Savannah courier. (Savannah, Tenn.) 1885-1979, 1890-05-01
PEgtILOUS BUSINESS.
How a Plucky Officer Counted In.
dians in Arizona.

N lOTluCu NY u lllt6
from Camp Verde eastward to tho White
Mountains, south to the San Carlos, con-
tinued westward to Camp Mcdowell,
and thence north to the point first
named, would contain fifteen thousand
square miles of rocky mountain-peaks,
deep canyons, heavily-wooded mountain
streams and dark pine forests. Here
and there beautiful little valleys and
parks are found, each an isolated oasis,
and it is in this isolation and the inter-
wening barriers that the peculiar diff
culties of the region for campaigning
purposes are discovered.
After incredible upward toll along the
zigzag trail the scouting party reaches
the sharp rocky ridge, whence the al.
most precipitous descent begins to the
pleasant camp ground far below, and it
is plainly seen from the commanding
height that the beautiful grassy plain
is of very limited extent, and
shut in on all sides by almost
impracticable mountains Thus are an
icipations of rest and refreshment
somewhat dashed by the prospect of the
X
climbing struggle to begin again at
daybreak. In most wild mountain
the narrow BERNIE on the edge
of streams, or the bed of the stream it
self is the only passable route, but here
the mountain torrents that pour out in
every direction from the great ranges
pass for the most part through dark
precipitous box canyons which cut off
communications between the parks,
strung together like beads by the pure,
clear, deep streams, and all who would
penetrate the mountain ranges must do
SO by painfully climbing their rugged
sides.
In this Apache paradise many varieties
of climate are found. From the cool
shade of the pine forests on the BLACK
Mesa to the burning sandy wastes that
form the valleys of the Salt and Gila
rivers, one passes from one extreme to
the other, but would prefer rather to re-
main in the worst than encounter the
torture of a journey over the miles on
miles of confused and jumbled masses
of rocky mountain-peaks to reach the
better.
The theatcr of operations thus family
outlined, as we'll ss adjacent portions of
the immense Territory of Arizona, has
been Tor many years the scene of innu-
merable conflicts between the troops
and the many Apache tribes. A record
carefully compiled by the historian of
one of the cavalry regiments which took
its share of the sufferings and hardships
of the mountain scouting between the
years 1S71-75 shows that in that period
the regiment had ninety-seven combats
with the marauding savages
Early in the year 1872 it became evil
dent that portion of the Arivipa
Apaches were using Camp Grant as a
base of supplies and pushing their ma
rauding parties out in every direction
into the settled parts of the Territory.
The dread entertained by the settlers
for these marauders is best appreciated
when the character and mode of war
fare of the mountain tribes are under
stood. As an old wagon-master re-
marked to a cavalry officer: I'VE have a
horror of them that you feel for ghost.
We never see them, but when on the
fOdu dTe always lOOhlAiS ONtl Oul ohoui'
ders in anticipation. When they strike,
all we see is the flash of the rifle resting
with secure aim over pile of stones, " be-
hind which, like a snake, the red mur'
derer lies at full length.
All the Apaches are footmen, mountain
climbers. They will steal horses and
use them, but when driven into the
mountains the horses become a part ol
their rations. Graceful, well-formed
with legs of steel wire, light and active
as a cat, the Apache on the rocky hill
side is unapproachable, and to fgh
him, with any chance of success. he ha:
to be attacked with skill and grea
caution at gray dawn in his bivouac fal
up among the rocks. Many surprise
has been effected by night marches
against natural fortresses absolutely
unassailable in the daytime by anl
number of men, and where, If the \
dians had discovered the ascending .
umns, even in the night they could
repulsed them with great slaughte
As first step in the campai
commanding General directed
warriors receiving rations she
counted every day at place te
lected. within FIVE miles of tha
In order that the officer detaileS