" ▁H ick ok . ▁ ▁F eli pe ▁Esp in osa ▁In ▁the ▁early ▁ 1 8 6 0 s , ▁the ▁Mexican ▁national ▁F eli pe ▁Esp in osa ▁( al ong ▁with ▁two ▁c ous ins ) ▁moved ▁to ▁the ▁San ▁Luis ▁Valley ▁from ▁New ▁Mexico . ▁The ▁Esp inos as ▁went ▁on ▁a ▁killing ▁sp ree ▁beginning ▁in ▁ 1 8 6 3 , ▁murder ing ▁more ▁than ▁ 3 0 ▁Ang los ▁in ▁the ▁area ▁in ▁ret ali ation ▁for ▁relatives ▁killed ▁in ▁the ▁Mexican – American ▁War . ▁A ▁det achment ▁of ▁soldiers ▁from ▁F t . ▁Gar land , ▁as ▁well ▁as ▁several ▁poss es , ▁attempted ▁to ▁capture ▁the ▁brothers , ▁but ▁succeeded ▁only ▁in ▁killing ▁one ▁brother , ▁who ▁was ▁quickly ▁replaced ▁by ▁a ▁cousin . ▁Event ually , ▁Colonel ▁Sam ▁T app an , ▁the ▁command ing ▁officer ▁of ▁F t . ▁Gar land , ▁requested ▁Tob in ' s ▁help ▁in ▁bringing ▁Esp inos as ' ▁reign ▁of ▁terror ▁to ▁an ▁end . ▁He ▁provided ▁Tob in ▁with ▁a ▁det achment ▁of ▁fifteen ▁soldiers , ▁but ▁Tob in ▁left ▁them ▁at ▁camp , ▁as ▁they ▁made ▁too ▁much ▁noise ▁on ▁the ▁trail . ▁Tob in ▁track ed ▁the ▁Esp inos as ▁to ▁a ▁camp ▁and ▁shot ▁them . ▁He ▁cut ▁off ▁their ▁heads ▁and ▁carried ▁them ▁in ▁a ▁s ack ▁back ▁to ▁F t . ▁Gar land ▁as ▁proof ▁of ▁his ▁success . ▁When ▁asked ▁by ▁T app an ▁how ▁his ▁trip