The Camden chronicle. (Camden, Tenn.) 1890-current, 1896-02-28

An Arizona Tribe in The United
States Service.
They are Invaluable in Subduing
Indian Uprisings


dams employed as a body Of fighting
men by tho UnitedStates Government
the White Mountain Apache scouts.
The United States has called into
requisition the services of some 300
trained Indians, who have within the
last five years proven invaluable IN
subduing uprisings IN different Indian
reservations At various times the
Government has employed special In
dian police, aud individual Indians
have served in the army on important
scouting duty, but the utili-
cation Of the good part Of a whole
tribe, trained to modern arms and
tactics is a comparatively new depart
ure. Aside from the Apaches, the
only other instance on record Is that
of two companies Of Sioux Indians
attached to the United States Army
post at Salt Lake City.
The Apaches are one Of the most
barbarous aud warlike Indian tribes
In North America and until recently
have not been amenable to the in
huence Of civilization. They are re-
lated to the great Shoshone or Pacific
Coast Indians, a branch whose trench
cry and cruelty are additionally
famous among all Western Indians
The Apaches are at present divided
into the White Mountain Apaches and
the Mesculeros. The latter tribe, now
headed by the treacherous old San
Juan, was formerly a band Of desper-
ADDE'S, led by the well-known Geroni-
mo and the Apache ''Kid." The
Apaches are a naturally vicious peo-
pie, and while they are capable of re-
ceiying a moderate degree of educa-
ton, are totally unfit afterward for
any other pursuit than wandering
over the plains in armed bands. Even
under thorough military education
they are unable to fight other than in
their own methods of warfare. They
learn the manuel of arms and field
maneuvers without any difficulty and
are drilled to fire by platoons, but
when it come to the actual fighting
they can operate 20 greater advantage
if left to their own devices and in
herent trlckery.
Their usual dress is a native woven
cotton cloth shirt and turban to
match, close-ftting "pants" and buck
skin boots. In fighting trim they
discard everything but the turban,
boots and a ioin cloth. Thus cos
tuned and equipped, with a repeating
rife and cartridge belt, they make a
desperate and dangerous antagonist.
The Territory of Arizona contains
stretches of the most unproductive
soil in the country, but the Apaches,
muscular of limb and hardy by nature,
thrive under its semi-tropical sun.
An Apache's powers of endurance are
phenomenal. They have been known
to go two whole days, running, fight
ing and retreating, without tasting q
mouthful of food or a drop of water.
A band of l, 900 Apaches could wear
the life out of an ordinary army in a
month. They fight in squads of
twenty or thirty, scattered out over
the plains and concealing themselves
behind a small stone or clump of sage
brush that would scarcely hide q
child. They can shoot right or left
handed, either in a crouching atti-
tude, rolled up into ball or stretched
fiat in a shallow "arroyA." a ditch
washed out of the soil during the
rainy season.
From this ambuscade they make fol-
the foothills, where they ensconce
themselves in gulches and fire on theil
pursuers with deadly effect. They are
as fleet of foot as a broncho, being
able to outwind horse over the
parched plains. Apache messenger
between government stations fire.
quently cover a distance Of twenty
five miles in less than three hours
and know how to elude the terrif,
sandstorms that sweep the deser
tracts in the vicinity of the Gila noun
tains. In mountain climbing they are
like chamois, jumping from ledge t.
ledge with the greatest ease and agil