▁a ▁soldier ▁who ▁served ▁under ▁General ▁George ▁Washington ▁at ▁Valley ▁For ge ▁during ▁the ▁American ▁Revolution ary ▁War . ▁Her ▁mother ▁Julia ▁Ann ▁Pen ning ton ▁died ▁within ▁a ▁year ▁after ▁the ▁birth ▁of ▁her ▁tw elf th ▁child ▁while ▁her ▁husband ▁was ▁away . ▁After ▁that , ▁the ▁father ▁took ▁the ▁surv iving ▁Pen ning tons ▁to ▁an ▁area ▁near ▁K ee chi , ▁Texas . ▁ ▁Le aves ▁Texas ▁▁ ▁In ▁ 1 8 5 7 , ▁in ▁hopes ▁of ▁economic ▁prosper ity , ▁the ▁Pen ning ton ▁family ▁tra ve led ▁west , ▁originally ▁with ▁the ▁intention ▁of ▁sett ling ▁in ▁California . ▁From ▁K ee chi ▁they ▁head ed ▁west ▁with ▁three ▁w ag ons ▁pulled ▁by ▁ox en ▁and ▁m ules , ▁and ▁a ▁her d ▁of ▁cattle . ▁The ▁w agon ▁train ▁for ded ▁the ▁P ec os ▁River , ▁where ▁several ▁of ▁the ▁c ows ▁d rown ed ; ▁it ▁continued ▁to ▁Pas o ▁del ▁Norte . ▁From ▁there ▁they ▁followed ▁the ▁Rio ▁Grande ▁north ▁to ▁Mes illa ▁and ▁then ▁moved ▁west ▁toward ▁T uc son . ▁They ▁passed ▁through ▁several ▁can y ons ▁where ▁Apache ▁were ▁known ▁to ▁spring ▁surprise ▁attacks , ▁including ▁Dou bt ful ▁C any on , ▁Apache ▁Pass , ▁ ▁and ▁Co oke ' s ▁C any on . ▁( A ▁w agon ▁train ▁was ▁later ▁attacked ▁there ▁in ▁the ▁Battle ▁of ▁Cook es ▁C any on ▁in ▁ 1 8 6 1 .) ▁They ▁passed ▁through ▁the ▁San ▁Simon ▁Valley