By morning, one of Godfrey's men managed to sneak out of the siege and call for help from the U.S. cavalry, which forced the Indians to finally retreat.

This would set up many of the war’s future events, and enraged the Indians who further increased their raids, focusing much of them on the Colorado ranching business.

Holon Godfrey heard of the Indian's warpath coming towards them after a raid on American Ranch occurred a night before which killed almost an entire family of white settlers.

He surrounded his ranch with 6-foot tall adobe walls and fireports, as well as well-placed shooting nests and bucket brigades in case of fire.

Having their attacks on the main house repulsed, the Indians tried setting fire to the dry grass surrounding the ranch to burn the building down.

At one point, as Godfrey and his men were trying to put out a fire, a warrior suddenly ambushed the rancher by the front, who was shot and killed.

When the initial attacks failed, the Indians started shooting flaming arrows at the ranch's roof and dry grass that surrounded it, but these too were extinguished quickly by the ranchers.

[3] His story was published in the New York Tribune, Harper's Weekly, and today a historical marker stands near Merino to commemorate the event.