The Brunswick times. [volume] (Brunswick, Ga.) 188?-1900, 1897-04-18

OF marauding, scalping fends, the bad
remnants Of the once mighty and pic
turesque tribe. The campaigns Of 1879
and Of 1886 each opened with tragedy
of the kind SO mournfully common on
the plains--the useless sacrifice of gall
liant soldiers worthy Of a sublimer fate
The victim of 1871 was Lieutenant
Howard B. Gushing, Third cavalry, the
last Of trio of brothers whose deeds in
another age and land would have won
them rank in the order of knighthood.
At the time of the fierce outbreak in
the spring of 1871 Gushing was contin-
ually in the saddle among the noun
tains Riding into Bear Springs canyon
one day at the head of 90 men, he fell
into an ambush laid by the famous
Cocheis, one Of the chiefs Of the Chirica-
hua Apaches. As usual, Gushing showed
fight and made stand until the Indians
swalmed into the canyon in his rear.
Then, facing part of his men about, he
charged back to open q road of escape
The willy Apaches gave proof of their
respect for the doughty Indian slayer by
keeping at distance SO long as he re-
manned in the saddle. The death of sew
eral of his men gave them no encourage
ment, but when at last he fell they
charged the remaining troopers and
nearly annihilated the command Co
chefs, the leader of this attack, became
celebrated among his people for this ex-
plot, and the tribe went on the warpath
partly through fear of the white mans
vengeance and partly to win more glory
The entire Apache nation either took
up arms or encouraged the outbreak by
giving it sympathy, and when General
Crook arrived on the scene to suppress
with ordinary means the widest savages
that ever roamed the plains old from
tiersmen smiled at the credulity of the
government and the army. The Apache
is not only equal to the cleverest of his
savage brethren III the wiles and tricks
of warfare, but has the habits and en-
durance of q veritable wild man. In the
semitropical climate of his habitat his
garb need be but little more than nature
gave him. His food of jerked meat and
parched cornmeal is carried on his per-
son, and if that gives out he can live on
the cactuses growing abundantly along
the trail. He had the run of L. 600 miles
of hill and plain, of which he knew ev-
cry foot Of ground and every water hole.
On the warpath each brave is supplied
with three to five ponies and thinks
nothing of making 20 miles a day
against 30 of the best equipped cavalry.
Besides i'll Arizona i'll 1871 there were
settlements along the trail to supply
food and horsefesh, and all to be had for
the asking under brandished toma-
hawk.
Crook defeated the Apachcs in two
battles, and those victories, gained by
two attachments out of the many afield,
broke the fighting spirit of the nation.
All of the distinct tribes went on res
ervation promising to learn the white
mans ways and industries.
One band evaded the touch of Crooks
discipline-that is, they missed the
sting of the thrashing and paid little or
no attention to the lessons which fol
lowed. These We're the Chiricahuas, led
by Cocheis, the willy, wiry, but stately
and magnificent heather who had butch
cred Cushing. The Chiricahuas were
exempted from Crooks jurisdiction and
We're never conquered. They sneaked on
to the reservation when they needed
food or clothing or ammunition and
made off again when under the impulse
for plumber or blood. One day in 1882
the whole band of over 700 souls set out
for the Sierra Madre mountains in Mex
leo, and i'll crossing southern Arizona
left behind the usual trail of smoldering
embers and scalpless heads. Crook was
recalled to the field by the cries of the
frightened settlers and ''friendlies, "
who nicllnamed him affcctionately the
cold Gray Fox" but before he had
time to organize the soldiers for their
deliverance Il numbering band of Chiri-
cahuas sailed from their Sierra Madre
stronghold, dashing through Sonora,
Arizona and New Mexico ON a circuit
of over 500 miles, slaughtering or carry
ing away captive Mexican and Ameri-
can alike The Chiricahuas on this raid
of March, 1888, numbered but 26 braves
and were led by the successor of Cocheis,
young chief of superior intellect and
unusual daring named Chato. The cam
paign, which ended i'll few weeks i'll
the return to the reservation of every
male, squaw and child of the Chirica-
huas, stands unparalleled in border his
tory. Crook enlisted 200 Apache scouts
and placed at their head Captain Emmett
Crawford, Cushing's former comrade of
the Third cavalry. Other detachments
of soldiers took their stations along the
border, but the scouts, accompanied by
Crook and 43 white soldiers, pushed on
the back trail to the savage lair in the
Sierra Madre mountains The Indian
camps one by one fell under skillful at
lacks planned while the braves were
absent raidipg i'll the Mexican settle
mentS. The scattered war parties re-
turned to find their enemies masters of |
the situation