The Redwood gazette. [volume] (Redwood Falls, Minn.) 1873-1940, 1890-04-24

regions 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 ella
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 theater of operations thus family
outlined, as we'll as adjacent portions of
the immense Territory of Arizona, has
been for 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 1S7l-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 a portion of the Arivipa
Apaches were using Camp Grant as a
base of supplies and pushing their ma
rsuding 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 cavalry officer: I'VE have a
horror of them that you feel for ghost.
We never see them, but when on the
road are always looking over our shout
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 MUIR
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 of
their rations. Graceful, well-formed,
with legs of steel wire, light and active
as cat, the Apache on the rocky hill
side is unapproachable, and to fight
to be attacked with skill and great
caution at gray dawn in his bivouac far
up among the rocks. Many surprise
has been effected by night marches
against natural fortresses absolutely
unassailable in the daytime by any
number of men, and where, if the In
dams had discovered the ascending col
umns, even in the night they could have
repulsed them with great slaughter.
AS first step in the campaign, the
commanding General directed that all
warriors receiving rations should be
counted every day at place to be Sc
lected, within five miles of the post.
In order that the officer detailed for this
delicate and dangerous duty might be
able to identify and keep record of the
young men, metal tag stamped with a
number was issued to each Indian of
fighting age. Many of the Indians re-
ceived the order with sullen dissatis-
faction, because, if carried out, it check
mated their rovings. Seated on their
heels in increasing concentric circles in
front of the General, the crouching atti-
tude and the steady glare of their bril-
liant bead-like eyes made them resem-
BILE snakes coiled ready to strike, and it
was plain that when opportunity offered
they would resist by the most deadly
means this effort to scotch them.
The next day the cavalry officer de-
tailed rode out four miles from the post,
accompanied by one orderly, to meet the
young savages and make the first count.
The officer selected was one who had
seen considerable service and fighting,
but he subsequently confessed that he
would have been glad to exchange the
duty assigned him for a detail to lead a
forlorn hope over breastwork.
However, he had been told by the
General that it was undesirable to send
. force on the duty, as some of the war
riors might become alarmed, and in
their ignorance make trouble, and that
the object was to give the Indians fail
chance. So out he rode, with his heart
In his throat, feeling pretty confident