Two weeks later I was out on a scouting tour when I saw a small band of Indians coming out of Black canyon and making their way westward. When they were within ten miles of our headquarters I got to count them, finding there were forty in the band, all on foot. I decided that they had started on a hunt and I would keep my eye on them to see where they would camp for the night. By this time I had all the water in this region located, and when I would see a band of Indians late in the evening I could tell about where they would camp.
As soon as I had decided where those would camp I telegraphed to Lieut. Jackson the situation. Where these Indians camped was within six miles of our quarters, but a miserable place to enter with horses, but I thought we could ride within a mile of the place on horseback.
The Lieutenant, however, was well acquainted with the ground, and as soon as he read my message he mounted his cavalrymen and started, and met me within a mile of the Indian camp. Dismounting, he and his men started on foot to the camp, and he told the soldiers to walk lightly, and when in sight of the camp to get down and crawl, but to be very careful not to break a limb or twig. I was very much disappointed in not getting to see this fight, for after I had sent my message to headquarters my horse fell with me and dislocated my right knee.
Lieut. Jackson said that he had never seen Indians fight harder in the dark than they did. He had three to their one, and said if it had been daylight he thought they would have held the soldiers in check for some little time. He did not think that he got all of them. In this action he lost—two men killed and seven wounded, two of whom died afterwards from their wounds.
I was laid up for a month with my knee, having to go on crutches most of the time, and it has given me more or less trouble since, even up to the present time. After we had arrived at our headquarters the Lieutenant concluded that as it was getting late, we had better move in the direction of the fort, and we started, making ten miles a day, and keeping out a strong force of scouts, thinking they might be able while in the mountains to capture small bands of hunting Apaches, but no more Indians were seen.
When we were out of the mountains we doubled our distance, making about twenty miles a day. Having no other way to travel than on horseback, my knee swelled badly, and when we got to Mr. Davis' ranch, which was forty miles from Fort Yuma, I had to stop and rest a few days. This was, however, a very desirable place for an unmarried man to stop, for Mr. Davis had some young daughters who were very attractive. I remained there a week, until I got the swelling reduced in my leg, and Mr. Davis hauled me to the fort in a wagon, taking at the same time a load of watermelons and tomatoes, which grew abundantly in that country. When I arrived at Fort Yuma Gen. Crook told me to take good care of myself, also saying he was highly pleased with the success of the past season, and he said: "If I live until spring I am going to see that Black canyon of yours that Lieut. Jackson has told me so much about."
During this winter we got a weekly mail established from Fort Yuma to Los Angeles, I had been here over eight months and had not seen a newspaper since I came, and when this mail line was established nearly every man subscribed for a paper of some kind, and the fort for the first time was blessed with plenty of reading matter, and we were able to gain a little knowledge as to what was going on in the civilized parts of the United States.
In the fore part of the month of December the officers put the men to work cleaning and straightening things up in general about the fort. We were all confident there was something up, but just what was not known. After everything was in proper shape it was whispered around that the paymaster would be in in a few days. On hearing this I asked Lieut. Jackson if it was true, and he said it was, and he also informed me that from this on we would have a regular pay day; and this was not all either, but that we were to have two more companies of cavalry and one of infantry, and said he: "The General is talking of sending you and me to California to buy horses, but that will not be decided upon until the paymaster comes."
It was the twentieth of December when the paymaster came, and also the three companies of recruits spoken of by the Lieutenant. This was the first pay day the soldiers had had for over a year, and the boys all had plenty of money, but a-poor show to spend it, as there were no saloons or gambling houses there, so they amused themselves by gambling among themselves, and one could go all around the fort and see all kinds of games running, and there was money flying in the air.