by Karen Baney
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Sensing her husband’s troubled mood, Hannah gave him an inquisitive look as she handed him his plate. They bowed their heads as usual while Drew led them in prayer. She felt a modicum of guilt as she realized her mind was working through what might be concerning Drew, rather than giving the Lord his proper reverence. The rest of the meal passed in silence.
Immediately following the meal, Drew stood and grabbed the water barrel, heading for the stream before Hannah could ask questions. Resigning herself to finding out what was troubling him later, she quickly cleaned up the breakfast dishes. She dug the tub out of the wagon and placed it in the tent. Then she made sure the fire was still stoked so she could heat the water. With the temperatures so cool, she would need to make sure the water was nice and hot.
Drew rolled the barrel back into camp next to their fire. The process of heating the water bucket-full by bucket-full took a fair amount of time. Hannah bathed first taking time to wash her hair. It felt so good to be clean. As she dried her hair by the fire, he took his turn. When he finished she was still drying her hair by the fire. He made quick work of emptying the tub and stowing it back in its proper place, before joining her by the fire.
His gaze was intense as he studied her. Hannah smiled, waiting to see if he would speak of his concerns, whatever they may be.
“The wagon master says that the Indians are calm right now and we can go outside the city for a short distance. I thought it might be nice to find a scenic lookout,” Drew said.
Delight filled Hannah. Time away from the noise of camp and gossiping tongues was rare. What a treat to get time alone! She quickly gathered a few blankets and the canteens of water while Drew ensured the rifle was loaded.
They walked about a hundred yards up the slope of the closest hill before stopping. Drew spread out the blanket on the ground and helped her settle into a nice spot. The view was incredible. Looking towards the west, they could see green scrub brush and trees covering the mountains rising up from the fertile valley below. Several minutes went by before either spoke. They were content to soak in the view and revel in the peaceful silence.
“Do you regret leaving Ohio?” Drew blurted out.
The question came without warning, sharply breaking the serenity. Hannah took a minute to gather her thoughts before answering, “You know I didn’t want to leave. I wish we could have stayed.” Clearing her throat, she continued, “But, I see now that we had to.”
“Are you still angry with me?”
Staring at her clasped hands, she hesitated. The sad look on his face sliced her heart. “Not anymore.” The guilt welled up. “I know I was hard on you—angry for much too long. I’m sorry, Drew. I was so disappointed that we had to leave. I thought I knew best. I was wrong.”
“I feel I have failed you, Hannah, by bringing you on this arduous trip,” whispered Drew. He studied his hands, though Hannah wished he would look at her instead.
“You have not failed me. Why would you say such a thing?”
“It is my fault we had to leave,” Drew confessed. “I could have tried harder to change the opinions of the townsfolk. Perhaps if we had stayed for Thomas’s trial, they would have seen we bore no responsibility in the situation.
“Instead, I brought you from Ohio, far from the land you loved. And you have been forced to work harder than ever before, including driving the wagon, forsaking all comfort. All because I did not stand up to the townsfolk, you have suffered.”
Her heart broke at the guilt he heaped upon himself. She refused to let him continue doing so. “Drew, none of that is your fault. You are a good man, a God-fearing man who desires nothing more than providing the best he can for his family. Right now that family is just the two of us, but one day it will be more.”
She paused, breathing deeply of the cool clear air. “I would go anywhere in the world with you. I love you. You are a part of me.”
Drew turned to look at her. She hoped he saw the conviction and sincerity in her eyes. She could see he still wrestled with guilt. “But this trip has been most difficult,” he answered with a pained expression. “Now, we are headed to an unknown land with unknown dangers. I could not bear it if my decision results in you being harmed.”
“Yes, this trip has been hard. We have both learned things we would not have given thought to a year ago. I learned to cook over an open fire built with buffalo chips. We learned to go days without water praying for God to send relief. We spent days climbing that never-ending mountain back in Colorado. I was so sore from sitting in that wagon seat I thought I might not be able to walk.” She continued, “But none of that is important. It is just a step along the way. You and I are together, heading toward our new home in the Arizona Territory. True, it might be dangerous. But once we arrive, we will build a new home. You will start practicing medicine again, and we will raise our family there. It will be home because we will be there together.”
Scooting closer, he put his arm around her, bringing her head to rest on his chest. Looking down at her he whispered, “Thank you, dear wife. I needed that.”
Perhaps she should tell him about her own fears and the nightmares. Turning her face up towards Drew, she tried to gauge what his response would be. Would he feel more guilt if she told him? Probably. She would, for his sake, keep those deep fears to herself.
“How would you feel about settling in Granite Creek, instead of La Paz?” he asked.
A smile exploded followed by a giggle of excitement. “I would love it!”
Turning to face her, Drew searched her eyes. “Truly?”
“Truly. I think it will be a wonderful place to live and raise our children.”
“Then that is where we will go.”
