Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1902-05-13

hcroism. Z is an inspiring record. Th,
deadly winter ut Valley Forge, thu
splendid march to the sea, or any on
of those ofGaung victories over peri
and privatlU and despair have beer
paralleled II spirit hundred times by
the tiny Eafasons Of the lonely out.
posts on the Frontier. from the Sioux
country to the desert home of the Ton
tos and ChIrEahuas These perform
ances have bAel on a smaller scale, OF
course. ana With no magnificent end ii
view whose attainment would win {
nations lasting era titude: indeed, more
often than not the best victories
brought only aCh4rse comment from
official Washingta and from the
country at large. Properly understood
that makes the courage Of it all the
greater. Almost any man is willing tC
, dare big risks in tines of emotional
'eNaltatinn and when he is sure OF
sounding applause; but he must be a
real hero who viii resist in his duty
in the face of certun misiudgment
That was largely thelistory of the In
dian wars on the Amehcan border.
Within few years lie frontier has
disappeared. In its original meaning
it is now no more than memory. /.
was always a shifting line moving
be edward and forward psthe forces OF
civilization waxed and wated. In time
emigration and settlemen wiped II
away altogether. But no longer aeo
than fifteen years it was cry stern
reality, big with countless difficulties
So far as actual peril to l;Ie was con
cerncd. the Indian was thel9t;ac sac-
tor in the problem. 1t was plo thing
to make official treaty and decree
providing that the barbaridnsA should
abide on narrow reservatiOnssd Their
own ana behave themselves lile gentle
men: it was another thing - make
them do it. That was what the army
of the border had to accomplish
Police duty" it was called in Nash
| ington. with an offhand disregaiI OF
| the real nature Of the taSk-aS thouI
! ii amounted to no more than the 3er-
4 functory discipline Of a lot OF ne
/ sponsible folk out for holiday. ReAay
| it was a warfare of the hardest sortN
The army was pitifully small arf y
equipped. Its numerical strength ".
no greater than that of a single il
significant tOwn--iust q few thin reg
I ments Of cavalry ana infantry strur
4 out i'll meagre handfuIs along the lin
from Canada to Mexico more ofte
| living on the sands or amongst Il
4 tangles of hills under the open slE
wholly isolated from aid in the day {
Ineed and from every softening iufluenC
of civilization. The duty of these fe
men, scattered over the wide WASTE
of the West, was 10 keep the peace b;
tween the savages and the eager Sc
Tiers and freighters of the trails.
was a two-edged obligation: for IL
bloodthirstiness Of the Indians w
often offset by the unreasoning gres
and effrontery of the whites
There was Camp Grant for example.
the Santa Catalina country Of Arizon
Imagination never conjured up a dreiri
picture than was made by that post
, the early seventies. when the war ";
on with the maraudtng Apaches. 1t ".
in the very heart of the SouthweStel
Desert From horizon to horizon W
only an open expense of glaTing san
with here and there low red hill III
ting above the level. like a blister rais
by the tOrrid sun. There was suppos
! to be a river near-by-the Ar1vaypa: b
/ ii was only a deluSion, mere thread
= tepid water erImN and alkaline. T
, country knew nothing Of trees: its on
vegetation was Scant covering Of parch