“Overawing the Indians": Major Steen’s Futile Pursuit of the Apaches in 1850

The editor of Santa Fe Gazette of 5 March 1853, pondered, "How can a Dragoon who, with his arms and accoutrements weighing 250 pounds, mounted on a half starved browken down horse be expected to catch an Indian mounted upon his fleet little pony, sooner than an Infantryman loaded down with his musket, knapsack, his haversack?" To prove his point on the 19th of the month he printed a report filed by Brevet Major Enoch Steen from Dona Ana, New Mexico Territory, February 5, 1850. [Bvt. Maj. Steen, from Missouri, had been a 2d Lt. in the Battalion of Mounted Rangers. On 19 Sept. 1833, he was commissioned as a 2d lt. in the 1st Dragoons. In 1847 he was brevetted as a major for his conduct at the 1847 Battle of Buena Vista, a battle in which he fell wounded. Send to New Mexico Territory, Bvt. Major Steen , on 16 August 1849, he was wounded in a fight with the Apaches near the Copper Mines. This talented officer would eventually rise to the rank of Lt. Col. of the 2d Dragoons, retiring in 1863. 1 Heitman, Army Register 919.]

On Saturday the 2d inst., about 8 o’clock A.M., a report was brought to my quarters that the Apaches had made a descent upon the herds grazing in the rear of the town, and driven off the stock after wounding four Mexican herders—one of them is since dead, and carrying away one boy. On inquiry I found the facts as stated, and that the Indians had come within a mile of the town—so near that they were seen by the men from their quarters. I immediately ordered out company [H], 1st Dragoons, and started in pursuit, accompanied by L. W. O’Bannon, 3d Infantry; before, however,
we could get started, the Indians had gained some six miles.

My first impression was they were the Apaches from the Gila, and thought that by going up the river, I could intercept them at the crossing; but Mexicans all saying that they had gone in the direction of San Diego, I was induced to follow directly in their trail.

Some six or seven miles from the garrison we found the bueyada [stolen herd of cattle], which the Indians, seeing themselves closely pursued, had left. After spurring the animals, going on fifteen miles further, we were evidently gaining on the Indians. I ascertained that my first impressions were correct, and the Indians were endeavoring to reach the river. Here I divided my command, and, sending about twenty-five of the men who were best mounted with Lieutenant O’Bannon to follow on their trail of the Indians, and cut them off from the mountains, I took a more southerly route to come in between them and the river, and thus drive them upon the level plain of the Jornada, where I thought we could easily succeed in running them down.

The result was, however, contrary to my expectations, and the Indians proved to be better mounted than we were; for, after riding more than forty miles at our best speed, we were obliged to give up the chase—our horses being completely broken down, and the command so scattered that, at last, I had but six men left with me. Abandoning the chase, we espied two men standing by their horses, half way up a little rise, some half mile distant, and a herd of cattle grazing near. Supposing them to be Mexicans, we approached to within a few hundred yards, when to our surprise, they proved to be Indians, who jumped opon their horses and galloped up the hill, beckoning us to follow. WE did so as fast as our wearied animals would permit; but, arriving at the top of th rise, we saw . . . some thirty or forty warriors, all mounted on their horses, and cursing us in bad Spanish, call us to come over and fight them. As I did not chose to do this with the few men I had, I dismounted my party and made arrangements to defend myself if attacked; at the same time building a fire, in the hope that the smoke might bring Lieutenant O’Bannon’s party to my assistance, when we would be able to give them a fight. Remaining here an hour and a half, [resting] my horses, I then returned to this place, which I reached at 9 o’clock P.M., having ridden eighty miles.