His eyes continued searching hers. As his smile faded slightly, Hannah shivered—not from the cooling air—but from the look of passion in his eyes. Her breath caught as she realized how much she missed her husband. He lowered his lips to hers and she could not contain her own longing. As his kiss deepened, she responded with all of her heart. She lodged her fingers in his hair as he began to explore her body with his hands. Knowing where this was leading, she thought for a brief moment to pull back. As quickly as the thought came, it left and she surrendered herself to her husband.
As the moment passed, Hannah fought to catch her breath. Heat came to her face as she realized with a little embarrassment that they were on a hill in the middle of the New Mexico territory. She could hear Drew’s ragged breathing settle as he released a satisfied sigh. She sat up, fixing her appearance before standing and suggesting they should head back to camp.
Hannah gathered their things as Drew shouldered the riffle. He grasped her hand and held it until they neared their wagon. She could not help grinning. She loved this man. As they deposited their things in the camp, she saw Betty’s expression. The woman acted almost like she knew. Feeling her cheeks flush, Hannah quickly started dinner cleverly turning away from Betty’s view.
The bliss of the intimate moments with her husband faded much too soon as the image of his headless body from her nightmares returned to haunt her. What would she do if she lost Drew?
Chapter 15
Granite Creek, Arizona Territory
November 15, 1863
Will and his men were finally at their destination. The rest of the trip from the Little Colorado River, while uneventful, had been beautifully scenic. He found the territory’s landscape to be diverse as they followed Pishon’s road. They passed through vast flat lands covered in grass even this late in the year. The flat lands gradually sloped upwards in elevation, going unnoticed until tall snow capped peaks broke up the monotonous straight-lined horizon. Purplish blue at first, the mountains changed in hue as he and his men drove the cattle passing just to the south. The tall pine trees provided shade from the warm sun for many miles. And the tall grass still grew between the clusters of trees. The white bark of Aspen added variety to the forest. When they finally turned south, the pine forests became less dense, but never d
isappeared.
Just north of the Granite Creek area, Will spotted a section of rolling hills. The green and brown of pine trees dotted the foothills of the granite-like stony mountains. Nestled in the valley below, a clear blue lake spread out nearly half a mile long. The grass was everywhere—on the forest floor, in the valley, sloping up the mountains. This was better than he dreamed.
His heart picked up pace and he sat taller in his saddle as his eyes quickly scanned the valley floor for any sign of structures or settlement. Seeing none, Will’s hopes began to soar. Perhaps this perfect piece of land sat waiting for him to stake his claim. He smiled, unable to contain his excitement.
Leaving the herd and the bulk of the men back in the valley, Will and Ben scouted ahead to find the Walker settlement a few miles south and slightly to the west. When they rode into the cluster of tents, broken up by one log cabin, they were greeted warmly by the residents. George Lount, one of the members of the party, was the first to greet them.
“What brings you to our lovely area?” George asked.
As Will dismounted his horse, he answered, “I brought several thousand head of cattle and hope to start a ranch just north of here, if the land is unclaimed.”
George motioned Will and Ben towards his cabin, offering the newcomers some coffee. Taking a seat at the crude table, Will sipped the weak brew.
“Ranching, ay?” George said. The kindly man rubbed his hand across his wildly overgrown beard and seemed to consider the idea. “Don’t know of anyone up in that area. Most of the ranchers, like Woolsey, have settled southwest of here in the valley below the mountains.”
Will asked, “Is there a land office here, or do you know how I would go about filing papers to claim that section?”
“Well, we don’t have much that is formal around here yet. Bob Groom has been collecting papers from folks that arrived to mine. He’s been holding them until the government gets here and the land can be registered. Even though the territorial government hasn’t arrived yet, we are running a law-abiding civilized settlement. Everyone who has come to the area has signed our agreement of how to conduct ourselves. Guess you could call them sort of unofficial laws.”
After finding out how to locate Mr. Groom, Will asked, “How many people are in the area? It doesn’t look like there are too many here.”
“There’s about fifty of us that stay here in what we’re calling Granite Creek. Another group of thirty or so are farther downstream at Walker, and more still at Bug Creek and Lynx Creek. Between all the miners, there are almost two hundred men in the area. If you count the ranchers to the south, there’s more like two fifty.”
Will was surprised there were so many. He thought there were only fifty or so men in the entire area.
George continued, “When we first got here, most of us tried mining our own area of the rivers and creeks, trying to keep a sizable distance from each other. Then, the Apaches started picking off men almost daily. We decided it was safer to stay in large groups. Most days are relatively quiet but, if you travel alone, you are as good as dead. I suggest traveling in groups of three or four as much as possible. And you have to be on your guard. The Apaches don’t like to give any warning.”
Will took the man’s advice to heart. Then he asked, “Are there any supplies getting into the area yet?”
“Not too much in the way of supplies. Hope you brought plenty with you for now, cause what we do get is pricey. There’s a few of us that have gone together to ship some goods from California up the Colorado River, then transport it overland from there. The roads, if you want to call them that, aren’t established yet so it is rough traveling to get stuff here. There’s rumor that Henry Wickenburg has been able to get more regular supplies, but his place is a day or two south if you are in need.”
“Not in need right now. We brought several months of the basics with us,” Will said.
“That was right smart of ya.”
“What about the military? Are there any outposts nearby?”
