October 12, 1855; Iraan, Texas: Capt. Stephen Carpenter and the men of Companies H and K, First Infantry, established Camp Lancaster, near the junction of Live Oak Creek and the Pecos River, in August 1855. For the next several months, they were busy building quarters and making the post habitable. In October Carpenter, seeking a straight tall tree to make a flagpole, headed out to the head of Live Oak Creek. With him rode Pvts. Dennen and Beardall, both musicians of Company K; Pvt. Patrick McCulloch; civilian doctor J.D.B. Stillman; and a teamster driving the wagon. Carpenter brought along his two dogs, Cola and Quail, which Dr. Stillman credited with being the most effective sentries they had.
Near the head of the creek, about a dozen miles east of present-day Iraan, Texas, Carpenter's party found a grove of trees. As the soldiers cut poles, Stillman and Carpenter approached a smaller grove hoping to find some wild turkeys. Instead of turkeys, the dogs flushed out a band of Lipan Apaches, who were "well mounted, armed with shields, bows and arrows, lances, and a few with guns; they were painted and bedeviled for war," Stillman later wrote.
The Indians charged. Stillman ran to save himself. He saw the Indians swarm over the teamster, who was also separated from the party. While the warriors concentrated on the teamster, Stillman got away and headed toward the post. Carpenter shouted to the remaining men to get back to the wagon. The Indians did not attack the wagon right away, so Carpenter moved his party cautiously in the direction of the post. When the Indians did charge, Carpenter was ready, and a steady fire held them back. An arrow whizzed past Beardall's head, and he took aim at a bush he had seen the Indian duck behind. He waited until the warrior rose again for another shot, fired, and hit him square.
The arrows flew fast. One hit McCulloch in the foot. Carpenter, too, was caught in the fire. One arrow hit his horse, another cut through his shoulder strap, a third lodged in his boot, yet another penetrated his coat, and a fifth struck his hand. Two warriors attacked Carpenter from different directions, but he held them off by pointing his pistol first at one, then the other; he did not fire, however, for he only had three bullets left. He aimed at one warrior, who raised his shield for protection, then he spun around and shot at the other, who was charging in with a lance. The bullet hit his attacker full in the chest. Carpenter turned back quickly to the other warrior, but he could not get a shot off. The Indian was about to strike the captain when a bullet from Deneen's rifle laid him low. With that, the attack ceased and the Indians pulled back.
In the meantime, Stillman had made it back to Camp Lancaster. Stumbling in, he reported that everyone in his party had probably been killed. A rescue party formed up and hurried out, They found Carpenter and the other survivors and escorted them back, reaching the post at nightfall.
One defender, the teamster, was killed in the raid, and two soldiers were wounded. At least three Indians were killed. Stillman believed that the Apaches planned the ambush in great detail, and it "would have been successful in cutting off every man in the party, were it not that they wanted victory too cheap."
