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

| grass and Il dusty abundance Of cactus
| sage brush and mesquite. The camp it.
self was no relief 20 the desolation: il
was only an ugly iectangle Of uglv r,1
| sheds, tediouSlY alike. grouped about !,
small plat Of sand, from which every YES
| tigc OF life had been trodden. That wa
| the parade. The name of the Third
| Cavalry is firmly linked to the name OF
Camp Grant: but II was not 4 regimen
| tai station. The consolidation of an Ell
| tire regiment at one border post was nos
to be thought Of. For most OF the time
there was no larger garrison than a
single Iroop and often less than that.
| Jhc hills around SWarmed with Apachea
| the most daring and desperate lot of VII
! lslns that ever ran toOt-loose in the viii
derness.
The trail from Kansas and Northern
New Mexico to the lower Pacific coast led
by Camp Grant; and, like all the Western
trails Of the early days. it was peopled
by Testles horde Of adventures, men
gathered from every walk Of life who had
drifted ont there for personal gain. The
traffic was all conducted by means of
wagon-trains hauled by oxen and mules.
Often the cargoes Of merchandise We're
OF great value, offering strong temptation
to the thieVing SaVdgeS who lurked along
the way. The freighters had no scruplcs
on their side concerning the business Of
killing, when to kill seemed eXpedient:
but they had a notion that the soldiers
We're there for the purpose of protecting
them, and made continual demands. Be
sides, the country Ill the near neighbor-
hood Of the post was slowly settling with
fooihardy fellows, who. with no clear
purpose. took up land and sought to make
for themselves homes. in defiance Of rea-
son and safety. Small herds Of sheep APP
peared on the plains, with a few cattle
and horses. The ApacheS could not let
them alone. Of course; it was daily oc-
CurTencG for band of them to slip down
upon A settlers claim, steal his stock
and drive it off. If the owner offered re-
Ii
follow. Usually he chose the safer part
of running into the post and lodging com
plant Then the soldiers We're in duty
bound to set out upon the trail Of the
thieves. regardless Of force of numbers.
tracking them into the heart of the
mountains, taking every desperate chance
mat offered for recovering the stolen
property and for administering sharp
correction. 1t is little short of miracu-
ious that they were ever successful; for
me Apaches knew the country in every
detail, ana invariably led the way into its;
most difficult Businesses They We're a
| tireless people, trained through genera
tons to physical endurance, able to sub
Sist upon the sparse growth of roots and
herbs picked up along the way, and cap
= Bile of going without water for long
fOurS under the burning sun. The sol
Ldiers were always more or less encum-
Iered with accoutrements and pack
rains, which sadly hindered their move
lents. The Indians practised their war
4It Oh Il DtlSlS bi i.tt SitstttSt SdLtlS ~
thTnsely es. To fight hand to hand in the
opsl WAS altogether contrary to their tra-
dlt1p: instead. theN Skulked amongst the
lochs stripped to the skin when in ac-
: nom hiding their presence by arts I'M
known to the whites. firing upon the
, troop trom ambush as chance offered
ana fHiAE like scared deer when there
I was a hr0bability If direct engagement
lie wno sghts ana runs away is a
moverb tsSs might well have originated
: with tnosesSRfty bands. The troops had
hething 10 epbut to follow where the en-
: envy lea. tak.1S long chances shutting
their JAWS srifaE and looking with esIunt-
+ less eyes INTO ne Inscrutable face d;
Fate abundantls ,yratiiied if the expedi-
uon welded q naxsn carcass or two and
: ended in a safe return to the post. Can.
; tain BourkeS book h filed with stores
whose power 70 thiRand enthraU il III.
yond all literary art.
1t was to Camp Gr3nt thar Genar.,,
!. Crook went when he We assigned tbs
, duty of crushing ont the Anarbse resit ~
lance He was the man E1r I'LL ,,L,n9
under his command was besln IT., IN,
: campaign which ended 0nlr u,b,,, i1 ~,
. | arch-fiend Geronimo was phaJ h.h;rt
Inc bars and his evil feiluWerSS WI ~.
: nerfect subsection. The men il IN III ~
1 were glad to welcome Crook Ai-,,,x,l;,ls
! him to be a soldier in fact eve\ 49,.
= than in name He was fighta ~ &c
: To his own devices. he would haV ~,
= a speedy victory and brought peA :.
:. the Southwest. despite the wretchedf -,
! sufficient force al his disposal for he ",