Chuck Wagons, Cattle, Cavalry, Cowboys, Indians, at Ft. Stanton Live 2013...Ambush

Before I get into the ambush I want to continue with what I have found very interesting in my research about the possibilities of a chuck wagon being at the fort.   Confederate Col Baylor was documented as having been at both Fort Stanton and Fort Sumner and was somewhat friends with Charlie Goodnight.
(It was Charlie Goodnight who was credited with inventing the chuck wagon) Billy the Kid was certainly around Lincoln and Fort Stanton as well as Fort Sumner and in fact was killed by Pat Garret in Fort Sumner.  So it is entirely feasible that it would not be inappropriate to have Goodnight, Loving, Baylor, Bonney, and even Pat Garret at Fort Stanton at some time or another.  Maybe a way outside chance, but for the purposes of re-enacting, it would not be out of the question.  Why do I bring this up?  Heck, I don't know, maybe I will recruit some folks like those characters to be at the wagon next year....If I get invited.

I will get to the Apache ambush pretty quick, but first I want to show some of the uniforms of the re-enactors

Linda and I saw one particular soldier at different times and on at least three occasions he was in different attire. Others too, were seen in more than one uniform.  It seems as though it might take a minimum of two and possibly three uniforms for versatility.  Of course some of the components of the attire can be used in more than one "outfit" such as the pants, shirt, belt and rifle. Following is a study of Confederate and Union uniforms.

Again, if anyone can identify the subjects let me know and I will edit the blog to include names and even types of uniform. 

Inside Sutler's tent

Discussion of military tactics?

Sentry posted prior to lantern tour in 2011.

Five different uniforms!

Fi

Bilbo on far right as soldier

Bilbo at ease.

Bilbo portraying a school teacher at Fort Seldon

Johnny Reb...two of them....just alike!

Scout...........?

Buffalo Soldiers from the 10th Cavalry E Troop!

If you think about uniforms and how much stuff like that costs and multiply that times the number of people like themselves who do the same thing around the country, you see the selling of Civil War attire is a pretty lucrative business.  In talking with Ann Marie, the laundress, the other day she was speaking of the battles going on now at Gettysburg for the 150th anniversary and mentioned that in one battle there weere about 5000 Confederate soldiers on one side and 5000 Union soldiers on the other.  That represents a lot of individualism in uniforms and means by which they were able to get their particular "suit" ready for battle.  Ann Marie pointed out that the continuous roar of cannon fire and the volley of 10,000 muskets was simply unbelievable. 

Now, finally, the (re-enacted) ambush by  Mescalero Apaches..

It was a bright, sunshiny day just outside the confines of Fort Stanton and soldiers (both men and women) from the fort were on patrol just below a little rise in the landscape. Earlier in the day there had been civilian reports of Indians being seen in the area. The soldiers numbering approximately 25 were sent out to persuade the hostiles to take their entrepreneurial equine enterprise somewhere else. 

The patrol had not been gone very long from the fort when they received heavy fire from the renegade Apaches.  Having taken hiding in the scrub brush on the high ground they definitely had the advantage.  As the battle ensued the cavalry returned heavy fire but were no match for the well hidden Apache snipers.

The cavalry took heavy losses early in the battle with the Apaches receiving only minor injuries.

The soldiers would fire their black powder rifles, pull a charge from their possibles bag and tear off the end with their teeth and pour the powder down the barrel quickly  so they were ready to fire again.  The soldiers had to retreat to a more fortified position and tried valiantly to retrieve their wounded comrades.

One soldier tried to out flank the Indians position but he was spotted by his enemy and had to retreat or face certain death.  The Indians were relentless in their pursuit, but to no avail because there were no horses in the patrol.  They did however reduce the number of soldiers in this patrol significantly.

They will live to fight another day.  

As the ambush unfolded we the spectators were told to take a vantage point behind the markers for the best possible view.  Sgt. Bilbo gave a running commentary, using a megaphone, describing the ambush as it unfolded.  The event was quite spectacular.

From our position we could easily see the Indians' position of ambush on the high ground and the cavalry steadily marching down below into what was going to be certain disaster. 

During the fracus over a hundred rounds were fired, some with deadly accuracy.  Soon the battlefield was quietand as if by miracle all the dead joined forces at the bottom of the hill to relive the experiences.

The Mescalero Apaches numbered 7-8 and the cavalry about 25.  It was pretty realistic.  I am sure that it was a lot of fun for the re-enactors.  In this battle there were no deaths.  In the battle of Gettysburg there were 50,000 casualties.

To be continued..................