“Not much in the way of military. Last we heard General Carleton was sending some men to set up a small fort for the governor’s arrival. Haven’t seen anyone yet.”
As their conversation continued, George, originally from Canada, regaled Will and Ben with tales of his travels with the Walker Party. He was one of the original members of the Walker Party out of California. Back in mid-1861, a group of twenty-five men, under the leadership of Captain Joseph R. Walker, left California. Following the Old Spanish Trail, the party explored and toured mines in California, Colorado, and New Mexico. When the Confederate forces invaded New Mexico, the Walker party stayed near Fort Union for several months. After the General Carleton’s California Column drove the Confederates out of New Mexico, the group spent time with the general. Eventually, they set out from Fort Union to Tucson, then on to the Hassayampa River in May of this year.
Once they arrived at Granite Creek, along the headwaters of the Hassayampa River, Captain Walker organized a mining district and outlined the process for establishing claims. The agreement was quite detailed, dictating that each man could claim up to one hundred yards on either side of the river. The twenty-five men from the Walker party signed their agreement to abide by the process. George emphasized, yet again, that this agreement kept the miners civilized.
As the hour grew late, Will and Ben took their leave. They found a spot to camp for the night in a clearing a few yards from George’s cabin. Ben fed Jackson and Sheila, then removed the saddles and brushed them down. The two horses snorted in contentment as Will built the fire. The nights in this new territory cooled down quickly after the sun set, requiring a fire for some warmth. On the third strike of the flint, the kindling ignited and rapidly grew to a gentle blaze.
Will shook out his bedroll near the fire. In the distance, the muffled sound of male voices echoed across the clearing. The gurgling of Granite Creek provided a peaceful melody against the crackling of their camp fire. Taking a deep breath, Will savored the cool clean pine fragrant air.
As Will stretched out on his bedding, he looked up at the star filled sky. He remembered the night back in Texas that he stood propped against the corral talking to Julia. He wondered then if the stars would be different in the Arizona Territory. They seemed just as brilliant tonight here in his new home as they had that night.
Rolling onto his side, his mind raced with thoughts and plans and dreams. Tomorrow he would see Mr. Groom and file his claim to that glorious piece of property. He felt humbled that God smiled upon him to let him have such a beautiful new home. It far exceeded any expectation he had.
And the grass—it was everywhere! It was on the rolling hills, under the canopy of tall pines, and sprinkled on lower slopes of the mountains. The grass was an excellent variety well suited for the cattle and other livestock, though the horses still required feed.
The property he chose had plenty of timber for building the bunkhouse, barn, and eventually a cabin for himself. The lake meant a ready supply of fresh water until a drinking well could be dug. If he had the land memorized already, he would have been tempted to start drawing out plans by the light of the fire. Instead, Will tried to shut off his excitement to get some sleep. Morning would be here soon enough.
The next morning, Ben and Will saddled up and wound their way through the forest to Mr. Groom’s claim, following the directions George freely provided. They found the location in less than an hour. As they approached, a man dressed in wool trousers and a cotton shirt rose from his crouched position near the creek. He had a long, nearly waist length, light colored beard and narrow face. His pronounced cheekbones gave him an aged appearance.
“Hello!” the man called out with a tell-tale southern accent.
As they dismounted, Will introduced himself and Ben, then explained the purpose of their visit. “Mr. Groom, George Lount said you are acting as the land officer for the area. I would like to file intentions to ranch a section northeast of the Granite Creek settlement.”
“Call me Bob. And yes, what George said is true. Let me gather a few things then we can ride out to the area.”
“If you are busy, we can take care of this later,” Will said, feeling guilty for inconveniencing the miner.
Bob chuckled, a deep sort of grandfatherly chuckle, belying his relatively young age.
“The gold will still be here tomorrow,” Bob Groom said. “Smith! Get your stuff and come on.”
The man named Smith jumped up from the pan he was sluicing and retrieved his gear. Mounting their mules, the two miners followed behind Will and Ben. Taking the path back through Granite Creek, they followed the primitive trail towards the land Will hoped to make Colter Ranch.
At the top of the last hill before the valley where Will’s men were waiting, Bob halted his mule and unpacked some sort of instrument. Hadn’t George said there wasn’t much formal around here? Those instruments looked pretty formal to Will.
“I see your herd down there. Where’d you want your property start, Colter?” Bob asked.
“Ah, I’m not sure. I know I want the land all the way over to the base of the mountain, including the lake.”
“Well, I’ll start measuring from there. You want a square? Rectangle? Or you want me to map out something.”
Will hadn’t really thought in detail about it, so he let Bob map it out. The man seemed to know what he was doing. When Bob finished surveying the land, Will agreed with the rectangular shape. The mountain provided the far western boundary and one of the short ends of the rectangle. Then the property covered several miles to the east including good grassland, a decent patch of forest, plus the lake.
“What do you want to call it?” Bob asked.
“Colter Ranch,” Will beamed. This was his land. This was Colter Ranch.
“Alright,” Bob responded, “I’ll write this up and keep it with the other property records until the government is ready to create a land office.”