ambush.
Lieutenant Smith was the first man killed, and when I heard
his last command, which was "Dismount," then the whole
command fell upon your humble servant. We fell back, up a
canon and on a hill, and held them until 4 o'clock, when a
reinforcement came up of about twenty men from Lake Valey
and the Indians pulled off over the mountains. The
following-named men were killed in the engagement:
Lieutenant G.W. Smith; Mr. Daily, a miner; Saddler Thomas
Golding; Privates James Brown and Monroe Overstreet.
Wounded--Privates Wesley Harris, John W. Williams and
William A. Hallins.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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