Weekly commercial herald. (Vicksburg, Miss.) 1884-18??, 1886-01-15
CHASING THE HOSTILES
DUTIES AND HABITS OF THE COW
ERNMENT INDIAN SCOUTS.
Three Tribes Of Apaches That Are Always
ReIiabIe-DetaiIs Of the ArduOus
Work Of the scOuts-Their
Life in Camp.

When an outbreak occurs more men
are enlisted and sent on the trail Of the
h~ostiles. The Yuma and Mojave
Apaches have been scouting for the gov
eminent for many years, and also the
San Carlos. These three tribes are al
ways reliable, and only those that have
been with them know their worth. Dur
ing the last few years the White Noun
tain men have been enlisted, and now
the Chiracahau is found to have taken q
liking to Uncle Sans service.
The scout is a regular soldier, govern q
by the articles of war, the same as q
army in general, but he is only enlisted Y
for six months, and, except the police at
the agency, is only paid on discharge,
with final statement. On enlisting he is
given a Springfield rifle, q tield-belt and
ammunition, canteen, and cup. To his
belt is attached q small brass tag with
his number and the letter Of his
company stamped on it. tor
clothing all he draws is a dark-blue shirt
and a blouse. Very seldom is the SHIRT
drawn. the blouse being about all he
cares for. In the field each scout is sup
posed to wear q piece of white
cloth tied around his head to distinguish
him from hostiles, as it has been found
that he prefers to travel with the blouse
folded under the belt to keep the weight
of it off the hips. These companies are
generally about fifty strong, with Il
first sergeant, three Dr. 0 other
sergeants, and as many corporals,
generally chiefs or sons of chiefs or trust
worthy men. They are commanded by
experienced officers from different
regiments of cavalry or infantry, assisted
by citizens employed by the government
known as chiefs of scouts. /,
SCOUTS IN ACTIVE SERVICE. n
The duties of the chiefs Of scouts ar91e
serve out r~ations, carry dispatches, and
act as lieutenant to the officers in charge
of the company. The scouts draw their
rations every day, generally after coming
into camp, when on the march. The ration
is the army field ration, and the way they
cook it is according TO emergency. When
the command breaks camp in the morn
ing the scouts are Oft ahead Of every one,
and are in camp at night long before the
columns are i'll sight. They cut across
the country by trails OF their own, and
when the tinkle, tinlic Of the beil-horso
ahead of the pack-train is heard they
Jump up, ready for tho loads as they are
are dropped from the mules in camp.
The chief of scouts opens up the ratlons,
cries "Autha, ecau, ecau" (cOme for IA
tions). Here they come all around, laugh
ing and joking, sometimes trying to make
II draw" on the sugar-sack on the sly,
which they are very fond of.
Then away they 20 to their fires, which
are sure to be burning well, for rain or
shine they have got II fire every time.
One parches the coffee in q pan, and
when it is done another grinds it with
two stones in a shelter-tent as well as any
coffee-mill. Another mixes flour and
baking-pOWder in an iron pan and partly
makes the bread in large, round, fiat
slabs-that resemble a Mexican tort2dA
in a frying-pan. He then passes ID
another, who stands it up on end agaim
a stone close to the fire, and there it
bakes till done. The bacon they will not
cat, only using it to grease the pans, but
they generally manage to secure a deer
on, the road, and that will be carried on
the ramrOds of their guns, sizzling over
the fire. They cook their next days
breakfast at supper-time, when on the
march, SO that the next morning they
have everything packed and breakfast
dispatched before the mules have begun
to be saddled.
EXAMPLES OF PHYSICAL ENDURANCE.
For the campaign down in Mexico last
summer, Maj. Davis scouts carried five
days rations on their lacks and took the
trails where pack-trains could not go.
Some of u scouts were mere boys of II,
and they would run off with all that load
on their backs, when the white men had
to be helped to carry their own rations.
They have been known to travel 100
miles in thirty hours, overa rough noun
famous country in the b%roiling sun, and
one young officer that attempted to fol-
low them last summer became com
pletely exhausted in five hours and had
to be helped back to the cavalry company
by two of the Indians. Whent the cavalI
mans horse dropped on the ira
would have to go on foot, and whet%&
began to stumble and slip from fatigSe
the scout would be at his side, and carry
luS DOIl ullSlI guns, MOulu ClllleufOI "
help his white comrade along. Sim
' pie as q chilli, he never forgets a
friend or an enemy, and one good
turn done him will be amply rewarded in
the shape of deer meat or anything he
thinks will please the other.
Although the scouts do all their serv-
ice in the mountains on foot they are
very fond Of riding, and always make
good use Of any captured stock they may
get hold of. -Four companies were paid
off and discharged in Fort Bowie in De-
tober, and the sutler and an e%nterprising
ranchman did u rushing business for a
few days. From the suffers store, each
with a new saddle, down to a herd OF
young brOncho horses, there was a con-
stants stream of Indians. In an hour or
so they would have their horses broken
and be riding to camp on q run, with
fancy ribbons streaming from their
horses and heads. At this time there
were fourteen squaws and fourteen chill
dren prisoners, captured from the hos
tiles at different times during the sum
mer, and it was a strange sight to see the
C%hiricahua scouts buying calico -
trinkets for the prisoners, captured Ii
some cases by themselves ARIZONA Cor.
Chicago Times.
IAnAWVfn nTtIsnAg. -