The Progress., 1897-06-26


ing, scnlPing
<~1N > lends, the bad
NvAs>1-E1 remnants of the
once mighty and
picturesque tribe. Tho campaigns Of 1879
and Of 1885 each opened with a tragedy of
the kind SO mournfully common on the
plains-the useless sacrifice of gallant SOL
diers worthy of a subllacr fate. The vic
tim of 1871 was Lieutenant Howard b.
Cushing, Third cavalry, the last of q trio
of brothers whose deeds in another age and
land would have won them rank in the or
der Of knighthood.
The first Cushing craved lone more
shot, at Pickett's column while he lay dy-
ing across the trail of he smoking cannon
on Cemetery Ridge; tho second destroyed
the rom Automatic, and Howard, 1t is be-
lieved on the border, killed more Apache
warriors in fair stand up fighting than any
other man in the United States army.
Certainly no savage ever trod the war
path more kcenly alert or more terrible in
his anger than young Cushing when he
rode ut the head of Troop F into Arizona
late In 1870 to protect he helpless settlers
from Indian atrocities, for he nursed with
In his heart memory only to be wiped
out In blood. The year before band of
Apachcs raiding across the mountains III
Texas had ambushcd Troop and killed
the boon comrade Of It's leader, Lieutenant
Yeaton, and from the day he entered Ari
zona until his death Lieutenant Cushing
was abroad on the scout running to earth
some lurking handful or giving open bat
tie to a whole band Of warriors. At the
time Of the fierce outbreak in the spring Of
1871 Cushing was continually In the sad
die among the mountains. Riding into
Bear Springs canyon ono day Mt the head
Of % men, he fell into an ambush laid by
the famous Cocheis, one Of the chiefs of
the Chiricahua Apaches. As usual, Cush-
ing showed fight and made stand until
the Indians swarmed into the canyon in
his rear. Then, facing Part Of his men
about, he charged back to open a road Of
escape. The willy Apaches gave proof Of
their respect for the doughty Indian slayer
by keeping at q 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 ut last he fell they charg-
cd the remaining troopers and nearly an
initiated the command. Cocheis, the lead
or of this attack, became celebrated among
his people for this exploit, and the tribe
we,.S ON the warpath partly through fear
OF the white mans vengeance and partly
10 win more glory.
The entire Apache nation either took up
arms or encouraged the outbreak by CIV
ing 1t sympathy, and when General Crook
arrived on the scene to suppress with or
binary means the widest savagcs that ever
roalned tho plains old fronticrsmen smiled
at the crcdulity of the government and the
army The Apache is not only equal to
the cleverest of his savage brethren in the
wiles and tricks of warfare, but has the
habits and endurance of 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 person, and If that gives out he can live
on the cactuses growing abundantly along
hot IL, Il <1>a Sc
of hill and plain, of which he knew every
foot of ground and every water hole On
the Warmth each brave is supplied with