The Washington times., 1901-10-15
APACHE PRISONERS OF War
Many Excellent Qualities Display
ed During Captivity.

Captnin Sayre Reviews Their Condi-
tiOns in General Nerrinm's Re
port of the Department of Mis-
souri-CnIisthenics for Soldiers.
The annual report of Brig. Gen. Henry
c. Merriam. commanding the Department
of Missouri. with headquarters at Omaha.
Neb., in which special attention Is paid to
the development of the soldier. was made
public yesterday by the AdjutaRt General.
The department includes the following
posts: Fort Crook, Neb. jefferson Bar
racks, Mo; Fort Leavenworth. Kan;
Fort Logan II. Roots, Ark; Fort Niobra-
ra, Neb.; Fort Reno, l. T.: Fort Riley,
Kan; Fort Robinson, Neb. Fort Sill,
Okla, and Camp at Fort Gibson. /. T.
In his report General Merriam says:
Schemes for lyceum work submitted
by post commanders indicated a laudable
desire to keep abreast of the times in pro-
fessiOnal study. However, owing to the
scarcity of officers and the many and va
ried duties falling to those present, Cen
eral Lee, who had succeeded me as de-
partment commander. suspended the ly-
ceum work on January for the remain
der of the season. The non-cOmmissiOned
officers and post schools and gymnastic
exercises were not suspended.
1t is expected that gymnastic calls
thenic. and setting-lp exercises, includ-
ing bayonet exercise for infantry and sa-
bre exercise for cavalry, and including
the elementary school of horsemanship
for all mounted troops, will be practiced
constantly and with careful attention to
details to ensure maximum benefits in the
bearing and dexterity of the troops
In this connection reference is made
to the manual prepared by Lieut.. L. l..
Butts, Twenty-first Infantry, published
and issued to the army.
ITO encourage and promote a high de-
gree of proficiency in the exercises, post
commanders are authorized to devote ole
day each month to testing the proficiency
Of organizations as entire units. and a
prize may be offered to the organization
exhibiting the highest degree of calls
themes and other training within the lin
its of the drill regulations and Butts
Manual At posts garrisoned by only one
company, piatoons may compete as units
"All officers are enjoined to exert them
selves to give variety and life to drills
and exercises Of all kinds. A troop or
company which has once achieved perfec-
ton does not tire of exercise in MAIN
tanning it any more than winning base
ball team wearies of training; and the
converse is equally true-an officer or
company that never wins is always weary
of drill"
Speaking of drills, General Merriam
says:
There is a notion too prevalent in the
army, especially among the older Off
GERS, that a soldier who has once learned
the details of the drill reguIations-the
mere mechanism Of tactical and calls
thentic exercises-nay he excused from
drill without detriment, forgetting that
bodies of men can maintain the power of
collective action only by frequent collec-
tive practice, even iE this simplest exer-
cises. A high degree of perfection in col
lective execution may admit of shorten
ing the drill hour but shoCi;: aSver JUS
tify its omission, nor should the ordinary
post administration be permitted to de-
plete the ranks at drills and exercises.
When, under the discretionary authority
given in paragraph lSS, Army Regula-
tons OF 1871, the ranks are depleted to
less than 50 per cent, it is, think, a
manifest abuse of discretion. And this
often happens. No soldier of the line
should be habitually excused from any
drill or exercise"
The following reference to work among
the Indians is contained in the report:
Under telegraph Instructions from the
War Department dated January q. 1901,
Troop a, Eighth Cavalry, under com
mand of Lieut.. H. 3. Dixon. Eighth Cav |
airy left Fort Reno on the following day |
to act in conjunction with the Indian /
agent ard United States marshal in
law ard order reported to !
be threatened by several sections each of |
about fifty armed Snake Indian outlaws. |
and terroriZing the people |
between Eufaula and Wetumka, |
and between Deep Fork and South Ca |
1adian River, etc. The troop is stin in !
he field on the above duty, with its main |
amp at old Fcrt Gibson, Indian Territory. |
t is now commanded By Capt T. q Dom |
ildson, jr.. Eighth Cavalry.
with the above exception, there has |
,een no call for use of troops on account |
If Indian disturbances within the depart |
nent. Attention is invited to the report |
If Capt Fauand sayre. Eighth Cavalry
Appendix L-upon the conduct and condi- !
ion of the Apache prisoners of war under
lis charge at Fort sin.
My thanks are due TO all officers of this
department. for uniform good conduct and
or Jealous ana constant attention to all |
iuties prescribed or required of thara and
% each officer Of the department staff
am especially indebted for indefatigable
md efficient labor in the administration
# the affairs of he departments in his
,harge."
Capt. Farrand Sayre. in charge OF
Apache prisoners of war. in his annual
eport TO General Merriam. which is en-
,raced in the latter's report. says:
fuFVnfT FNnsH TT
4 the progress and industrial condition |
II the Apache prisoners OF war under my
.harge. In the summer of 1900 these In
lians had $50 acres of land under cultiVa-
ion. and as favorable rains fell excel
ent crops were raised. About half OF this
and was sowed with millet. and about
700 tons Of millet was harvested which
was fed to the cattle during the winter. |
The remaining half was cultivated By the
Apachos for their own use and was de-
voted chiefly to Indian corn. About $500
bushels of corn was raised, of which the
Apaches sold the greater part, ate part
themselves. fed some Of 1t to their po-
lies and saved the rest for seed.
They also raised watermelOns, canta-
oupes, sweet potatoes. Irish potatoes,
jepper, string beans, lima beans, and
PEANUTS in small patches. and generally
them themselves. They also
,ut and baled and scld to the quartermas-
er at Fort Sill 100000 pounds OF nay. and
,ut and baled for their ponies 100000
In the autumn the Apaches cut 1000
ence posts and hauled them to this post
rom the wood reservation, a distance of |
twenty-five miles. They built ten miles OF
-ence on the boundary line of the militia
y reservation. thus leaving the eastern
md southern boundary lines of the reser-
yation completely protected by good
ence
There were also fenced three new en-
.losures containing about 100 acres each,
which are used as a feed lot, a horse
md hTn n he l