Silas St. John
~ An American Icon, about whom most have never heard
Three fellow Mexican workers of Silas that were Mexican, one of which whose life he saved earlier, attacked the station in the middle of the night.
The attack resulted in the tragic deaths of three Butterfield employees: James Laing, William Cunningham, and James Burr. Silas, was severely injured but miraculously survived. His injuries were horrific, including a nearly severed left arm and a deep gash in his thigh. Despite his wounds, St. John managed to fend off the attackers and escape into the harsh desert wilderness.
For seven agonizing days, St. John endured immense pain and suffering as he struggled to stay alive. He battled dehydration, starvation, and the constant threat of predators. His determination and will to survive were extraordinary, and he managed to survive until the next stagecoach arrived, which led to his rescue. His rescuers sent to Ft. Buchanan (present day Sonoita) to fetch medical help, Asst. Surgeon B. J. D. Irwin, who upon arriving and seeing the badly damage arm, amputated St. Johns left arm. Silas's arm is buried at the Dragoon station.
After a long and arduous recovery, St. John became a symbol of resilience and courage. His story is a testament to the human spirit and the power of perseverance. The Dragoon Springs Massacre reminds us as to the dark side of human nature and the brutality of the American West, but Silas St. John's remarkable survival story inspires and fascinates.
Photo credit Prescott Pioneers Museum
Sila's personal account as detailed in Thomas Edwin Farish, History of Arizona, Vol. II, Phoenix, 1915, p.7
"With Sunday morning came relief. Mr. Archibald, correspondent for the Memphis Avalanche, arrived from Tucson on his way to the Rio Grande. Seeing no flag flying and no one moving about the station, he halted a half mile distant, leaving his horse with his companion, and approached with his gun cocked. St. John could not respond to his halloas as his tongue and throat were disabled from thirst. Archibald at once started for the spring, a mile distant up the canyon. He had no sooner left than three wagons of the Leach road party approached from the East. They, too, seeing no life about the station, left the road and made a detour about half a mile to the south—fearing an ambuscade. Then they cautiously approached the corral on foot. In the party were Col. James B. Leach, Major N. H. Hutton and some other veterans, who quickly dressed St. John’s wounds, which were full of maggots. They buried the bodies of Hughes [Burr] and Cunningham in one grave. Laing still hung to life tenaciously although nothing could be done for him—he died on Monday. An express was started for Fort Buchanan by way of Tucson, as the direct route was not deemed safe for two men. They reached the fort on Wednesday following. The doctor, Asst. Surgeon B. J. D. Irwin, started at once with an escort and reached Dragoon on Friday morning—the ninth day after St. John was wounded. The arm was amputated at the socket. Six days afterward, St. John got into a wagon and rode to the fort; five days later he was able to walk about, and ten days thereafter, being twenty-one days from the operation, was able to mount a horse and ride to Tucson. A remarkable quick recovery from such severe wounds."