Fury at Furnace Creek

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In 1880,

silver was not yet king in the Furnace Hills.

But rumor that the Apache Indians used

silver bullets in their rifles was widespread...

and certain interests were clamoring

for the territory...

to be thrown open to the white man

for development and exploitation.

Tension was gathering, and supplies

and reinforcements were en route...

- to the hard-pressed garrison

at old Fort Furnace Creek.

The route to Fort Furnace Creek lay

through territory dominated by Little Dog-

as ruthless and shrewd a fighter...

as his master, old Geronimo himself.

- Troop, halt! Halt!

- Captain Walsh, sir?

- What is it?

- Dispatch from Fort Putnam.

- Trouble, Cap?

- Inform General Blackwell his orders will be carried out.

- That's all.

- Yes, sir.

Lieutenant Ramsay?

- Yes, sir.

- We're to proceed to Lordsburg immediately.

- The wagon trail will continue on to Fort Furnace Creek.

- Without escort?

- Those are my orders.

- But you can't leave us here unprotected.

- And them hills are swarmin' with Apache.

- We haven't seen any.

You don't till it's too late. Give an Apache

a blade of grass to hide behind...

you'll have an arrow in your gullet

before he's within 10 miles.

- I can't understand such an order, sir.

- Give the command.

Yes, sir.

Army or no army, I'm responsible for this outfit.

You go to Lordsburg, we go with you.

We couldn't wait for you.

The orders say, "with all possible speed. "

- That's not an order. That's a death warrant.

- I'm sorry. I've no choice.

Troop, forward. Yo!

- Hey!

- Move!

Here they come!

- Wagon train! -

Mail! - Mail from home!

- Tonight we can have a party!

- Come on. It is!

Hey! You're not w-

The massacre at Fort Furnace Creek

aroused both Congress and the nation.

The Apache were driven out,

and the territory was thrown open.

Boomtowns sprang up overnight

in the newly expropriated territory.

In a matter of months,

10,000 settlers, miners and merchants...

poured into the Furnace Hills.

The largest of these mushroom towns

was Furnace Creek.

Meanwhile, an investigation of the massacre

was being held at Fort Leavenworth...

resulting in court-martial proceedings

against General Fletcher Blackwell...

who was charged with sending the order

that recalled the cavalry escort.

Captain Walsh, you've already testified that

the wagon master showed deep concern...

at General Blackwell's order.

Exactly how did he express himself?

At first he said that he would refuse to continue

with the trip if we left him without escort.

I advised him that

I had to obey my orders.

- What did he say then?

- He said it wasn't an order. It was a death warrant.

Were you of the same opinion?

- Do I have to answer?

- That's all.

Captain Steele, do you also wish

to reexamine the witness for the defense?

Yes, sir.

Captain Walsh, you have requested permission

to resign from the army?

- I have.

- Why?

General Blackwell was my commanding officer.

I always looked up to him.

When this happened, I-

I lost heart for the army.

You testified that, after you showed

the order to Lieutenant Ramsay...

you placed it

in one of your saddlebags...

and that your mount,

along with several others...

was stampeded by raiding Apaches

during evening mess, and the order was lost.

That is right.

May I draw the attention of the court, sir,

to the rather odd circumstance...

of the Apache conveniently

running off the witness's horse?

Objection, sir!

Such inferences are improper,

Captain Steele.

The court will disregard them.

Strike them from the record.

- That is all.

- Excused.

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