Richland beacon., 1888-10-20
FACTS ABOUT SCOUTS.
Not rs Portrayed In Dime Novels, Eul
as They Are Found In Reality.

[ "''''' SOH' ~ -hauONcv IN the PH!ldCl
Phla IreSI Is very picturesque kinl
fellow. thoroughly reckless. a dea,
shot. the propr e,or of varied se.ac
ton OF scalps and showing in hi, mora
Character that combination OF .hail
angel and half Luc.fer" OF which .Joa.
/ quin Miller delights 10 sing. Like sam
son OF old. his strength is in hi, hair
and his long flowing locks are the ad.
mlraIion Of frontier women and tho
envy OF frontier men. He is always
/ clad in buckskin. fl ngei and STAMPED
with groteSque designs, while his How
/ NJ locks are surmouutcd with 4 SOM
| brero that it would take three davs Ia
| walk round the brim. Such is the east
ern conception; now for southwestern
realt;.
The United States scout in active
Service wears his hair CT short. in
solder fashion, because he has TO sleep
on the ground for weeks 1T q time. ami
II he wore long and flowing locks they
| would give hIm cOnsi ierable trouble
oy aliordinga a cnoice var ETY. Of insects
refuge and dwelling place. Tnen
again outside Of some town in which
theJ wanted with 4 pardonable vanity
TO show OF, never saw one of them N
buckskin suit. Ii is too warm in
summer and not warm enough in VIM
Ter. Ilc scout is Il good shot but
thai IS virtue he shares in common
with nearl; 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 for his dash.
ng ar and reckless bravery. but for
The only quality in demand with army
officers, his thorough knowledge OF the
country IN which tho troops are TO op-
crate. and especially of the bes, camp.
ing grounds, the distance from water
10 water e. point on which the lives
OF the command often depend and II
power TO shorten marches BIZ his nc
dlalntance w.lh short cuts thrOuoh
mountains and over morasscs. Ii he
knows the Spanish language so much
the better AMI II he can speak a little
Apache better still. but these latter ac.
complishments are of minor impor-
lance 10 4 thorough knowledge of the
country.
United States army scouts NAV be
divided into two c.asscs-white men.
who rank as chief of scouts, and In
dian scouts. who are organized rs mill
tary companies Tile white scouts are
usually men who have been cmpIoves
OF The San Carlos and Mcsca!ero
Apache Reservation or Indian agencies.
ihey are. from constant association
with the Indians, well acquainted with
Their character and habits and fire..
qnentiy speak little Apache. The
Apaches. with few exceptions, speak
Spanish, and 1t is usually The language
they use IN commun eating with The
Indian agent and the employees of the
agencr. A white man who makes him.
self useful 10 the Indians by dong
them little favors is in tine, taught
ITO read signs
y scout who can read siga" can tell
you b. examining trail over VIII ch
horses have passed if they were ridden
or led. and il both. the numb ridden
and the number led. Even when shod |
he can tell whether the horses were
or Mexican. If the trail be |
made b. men on foot he can tell if il !
be an Indian trail or simply the ira I
~ MeXicans wearing moccasins. In
hostile party he can tell by the trail /
how many are bucks and how MANY |
are squaws and children. aud so on |
over field of observation as extensive
AS interesting.
The scout thus qualified finds no
iiiii Guilty in obtaining employment in
.he southwest. where Apache outbreaks
are almost Of yearly occurrence. He is
Engaged. subject 10 the approval of the
OF the district or depart.
Mex. co is a military Il ;.
r ct. while Arizona is a mjltar, de-
a salary of Sl2O a month
md rat on for his horse. He pro-
tides his own arms anil ammunition.
md ignores the Government Spring.
ield ride for the improved Winchester,
10 caliber repeating rifle. From his
'ay he has to provide for his rat ions.
md he messes with the officers when
n post, or when outside with the COM
nand.
The Indian scout companies are en-
lsted from the good" Indians on the
eserva,ions. About thirty men form
COMPANY which is placed under the
ommand OF Lieutenant of the regu-
al arms with whom is associated n
hiei of scouts who acts as the med um
4 communication between the officer
nd his command. About six soldiers,
s measure Of precautiOn against
Dutiny. are attached TO each com.
any of scouts. The period of service
{ an Ind an scout is only six months.
unless sooner d scharged.' and he is
aid thirty dollars a month. His rifle
provides his ration. as the ,
.pache detests army bacon. preferring ,
ven the abandoned carcass of an army
luc. Z
The Indian scout companies are not
opular on the frontier. They are /
onsidered to be only training schools
'r the hosiiIes. and rs some of the /
lost desperate of The Apaches have l
cen scouts. such as Bonita and
hatto. the antipathy of the frontiers
zen is not altogether without reason. {
hc fact that the Indian scouts of the {
overumeut are without un form adds .
} the annoyance OF the people of the S
ontier who, except they see the In i
ans accompanied by a white man.
m not tell them from hostiles. The =
'ly thing distinctively worn by the
ldian scout outside the Government
1T that carries his ammunition to
him. is red handkerchief
,und around his head. The frontiers L
Ell argue that red bandkerchiefs are Z
common that no Indian. hostile or I
1, tx,