Lieutenant O’Bannon, with his party, following directly in the trail of the Indians, gained upon them rapidly; but coming to a canon above the San Diego, he was obliged to dismount his men, to lead their horses down the rocky pass in single file: here the men mounted as they passed through it, and continued the chase; four of the first though, who were best mounted, were close upon the heels of the Indians, and one man, private Teagardin, company H, 1st Dragoons, came up with a party of eight who were thrown out as a rear guard. Wounding one of them with his [Hall carbine], three of the others turned upon him and attacked him with theirlances: he, however, succeeded in parrying them with his saber—receiving only a slight scratch in his back; when, perceiving the command closing upon them, two fired on him,--one shooting him through the thigh, severely fracturing the bone. I must take this opportunity to urge upon the commanding officer of this department the necessity of arming Company H with Colt’s revolvers. Had this man had one of these weapons, he would probably have killed several of these Indians. I should have mentioned that before the Indians turned, the other three dragoons had closed in and exchanged fire, wounding two other Indians.

The whole command had now passed through the canon, and here ensued a most exciting scene. The Indians in full sight, not more than a mile and a half in advance, on a level plain, and the dragoons in hot pursuit,--both parties at the top of their speed; and thus the chase was continued for thirty miles, until the horses were completely broken down.—Towards the last, the Indians were to be seen throwing away blankets, provisions, and everything but their arms, rendering themselves as light as possible.

Lieutenant O’Bannon, in returning, fell in with another small party of Indians, mounted on fresh horses and driving more with them. From the fatigued condition of his animals, they easily escaped him.

Three of my best horses were left dead in the road. I can only say, the company, without exception, behaved admirably; and every possible effort, was made to overtake the Indians; and it was owing to our having run our horses over the first and most difficult part of the country, that we were unable to come up with them after getting upon the plain.

On my return I was informed that, at about the time we started in pursuit another party of Indians came in at the lower side of town, near the river and driven off stock from there.—This was probably the party I saw after watering. In connexion [sic] I would state that, on the 27th ult a party came in about sundown and stole two Mexican boys who were working in a field not a mile from the quarters and drove off some stock. At the same time another party came in, some four miles south west of us, and drove off twenty three head of oxen, the property of Mr. Beck.

I cannot close this report without urging upon the commanding officerof the department the necessity of a campaign against these Indians as speedy as possible.

When Indians become so bold that they will come in broad daylight within a mile of a United States garrison, where dragoons are stationed, and drive off stock and murder defenceless herders, I think it becomes necessary to chastise them; this can only be done by a regularly organized campaign against them.

When these Indians start on a marauding expedition they come mounted on their best horses, (which are equal to any of ours,) and at the same time have relays waiting for them at twenty-five or thirty miles’ distance. They do their mischief and get off with several miles the start, come up with their relays and thus are mounted on fresh animals, and can snap their fingers at us, whose horses are broken down by the long chase. Thus; it is next to impossible for any dragoons to overtake them; and for this, I would suggest that a depot be selected at or near the Copper Mines; and that that point be established as the base of operations.

All of which I most respectfully submit.

E. Steen
Bvt. Maj. 1st Dragoons, Com’d’g



Lt. L. McLaws
AA Adj’t Gen.
Santa Fe

A Death in the Family: The Letters of Maj. Lloyd Beall to Bvt. Maj. Benjamin Beall 1846

The following article has been taken from "Military Collector & Historian: Journal of the Company of Military Historians", Summer 2008, Vol. 60, No. 2.

Banner Article on Battle of Santa Cruz de Rosales

Philip Ferguson, a newspaper reporter in civilian life, wrote in his journal that a “day or two after the battle [of Santa Cruz de Rosales] I found an old press and types, and issued one number of a paper called the Santa Cruz Banner, containing Colonel Ralls’ [sic] and Colonel Lane’s reports and an [unofficial] account of the battle.”

Special thanks and appreciation to Tim Kimball, an indefatigable researcher, who found this story taken from the Banner and reprinted in the Santa Fe Republican, April 22, 1848, at bottom of column 3 of page 1.


