Fury at Furnace Creek

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.

- Yes, sir. - This way, sir.

- How does it look, Captain? - Your father hasn't testified yet.

- Were you on the stand? - Yes.

Well, surely you don't believe the general sent that order.

I can only testify as to facts.

But you served under him. You know the sort of a man he is.

I'm sorry, Captain, very sorry.

- Have you any more witnesses, Captain Steele? - Yes, sir. I call one more.

I call General Fletcher Blackwell.

Raise your right hand.

Do you swear the evidence that you shall give in the case now in hearing...

shall be the truth, the whole truth and nothing but the truth so help you God?

I do.

General Blackwell, did you dispatch the order in question to Captain Walsh?

- I did not. - What then was the nature of the order you did send to him?

After Captain Walsh left headquarters, I learned that Little Dog...

was in the vicinity of Fort Furnace Creek in greater strength than I had supposed.

My dispatch to Captain Walsh informed him of the situation there...

and reiterated my previous order to make all possible speed to Fort Furnace Creek.

Have you any knowledge of the order Captain Walsh testified he received?

- None whatever. - Your witness.

General Blackwell, two years ago you commanded an expedition into the Furnace Hills.

- I did. - What was the purpose of the expedition?

It was a peace mission. Some of the Indians were going off the reservation.

We hoped to restore the friendly relations that had existed between the tribe and ourselves.

Did you succeed?

My official report is available to you.

I've already read your official report, General, very carefully.

Frankly I'm a bit puzzled by it-

not by what it says, because it covers the Indian situation very thoroughly...

but by what it does not say.

Isn't it true, General, that while you were in the Furnace Hills...

you discovered one of the richest silver lodes in the western hemisphere?

You'll answer the question, General Blackwell.

Yes. I found the Furnace Hills to be rich in silver.

Why didn't you say so in your official report?

It's an old story:

We make a treaty with an Indian tribe, cede lands to them forever.

The lands are then found to be rich in mineral deposits or valuable for colonization...

so the treaty is broken, the tribe is driven off.

I knew this would eventually happen to Furnace Hills, and I wanted no part in it.

- Uh, tell the court, please: Was that your only motive? - It was.

Do you have any interest or shares in a corporation...

know as the Furnace Creek Mining and Development Syndicate?

- I have not. - Are you aware of the fact that this syndicate...

has established claims and mining interests in the newly opened territory?

No, I am not.

These records establish the fact that many of these mineral claims...

were already in operation the day after the territory was opened...

thus clearly indicating that the syndicate had known in advance...

of these mineral deposits.

- Would you care to examine them? - I would not. I know nothing whatever of the matter!

Of course these mineral deposits were of no value to the syndicate or anyone else...

as long as the territory remained closed.

Thus it was possible to assume...

that if the Apache could be provoked into wiping out an unescorted wagon train...

then destroying the garrison at Fort Furnace Creek, the massacre...

would inevitably lead to the ousting of the Indians and opening of the territory.

I object. General Blackwell has testified he did not write the order to recall the escort.

- Objection sustained. - General Blackwell...

would you please tell the court the names of your immediate relatives.

Mrs. Blackwell is dead. I have two sons:

Captain Rufe Blackwell, United States Artillery...

and Cash Blackwell, not in the service.

Could it be possible that either of your sons...

has a share or interest in the Furnace Creek Mining and Development Syndicate?

No! Captain Blackwell is instructing in tactics at West Point.

- He has no interests other than his career as an officer. - And your other son?

I have not seen or communicated with him for some time.

- For how long? - A number of years! I resent this effort...

to indicate that members of my family are involved in this despicable affair!

It's contrary to all procedure!

Strange you haven't heard from your brother.

What's strange about that?

I know he and the general had a falling-out, but at a time like this, one would think-

Cash never knew the meaning of family loyalty.

- Oh, I'm not defending him, Rufe. It's just that I- - I'd rather not discuss it.

Captain Blackwell, will you come in please? Your father's had an attack.

- Hey, uh, your name is Blackwell, ain't it? - It is.

You any relation to a General Fletcher Blackwell?

- Not that I know of. Why? - He just died.

Lucky for him he did, or they'd have probably hung him.

Well...

I'll go and see if they've decided what to do with you yet.

You're a free man, Mr. Blackwell.

Hey. Marshal says you was right after all. That was a marked deck.

- Here's your gun, sir. - Thanks.

Thank the marshal for me.

It says here, "The transcript of court-martial testimony...

"can be made available to interested persons...

"by applying to: Thejudge Advocate General's Office...

War Department, Washington, D.C."

- Good. I'd like to file an application immediately. - What's the case in question?

The court-martial of General Fletcher Blackwell.

I'm trying to locate a retired army officer.

- Western command? - Yes.

- Recently retired? - Very recently.

Well, we ought to have a file on him then.

- Name and rank. - Grover A. Walsh...

captain, cavalry, Sixth Regiment.

Captain Walsh did live here. He moved about a month ago.

- Poor man. - Why do you say that?

Oh, I just meant, it was a shame to see a gentleman like him drinkin' so heavy.

- Do you know where he moved to? - Didn't say what town.

Just mentioned something about the new territory.

Thanks. That helps some.

- Howdy. - Nice and cool here.

- Sit a while. - Thanks.

- Jones's the name. Peacefuljones. - Tex Cameron.

- From Texas? - That's right.

Never met a fella yet from Texas they didn't call "Tex."

- State law. - State law. Yeah, that's good.

- State law. - Do they put you here often?

Just Saturday nights. Took six of'em to do it this time.

No calaboose in town?

They're buildin' one.

Sure gonna be mighty lonesome Sundays when they get it finished.

- You stayin' here? - Maybe.

- Lookin' for a job? - Depends on what it is.

Too bad you ain't a teamster. I could sure use one.

- How do you know I'm not? - With them hands?

Hands tell a lot about a fella. Now, I'd peg you for a city man...

or... gambler... or maybe a gunman.

- Hot, ain't it? - Yeah.

Saturday night sure will make you thirsty Sunday mornin'.

Too bad the town's all closed up.

- I could bring you a drink. - It ain't closed that tight.

You don't have to trouble yourself bringin' it. I'll go with ya.

- How about this hardware you're wearing? - Don't you worry about that.

- You do this often? - Just on Sundays.

Oh, boy! Heh-heh-heh-hey.

- Hi, Peaceful. - Hi, joe.

Whiskey.

Same.

How come this place is open? I thought everything was sewed up on Sundays.