Have been researching, the skirmish at Monica Springs , between Nana and the 9th, Aug 1881! I have tried looking up after action reports, to no avail? We’re there casualties, on either side? Was it a rear guard action by Nana, or did the 9th surprise them? Lots of questions and alot of speculation. Ha!
Carl, great question! Closest to an eyewitness report I have seen was Bennett’s interview with newsman Charles Lummis in 1886. Reprinted in Thrapp’s Dateline Fort Bowie Bennett claimed his scouts killed one of the hostiles at Monica Spring, but I have some serious reservations about his account of the Raid overall and this skirmish in particular. For instance, Bennett told Lummis the scouts came around the north end of the San Mateos to intercept Nana at Monica Spring. I believe it more likely he and Guilfoyle came up the western side of the mountains for reasons I won’t elaborate on here. Hatch in his report (in the 1881 Annual Report) says “some” of the raiders were killed at Monica Spring. In Chapter 3 I say that “Guilfoyle claimed to have wounded two of the raiders,” but I failed to footnote that particular factoid and I’m not sure offhand where I got that number. I know I haven’t seen any report that any of the scouts or soldiers were killed or wounded at Monica Spring, and I’m skeptical of reports of casualties among the raiders.
Have been researching, the skirmish at Monica Springs , between Nana and the 9th, Aug 1881! I have tried looking up after action reports, to no avail? We’re there casualties, on either side? Was it a rear guard action by Nana, or did the 9th surprise them? Lots of questions and alot of speculation. Ha!
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Carl, great question! Closest to an eyewitness report I have seen was Bennett’s interview with newsman Charles Lummis in 1886. Reprinted in Thrapp’s Dateline Fort Bowie Bennett claimed his scouts killed one of the hostiles at Monica Spring, but I have some serious reservations about his account of the Raid overall and this skirmish in particular. For instance, Bennett told Lummis the scouts came around the north end of the San Mateos to intercept Nana at Monica Spring. I believe it more likely he and Guilfoyle came up the western side of the mountains for reasons I won’t elaborate on here. Hatch in his report (in the 1881 Annual Report) says “some” of the raiders were killed at Monica Spring. In Chapter 3 I say that “Guilfoyle claimed to have wounded two of the raiders,” but I failed to footnote that particular factoid and I’m not sure offhand where I got that number. I know I haven’t seen any report that any of the scouts or soldiers were killed or wounded at Monica Spring, and I’m skeptical of reports of casualties among the raiders.
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