The National tribune. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1877-1917, 1897-07-08
FIGHTING THEM OVER
What the Veterans Have to Say
About Their Campaigns.
QuELLED The RESURRECTION.

QUELLED The RESURRECTION.
Regular Tells sshreezy story of an India,
Uprising in the '7O's.
EDITOR NATIONAL TRIBUNE: The In
dams on the reservation at Camp Apache
Ariz revolted Jan. %, 1875, and, led by /.
petty chief called Diablo, attacked the post
The garrison was composed of two companies
OF the 9th U. S. and two troops of the 6tf
U. S. Cav, under the senior Captain, FREQ
d. Ogilby of the 9Th.
DiablO was Captain of the company d
Apache scouts attached to the post and al
though his real rank and pay was that of q
Sergeant, he wore Captains full-dress coat
shoulder-straps and all but az he had the
Indians antipa:hy to trousers, and neither
wore headgear of any kind, he did not pre-
sent SO gorgeous spectacle as he otherwise
might.
Diablo had been much petted by the Off
GERS, and familiarity had bred contempt in
his bosom for "los Americanos." He had
openly boasted that but for him the soldiers
could not stay at Camp Apache an hour.
He had demanded quarters in officers row
and wife like the Quartermasters, a very
handsome woman. He had no doubt what
ever that the Great Father" furnished
wives as well as quarters to his soldiers; and
wasn't he Captain, and didn't he command
company of soldiers? And better soldiers
than these gringos with the white faces they
| were, he thought.
Then it had came to pass that Capt. Diablo
was kicked out OF his quarters one day when
that doughty warrior had been more than
usually obstreperous. Then Diablo had
made tizwin, lots Of it, and invited every
buck on the reservation to come and get
| drunk. 1t takes about gallon of Irwin to
! make an Apache drunk, but once thoroughly
"soaked" he is drunk for week. "Hell
hath no fairy" like drunken Indian.
The Indians on this reservation were of
many sub-trihes, though all Apaches. There
were TOntos, Sierra Biancos and Haulipais,
| and though they lived in comparative peace
while sober, when intoxicated they fought
like demons, and some had been killed during
every tizwin spree On this occasion, how
ever, they united under Diablo, who prom
ised them plenty Of plumber if they would
| aid him in taking the post-a feat which
would be easily accomplished He had 60
soldiers armed with 5O-caliber Springfield
muskets and plenty of cartridges. There
were only 200 white men in the post What
were they against q thousand? So on they
came.
/ was in the corral when the attack was
made, and was completely cut off from the
quarters, but, remembering that the Quarter
master saddler had his quarters in the corral,
| ran in and seized his rife and thimble belt
and started for the rear Of the corral. There
the Indians had gathered and were firing
into the laundress's quarters" Soapsnds
Row." The women and children were run
ming about frantically, and the soldiers
were swarming out Of their log shanties.
First Sergeants went roaring about Shouts
of Fall in, Co. Kl" Fall in, Co. D!"
For Gods sake, men, hurry" reached my
ears as threw a cartridge into the new Is
and looked for mark.
Directly in front of me, and not 200 yards
away, was Diablo. He had dsmouni ed, and
was firing over the back of his pony into the
ranks of Co. E, 9Th Inf, as that company de-
ployed as skirmishers under its First Ser
geant, John Hosey. Holding my rife againct
post / drew a fine bead on Diablo's red
flannel headband, aud Let him have it,. The
shot struck the pony and killed it. Load
ing again fired at the chief and dropped
him.
In a moment he was surrounded by his
bucks and carried off, This attracted tho
attention Of the Indians to myself, and they
came for me. thought it good time to
60 to the rear and rally. l went fast, and
didn't stop till l stood beside Long Barney
Moran, my First Sergeant, on the skirmish-
line
Bedad. there's goin' to be a bit Of
fight, as shure as I'm a dough-boy," said
Barney.
Dablo being out Of the fight, the Indians
seemed to lose heart and fell back slowly
and got into the chaperral that covered the
side of the mountain. While feeling for
them through this cover, almost fell over
a redskin crouched behind big juniper
bush. My heart made a desperate plunge
to get out through my mouth as l brought
the rifle down aud pulled the trigger. 1t
did not 90 off, for had forgotten to cock it.
The Indian proved to be of the female per-
suasion, and was trying TO find her buck.
She had a camp-ket.le filled with mescal
and 50-caliber cartridges.
] had captured the enemy's ammunition
train. turned her over to the command
ing officer. 1t has been denied that Diablo
was killed on that occasion: But this much
no one can deny: He was shot early in the
fight; he was never seen or heard of after
that day, and that is % years ago.
Barney MOran's pig was killed in that
row, and Barney salted it down, all but the
tail, which he saved and had condemned by
board of survey, and drew new pig.
Mother Weber, the ranking laundress, had
the heel Of her Government shoe shot off in
sortie to save her weeks wash from the
line. Shaking her red fist at the Indians
she shrieked:
Zach, du furdamder doodlesachfifers;
ober you come down here / schald you NIT |
hot water!"
hope when the Secretary of War sees
this he will at once send me the medal of |
honor. :, may refer him to First Sergeant |
Bernard Moran and Corpl John Herman,
now doing the ohum cum dignitate act at the |
Soldiers Home, Washington, d. G. If a |
soldier who, single-handed, killed the Com
mandsr- Chief and captured the ammuni- |
tion-train isn't entitled to the medal, who |
is?
was "mere Regular" / know, who
served in times of peace -" fea,her-b bed |
soldier" What soft times we had away back |
in the bloody 70s, when We marched the grim
circuit of the Bad Landsand had fight every
day! What picnics we had on the Yellow
stone, the Little Big Horn, and the Repub-
lican, aud how we enjoyed ourselves on
foot-scouts in Arizoua!-WM. GURNETT, Co.
K, 9th U. S., Fall River Mass.
HISTORY rs SHE IS WRIT"