CAPTURE OF SANTA CRUZ
We copy the following from the Santa Cruz
Banner, a small sheet published at that place by P. G. Fergurson.
On the first of March Gen Price set out from
El Paso with four companies of the Missouri
regiment of horse under command of Colonel
Ralls, two companies of U. S. Dragoons under
command of Major Beall, and two mounted
howizers with an artillery detachment under
command of Capt Hasseduebel for a forced
march upon the city of Chihuahua, 300 miles
distant, south from El Paso, at Carasel [sic, Carrizal], 100
miles upon the road. The Santa Fe battalion,
Major Walker’s, joined us, making in all, nine
companies, with which we marched on to Chi-
huahua, in the unprecedented time of six days;
reached the city with the nine companies, but [here shifts to top of column 4]
the enemy under Gen. Trias, with his forces
some eight hundred strong, with principally Caval-
ry, had left some12 hours before with all the
public property, including a [blurred] of newer artil-
lery for the South. A few hours after our arri-
val at Chihuahua, we were put en route to over
take the enemy. Our forced march upon the
city exhausted a great many of our horses and
men and we set out for the South with skeletons
of nine companies, numbering in all about 300;
with this force, we kept our march in pursuit—
we made sixty miles march in about 12 hours,
and approached Santa Cruz at about sunrise,
where the enemy had already fortified himself,
his batteries fixed, and full and efficient dispo-
sition made for defence of the place, he having
reinforced himself to the number of about 1200
in all behind his barriers, also occupying the
church itself, a perfect fortification. As we
moved our column around the west of the city,
a nine pounder was discharged by the enemy,
passing our centre, when several of the compa-
nies of his infantry filed through the balcony,
ranging in order upon the church, a person sup-
posed to be a priest, harangued them, and the
surrounding populace, a part of which was
heard and distinctly understood, was replied to
by loud cheers by the soldiery, and the people
with many “vivas” “vivas” and vevar Re-
publicano Mexicano.”
An express was sent back to hurry on the
pieces, and the place was put under siege. We
permitted no communication with the place, al-
lowed omen and children and non-combat-
ants two days to leave the city with their ef-
fects, when our pickets were closed upon them.
The siege last from the 9th to the 16th.
Many attempts were made by parties of the
enemy during the siege o leave the town, but
few succeeded—now and then, a fleet horse
would out run our pickets and get to the moun-
tains. The third day of the siege, the com-
mander of one of the pickets, sent word to the
general that a number were escaping, which he
could not prevent, his picket was too small.
On the morning of the 16th, Lieut. Col. Lane,
arrived with artillery &C., and we received the
enemy’s invitation to come on. Our forces are
referred to the reports of Col Ralls and to Lt.
Col. Lane in this number, which detail their part
of the affair. The reports of Major Walker and
Beall would make this accout complete. Maj.
Walker’s command distinguished itself by
storming the South of the town while the dra-
goons acted well the part assigned them, and
Capt. Hassandeuebel [sic] and Lieut. Love, gallantly
managed their batteries the whole day, with
great science and skill.
The charge of Col Rall’s column was a spleen-
did affair. It moved like a thunder-bolt, pre-
cisely in the direction it was sent spreading dis-
may, death and destruction, and it was over this
column that Col Sanchez extended the flag of
surrender. It was a proud day for all, but for
those leading and directing this column, it was
particularly so, and Col Ralls in his report has
but rendered justice to his officers and men, and
that report does that commander distinguished
honor for the virtue of his head and heart.
An entire park of artillery was captured with
about 2,000 stand of arms and munitions, with
other public property to the value of seven to
eight hundred thousand dollars.
We captured the whole force, including thir-
ty commissioned officers, Gov. Maj. General
Trias at their head.
After the day had nearly expired we learned
that the place could only be carried by storm-
ing. The order to charge was given, and in
one hour’s time the city surrendered, our arms
as ever, victorious, adding another trophy to the
Fame of the great Republic we serve.
LIST OF THE KILLED AND WOUNDED. – 2d
Lieut. George O. Hepburn of Co. D, privates
Schafenberg and Bockman, co. B.
WOUNDED.—Private Ripper, Greff and De-
drich, co. B, Jackson, Kearnes, Williams and
Gillam, co. D.
We also understand by a private letter that a
young man by the name of Maston, commissa-
ry Sergent, start out from Santa Cruz, to meet
Love’s command, and has never since been
found or heard from, he is supposed to have been
killed.

RECRUITMENT ADVERTISEMENT

The New York Sun for March 13, 1855, featured the following advertisement: