Hello Matthew and all: I pulled out my note book on the two soldiers and located the papers that told about the Whitlow Boy finding the body of one of the soldiers. It came from the Q.E.D. Files compiled by Butler. I will quote from the entry: "One day in late June of 1880, the Marlowe boy took a load of milk into Pinal. He traveled over the trail that was here near my camp. (Abe Reid's Camp) It went by here and down to Queen Creek and on into Pinal. It was the shortest route in those days. Anyhow, the boy made the delivery and was on the trail back to the ranch. He had the pack animals strung out on the trail ahead of him and was pushing them along as it was getting along in the afternoon. About a half-mile from the ranch, (Quarter Circle U Ranch), out there in the valley, (Bark Valley, eastern edge), the animals began to quit the trail, shying away. He found what was spooking them. It was a dead man, lying in the trail. He had been shot in the head. He was clad in his underwear and his hat was laying a short distance away. The boy rounded up the animals and lit out for the ranch. He announced his discovery and his father ordered him to go back and cover the body with a tarp and stones. Marlow himself sent for the law at Florence. The next day a couple of annual prospectors named Forrest and _? came down the trail toward the "Milk Ranch" and found the body covered by the tarp. The Sheriff and some men arrived shortly. An inquest was held and the result was: The dead man was one of the two ex-soldiers who had shown up at the Silver King Mine looking for a jo9b. They had some gold with they claimed they had found at an old mine in the mountains. The dead soldier was wearing underwear that had the mark of the Silver King Commissary on the inside of the collar. All other clothing except his had was missing. It was said he had died of gunshot wounds (in the head and back) that were inflicted by persons or persons unknown. Motive: Possible robbery." There are some conflicting stories as to who found the body, Most say it was the father Marlow but one can see how this got confused for Marlow Sr. sent for the sheriff and also went to the body site after his son told him about it and also he went with the inquest party. Interesting how this story ties in with the Milk Ranch and the Quarter Circle Ranch. Also how those trails were in place in the 1880's and most likely before that time. Cordially, Gregory E. Davis
