The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1883-06-20
WITH THE APACHE SCOUTS.
SOMETHING ABOUT THE 1NDIAE
ALLIES ON THE FRONTIER.

WILL lllU III hOlllI DOOO 1O'
SOMETHING ABOUT THE 1NDIAH
ALLIES ON THE FRONTIER.
Ph, steal and Mental characteristics of tho
Indian Scouts--How They Live on the
March and In Camp.
A New York Herald correspondent
has been travelling with the Apache
scouts, advance guides of the United
States troops on the Mexican frontier,
and writing about their peculiarities,
he says:
Their chests were broad, deep and
full shoulders perfectly straight,
limbs we'll proportioned, straight and
muscular, without Il suggestion OF un'
due heayiness. Hands and feet are
small and taper, but wiry. Their
heads are well shaped, and their coun-
tcnances often lit up with a pleasant,
good-natured expression, which would
be more constant, perhaps, were it not
for the savage, unframed cast impaired
by the loos", ~dishevelel, gypsy locks
of raven back, held away from the
face by IL broad, tlat band of scarlet
cloth. Their eyes arc bright, clear and
bold, and, if Il little experience enables
one to Judge accurately !, are frequently
expressive of the greatest good humor
and satisfaction. Uniforms are issued
to them, but donned upon ceremonial
occasions only. On the march each
wore a loOsely-iitting shirt of led,
white or gray stuff, generally of calico
in some Candy figure, but not lntre-
quently the sombtr article of wooden
raiment issued to white soldiers. This
came down outside a pair Of loose Cot
ton drawers reaching to the moccasins.
The moccasins are their mos. important
article of apparel. In fight or on a long
march it is said that they will discard
al else, but under any and every cir
cumstance will retain the moccasin. y
leather belt en~circling the waist holds
ferry rounds of metallic cartridges,
and al:o keeps in place the regulation
blue blouse and p%antaloons, which are
worn upon the person only when the
Indian scout is anxious to 'paralyze'
the frontier towns or military posts by
a display of all his tinery. The other
trappingS of these savage auXiliaries
are Springfield e,clr-loading rifle,
army pattern. Il canteen full of water,
4 butcher knife. an awl in a leather
else, a pair of twtezers and a tag.
The awl is used for sewing moccasins
or work of that kind. With the twee-
zers the Apache young man carefully
picks out each and every hair appear
ing upon his face. The tag marks his
place in the tribe andis in reality moth
ing more or less than a revival of a
plan adopted during the civil war for
the Identification of soldiers belonging
to the different corps and divisions.
Each male Indian at the San Carlos is
tagged and numbered and a descriptive
lis corresponding to the tag kept,
with a full recital of all his physical
pecul;arities.
The rate Of speed attained by the
Apaches in marching is about an even
four miles an hour on foot or not quite
fast enough to maKea horse trot. They
keep this up for about fifteen miles, at
the end of which distance, if water be
encountered and no enemy be sighted,
they congregate in bands of ten to
fifteen each, hide in some convenient
ravine, sit down, smoke cigarettes, chat
and joke and stretch out in the sun
light. If they want to make a little
fire they kindlc n with matches, if
they have any with them ; if not, a
rapid twirl between the palms of a
hard, round stick, fitting into a circular
hole in another stick of softer fiber,
will bring fire in forty-ive seconds.
The scouts also paint the taceto prevent
the hot winds from blistering it for
this purpose they make Use of antelope
blood, or the juice of the roasted
"mescal" Century plant
The short morning rest of the
Apaches was broken by the shrill cry
of "Choddce Chodl' e." (Antelope !
Antelope ! and far away on the left
the dull slump! slump" Of rifles told
that the .Apaches on that flank were
getting fresh meat for the evening
meal. Ten carcasses showed that they
were not the worst of shots, and your
ctrr. s~ioaGcnt takes pleasure in assert
ing that they are not By any means
bad cooks. When the command
reached camp these restless, indefati-
gable nomads built in a trica all kinds
of rude shelters those that had the
army 'dogtents" utthem up on frame.
works of willow or cottonwood sap
lings; Others, less fortunate, i%mprovised
domiciles of branches, covered with
grass, or of stone and boards and
pieces of gunnysachs. Before these
were finished smoke curled gracefully
toward the sky from cracking embers,
in front of which, transtixed on
wooden sp:ts, were the heads, hearts
and livers of several Of the victims of
the afternoons chase. Another addi-
tion to the "spolia optima" was a cot.
tontail rabbit, run down by these fleet.
footed Bedouins of the Southwest.
Turkey and quail, it is asserted by
those who know, are caught in the
same manner. Meantime a couple of
scouts are making bread, the light,
thin "tortillas" Of the MeXicans,
Eaked quickly in a pan, and not Lad
eating. Two others are f%raternally
occupied in preparing their bed for the
night. Grass is pulled out by hand
fuls, laid upon the ground and covered
with one blanket, another serving as
cover. These Indians, with scarcely
an exception, sleep with their feet
pointed toward little fires, which they
claim are warm, while the big one built
by the American soldiers are so hot
that they drive people away from them
and beside attract the attention of
any lurking enemy. At the foot of
this bed an Apache is playing upon a
homemade fiddle" fabricated from
the stalk of the American aloe. 1t has
four strings and produces a sound like
the wall of Il cat with he: tai caught
in a fence. Enchanted and stimulated
by the concord of sweet sounds, a party
of six is playing fiercely at the Next
can game of "monte," the cards en-
ployed being of native manufacture,
of horse hide, covered with barbarous
figures and we'll verify of Il place in
any museum of curiosities.