The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1888-10-10
ARMY SCOUTS.
MEN WHO AID THE MILITARY
IN DANGEROUS SERVICE.
The Dime Novel Scout and the Gen.
uine One-A Life Of Hard
ships White and In
dian Scouts.

scalps, and showing in his moral charac-
ter that combination of 'half angel and
half Lucifer' of which Joaquin Miller
likes to sing. Like Sampson of cid, bis
strength is in his hair, and his long
flowing locks are the admiration of from
tier women and the envy OF frontier
rnen. He is always clad in buckskin,
frirged aud stamped with grotesque
designs, while his flowing locks are sur.
mounted with a sombrero that would
take three days to walk around the brim.
Such is the Eastern conception; now
for Southwestern reality.
The United States scout in active ser.
vice wears his hair cut short, in soldier
fashion, because he has to sleep on the
ground for weeks at time, and if he
wore long and flowing locks they would
give him considerable trouble by afford
ing a choice variety of insects refuge
and dwelling place. He has no collec.
ton of scalps. In FIVE years experience,
during which met nearly every scout of
note in New Mexico and in Arizona, I
never found one of them with single
scalp except his own. Then again, out
side of some town in which they wanted
with pardonable vanity to show of. l
never saw one of them in buckskin
suit. It is too warm in summer, and
not warm enough in winter. The scout
is good shot, but that is virtue he
shares in common with nearly every
man and boy on the frontier.
There is very little romance, but
plenty of hardship about the life of a
scout. He is not selected fer his dash.
! ing airs and reckless bravery, but for
the only quality in demand with army
! officers, his thorough knowledge of the
country in which the troops are to
operate, and especially of the best
camping grounds, the distance from
water to water IA point on which
the lives of the command often de.
pend) and his power to shorten
marches with short cuts through
mountains and over morasses. If he
knows the Spanish language, so much
! the better, and If he can speak q little
Apache, better still, but these latter &C.
complishments are of minor importance
to thorough knowledge of the country.
United States army scouts may be di-
vided into two classes; white men, who
rank as Chief of Scouts, and Indian
scouts, who are organized as military
companies. The white scouts are
usually men who have been employees
of the San Carlos and Mescalero In
dian reservations, or Indian Agencies.
They are, from constant association with
! the Indians, well acquainted with their
character and habits, and frequently
speak a little Apache. The Apaches,
with few exceptions, speak Spanish, and
that is usually the language they use
! in communicating with the Indian
agents and the employees of the agency.
A white man who makes himself useful
! to the Indians by doing them little
favors is in tine taught ''to read sign"
This may be said to complete the educa-
ton of Chief Of Scouts. 1t would be
beyond the scope of newspaper article
! to describe how "sign' is read, nor
! would anything save practical demon
stration convey any comprehensive idea
to the reader. A scout who can read
"sign" can tell You by examining trail
over which horses have passed, if they
were ridden or led, and if both, the
numbers ridden and led. Even wheh
shod he can tell whether the horses were
American or Mexican. If the trail be
made by men on foot, he can tell if it be
an Indian trail, or simply the trail of
Mexicans, wearing mocasins. In hos
tile party, he can tell how many are
sauaws and children, and so on over q
field of observation as extensive as in
teresting.
The scout thus qualified finds no diff
Guilty in obtaining employment in the
Southwest, where Apache outbreaks are
: of almost yearly occurrence. He is en-
gagged, subject to the approval of the
, Commander OF the District or Depart
! ment-New Mexico is military dis
trict, while Arizona is military depart
ment-at salary of 1920 month and
a ration for his horse. He provides his
own arms and ammunition. aad ignores
the Government springfield rifle for the
improved Winchester, 4j caliber, re-
peating rifle From his pay he has to
/ provide for his rations, as he messes with
: the officers when in post, or when out
! side with ommand.
The Indian scout companies are en-
listed from the good Indians on the
reser, ations. About thirty men from a
company, which is placed under the
! command Of q Lieutenant OF the regular
army, with whom is associated Chief
! of Scouts who acts as the medium of
communication between the o hcer and
his command. About six soldiers, as
measure of precuution against mutiny,
are attached to each company Of scouts.
The period of service Of an Indian scout
is ONLY six months, ''unleSs sooner dis
! charged" and he is paid $50 month.
His rifle generally provides his ration,
as the Apache dete,ts army bacon, pre-
ferring even the abandoned carcass of an
army niue.
The Indian scout companies are not
popular on the frontier. They are con-
sidered to be only training schools for
the hostiles, and as some of the most
desperate Of the Apaches have been
scouts, such as Bonito and Chatto. the
antipathy of the frontersmen is not al
together without foundation. The fact
that the Indian scouts of the Govern
ment are without uniform, adds to the
annoyance OF the people of the frontier,
who, except they see the Indians &C.
companicd by white man, cannot tell
them from hostlles. The only thing
distinctively worn by the Indian scout,
outside the Government belt that car
ries his ammunition, to distinguish him,
is q red handkerchief bound round his
head. The frontiersmen argue that red
handkerchiefs are so common that no
I,a;,n hnnt;la or othnrWisn need be