The Arizona Miner
Prescott, Arizona Territory
August 22nd, 1866
The Battle of Skull Valley.
Lieutenant Hutton's Official Report.
Skull Valley, August 14th, 1866.
Sir— I have the honor to report, that on the 11th instant, during
my absence on important public business, the train belonging to
Mr. Freeman was stopped by a large band of Indians, some eight
miles above my camp.
He sent to my camp for assistance, which the non—commissioned
officer in charge promptly furnished. On the arrival of the
party, they found Mr. Freeman having a talk with five Indians
that they had permitted to approach the train. Soon after, four
of these Indians left, after professing peace. The remaining one
was taken charge of by my non—commissioned officer and brought to
camp, to find out, if possible from him, what tribe the band
belonged to. Mr .
Freeman had an Indian who understood their
language. From him he learned that the band wanted his mules, and
ardently desired to "clean out" the valley— claiming to own, in
addition to the wood, water and grass, all the corn planted by
the citizens.
On my arrival at 2 P.M. on the 12th instant, I found the hills
full of Indians, who were talking to my non—commissioned officer,
claiming to be friendly, calling themselves Apache Mohaves. I had
a talk with one of them, at a distance of two hundred yards, as
near as I could approach him. His conversation was about the same
as that which passed between them and Mr. Freeman the day before.
In addition, however, he stated that Mr. Lei h y, the Indian Agent,
wanted fifty buckskins, and had told them they might roam around
and get them wherever they chose. Being in a quandary as to how
to proceed, I despatched a messenger to the commanding officer of
Fort Whipple, detailing the above facts, and asking his advice in
the matter— telling him that they had promised to come in in the
morning to have a talk with me. I received his reply at 3 0'clock
in the morning of the 13th, advising me that, as the Indians
appeared to have hostile intentions ,
from their stopping the
train, and their making such curious demands; besides the fact
they were over forty miles east of the line of safety laid down
by the former district commander, General Mason, that in his
opinion, if they were friendly Colorado River Indians, they were
perfectly well aware of the fact that any one had a right to kill
them if they crossed that line, and advised me to punish them,
but to use discretion and not force the matter.
On the morning of the 13th Mr. Freeman, being anxious to reach
The Battle of Skull Valley— Continued.
Prescott with his train, I furnished him with an escort of four
men, reserving as many of my men as possible to have the talk
they had spoken about the night before; and to find out more of
their intentions, and by what authority they were in the valley.
The train left at 8 0'clock A.M. After proceeding a mile and a
half, the road in front and the hills to the left of the train,
were filled with Indians, making more hostile demonstrations—
appearing very anxious to come down to the train. He despatched a
messenger to my camp reporting the fact. I started with twelve
men, and arrived as the first Indians came to the train. They
presented the enclosed papers, marked A & B. In order not to
alarm the Indians ,
I had directed my men to approach the train
one at a time. Mr. Freeman and myself permitted about eighty to
come to the train, but compelled them to leave their bows and
arrows behind.
In a very short time after they arrived, each Indian produced a
knife from some portion of his person, flourishing them in an
exceedingly hostile manner. I had placed a sentinel on a hill
near by, to watch the movements of the rest of the party. In a
short while he cried out to me that there were five Indians with
guns in the rocks above, and that the hills were full of them,
and that they were exchanging signals. An old squaw in the party
cried out in good Spanish,
"pitch into them, you can whip them
with your knives , "
which she repeated with incessant emphasis
several times. From their movements, two or three with knives in
their hands, collecting round one man, the cry of the squaw, the
signals and the strange movements of two who professed to be
chiefs, I judged that some treachery was intended, and advised my
men and the men with the train, to be on the alert and not allow
them to approach too near. One Indian, claiming to be a chief ,
made two thrusts with a large knife at Mr. Freeman, concealing
his intention with a buckskin on his left arm, one of my men
warded off each thrust, when the Indian made a thrust at one of
my men, who caught the blow in his hand. The man kept hold of the
knife, taking it from the Indian by the blade, cutting himself
severely, when he shot the Indian and the fight commenced.
The fight lasted about forty—five minutes. We succeeded in
killing twenty—three Indians and wounding perhaps double that
number. I lost one man, killed, (private Pauli no Espinoso) and
one wounded badly in the hand. The number of men engaged were, of
my command, sixteen, and one man of company G, 1st battalion 14th
Infantry, ten teamsters and Mr. Freeman, making twenty—nine men
in all;
all of whom behaved well and are deserving of great
praise.
A citizen (Mr. Binkley) with the train, recognized and talked
with an Indian the day previous to the fight, called La Paz
Charley. The Indian tried to conceal his identity by talking
through his teeth, but on being pressed with questions, confessed
that he was La Paz Charley. Others in the party, especially a
The Battle of Skull Valley— Continued.
friendly Indian with Mr. Freeman, recognized him. The band was
made up of Apache Mohaves, Mohaves ,
(La Paz), Hualapais, (river
Indians), and Apache Tontos.
The captured prisoner, through an interpreter, says that Irataba,
the chief of the Mohaves, knew of this exploration, and advised
them not to go out. Two citizens of La Paz with the party ,
recognize him as a brother of Captain Chiquita, of the Apache
Mohave tribe, who was killed in the fight. The prisoner also
says, that the Tontos enticed them to go on the expedition, to
capture the train and clean out the Mexican soldiers .
I also
firmly believe that Jitchejitche, a chief of a band of Hualapais,
was killed, judging from a description given me by a gentleman
doing business at Hardyville, who knew him well.
We captured forty bows, and twenty odd quivers of arrows. Many of
the arrows were evidently poisoned, proving conclusively that
they were bent on no peaceable errand.
I would therefore respectfully request that an investigation may
be made as to who possessed the authority to permit these
Indians, who are supplied by the Government in consideration of
their remaining outside an imaginary line, to go over that line
and molest travellers through the Territory. It can be proven
beyond a doubt that nearly all the depredations committed on the
La Paz road, in the past year, were by the same tribes engaged in
this affair, the arrows corresponding. Some of my men who were
with a party that was attacked in February last, recognize the
Indians as the same tribe. Captain Weir, commanding Date Creek,
has, or had, a quiver and bow which was taken at that time, which
corresponds exactly with those used on the 13th instant, besides
much more evidence of like character, which can be obtained.
I would recommend that a large party be sent to Thompson s
Valley, between my camp and the Colorado, to effectually punish
the Apache Mohave tribe collected there, some two hundred strong ,
to prevent depredations by them in the future. The imaginary line
has been used by these Indians, as an altar, to which they fled
when pursued, using it to conceal their sin— only recognizing it
when coming in from ,
and not when going out to ,
commi t
depredations on the whites.
Respectfully submitted,
Oscar Hutton,
2nd Lieutenant Arizona Vol. Infantry.
To: Lieutenant Colonel Garvin,
Adjutant General of the Territory.
