The National tribune., 1902-12-11

were not at hand. These arms were to
great extent useless, so that the men de-
tailed for the important duty of guarding
the herd had to he furnished carbines care
fully selected from the number on hand.
Add to this that many of the men had sold
their revOlvers on the march, and that this
company of cavalry arrived to settle upon
a new camp without Surgeon, without
forage, and without beef cattle this was
supplied latter on), and we have the, to
say the least, remarkable fact before us
that here was a feeble garrison, INSULT
GENTLY armed, in an open camp surround
ed by mountain Businesses known to be the
regular haunts of several bands of the
most willy, active and fiendish Indians that
ever existed, meant to do scouting duty
and to protect their camp at the same
time with an available force of less than
| 10 men.
| The robbery of the herd we learned to
have occurred as follows: There being
no forage on hand, First Lieut.. Mcdonald
the only commissioned officer present, and
as such post commander, committed the
grave error of sending out to Craze all of
the cavalry horses, to the number of about
80, at the same time, together with such
mules as were not working with the
wagons and with the herd of cattle that
| had reached the place about the middle Of
May, numbering 100 head.
| AT the time of the attack the herd was
grazing about three miles from camp IAN
other imprudence) toward the south, on
the eastern border of the Upper San
Pedro, which was then, and is still, called
| by the Mexicans and Indians Babocamari
Greek. The grass here was very Iuxur-
iOus, and the creek, running between low
borders, offered every facility for crossing
and watering the stock.
On the morning of May 30 the Apaches
swOOped down in three bands. from the
east, south and west. Surrounded and
stampeded the herd with their yells and
swinging of blankets and lariats, and kill
ed one herder. Then they headed the
frightened animals toward the Huacbuca
Mountains, and were of like the wind.
The whole visible transaction had not Oc-
cupied more than five minutes. Serg't
Davis, who had been in charge of the herd
with, the other three uninjured herdars,
barely escaped being carried along in the
stampede. their frightened horses making
every effort toward joining the frantic con
nngent They ran to camp and reported
the disaster, by which Lieut.. Mcdonald
was so overcome as to fall into a trenl-
bling fit, rendering futile his efforts toward
loading his revolver He was soon there,
after ordered to Washington to explain
the catastrophe, unsuccessfuly, it soon ap-
peared, as his name disappeared from the
roster of U. S. commissioned officers.
There being no horses left wherewth to
undertake successful pursuit of the rob.
bers (Which would probably have proven
a futile undertaking at best. the garrison
was now again deprived of fresh meat
and on foot. a remount was, however
soon sent in charge of First Lieut.. and
Brevet Maj. Kinney, who replaced the for
mer commander.
OUR NEW CAMP ON THE UPPER SAN PEDRO
| RIVER.
Upon our arrival at this place in the
beginning of June. we found the new
camp under canvas. with the exception of
an old adobe building, which had been the
main feature of a former Mexican rancho
The walls of this large building Surround
ed spacious yard or corral they were
somewhat out of repair, but still showed
traces of former watch towers at the cor
ners. The fresh cavalry horses, a fine lot
were nightly driven into the inclosure and
fastened to long ropes. Brevet Maj. Brown
being the ranking officer, assumed com
mand. and soon displayed his particular
capacity for getting work out Of the men
The camp itself was situated upon a
plateau bounded on the east side by a
ravine. on the west by a low bottom