Fish's manuscript gives the following account of the fight with the Indians, known as the “Battle Flat” fight. Fish says that this account was taken from a manuscript shown him by Judge Brooks in Prescott in 1900, giving the whole details of the fight. It varies somewhat from the account given by Hamilton in his work, “The Resources of Arizona,” and I am of the opinion that it is the true version, for the reason that it was taken from an original manuscript owned by Judge Brooks, whom all settlers in Prescott will remember as reliable in all respects. The account is as follows:
“In the latter part of May, 1864, Stewart Wall, Frank Binckley, DeMorgan Scott, Samuel Herron and Fred Henry, started from Walnut Grove on a prospecting trip. They took three pack animals and a good supply of provisions. They took their time passing the Hassayampa and Turkey Creek, and camped on the 2nd of June on what has since been known as ‘Battle Flat.’ About two hours before daylight the next morning they were attacked by a large body of Indians. The Indians would, doubtless, have waited until daylight, but one of the boys raising up, led them to believe that they were getting up. Every man was wounded and two of the horses killed before daylight. There was a continuous shower of arrows coming from the enemy, who were all around in fearful odds, and the boys were driven from their camp, taking up their position some three hundred yards away where they were still surrounded by the foe. The Indians took possession of the camp and made a breakfast upon the two dead horses. The boys found themselves in a terrible condition—all wounded and some of them in a frightful manner. Henry was wounded in the arm, but his legs were all right, so it was decided that he should break through the enemy's line and go for help. He took Frank Binckley, who had a ball through the bridge of his nose which drove a bone into an eye putting it out, with him. It was feared that Binckley would go insane if left. The two attempted, at about eleven o'clock in the forenoon, to crawl through the brush, but were soon discovered, and a running fight was then kept up for some distance. The men took a circuitous route to avoid being ambushed and to have the advantage in the ground. The party being aroused from their beds so suddenly, and in warm weather, had but little on, and these two wounded men made the run through the mountains from eleven a. m. until eight a. m. the next morning, barefooted. When they reached Walnut Grove a company of ten men soon started out and found the other boys, who had fought the Indians until in the forenoon, when the hostiles left, probably thinking that the game was not worth the cost. The boys were all taken in and all recovered but Sam Herron, who died nine days after.”
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Walnut Grove is TWENTY PLUS MILES OVER THE HILLS DUE WEST!!!
Tough bastards!
We ate a good 1/2 burger, watched Rod's boy Armin shoot some pool and headed home. It was a good trip, again NOT a 4.0 trip by no means."
. i hafta be on the fence on this run, gearing up for a major project and time is a factor dependant on parts arrival and such.
