Weekly Arizona journal-miner., 1906-04-18
FORT APACHE MAY BE DESERTED
SOON.

IL now looks vey much as IL Fort
Apache would be abandoned by the
United States army, leaving only Forts
Whipplc and lIuachuca remaining to
bring back to the mind of the old.timcr
the days of Geronimo and General
Lawton, the man who captured the willy
old Apache leader.
Fort Apache is ninety miles from
the nearest railroad and the wagon
road to the fort is very poor. All sup.
plies are taken by wagon from lIol.
brook. 1t is thought that Apache
will be abandoned before the first of
the year. In the meantime -four
troops of cavalry will he left at the old
fort. At one time Fort Apache was nm
absolute necessity, being situated on
the Apache reservation. Now the In.
dian trouble is over and the fort is no
longer needed. Fort Apache was al
ways a popular place with the off
GERS one man having passed up n
chance 10 command fort near New
York city in order to live there. II is
situated upon an elevation of about
5000 feet, near the hcadwatcrs of the
Salt river. The surrounding noun
tains are thick with game, while trout
in plenty can be found in the nearby
streams. Another thing which at
tracts army officers is the nature Of
the surrounding country, which ~ cx-
eclcnt for army manocuvcrs.
Apache is the only remaining strong
hold of n onc-timc chain of forts
around the Apache reservation. The
others of this chain which have been
done away with are Fort Grant on the
south, Fort Thomas on the east, and
the sui. post of san Carlos on the west.
Fort Whipplc, which will be one of
the two forts left in the territory, is
on the Santa Re railroad, and men
can be brought 10 or taken from this
place with great ease. Whipple will be
made the headquarters for two batta'
lions of infantry, with "A colonel or
licutennnt-coloncl in command.
People who have moved to this ter.
ritory within the last ten or fifteen
wears can scarcely realize that one
time not over twenty years ago Arizona
had within her borders regular army
men numbering from 1000 to 5000
strong.
The United States government has
decided that two military posts will
be enough for Arizona, and the gov
crnment is perfectly right in making
this decision. At Fort Whipple Uncle
sam will cxpcnd a million dollars IN
new buildings. At present there Is
stationed at whipple one troop of the
Fifth Cavalry and one company of the
2Sih Infantry.
Fort lIuachuca. the other of the old
time forts which will not be abandon
ed. is located between Tucson and
Nopalcs about seven miles form the
Sonora branch Of the Southern Pacific
railroad and twelve Mules from the III
Paso aud Southwestern railroad.
Four troops Of cavalry are now station
ed M IIuachuca and that post will pro
badly be enlarged until it is one of the
principal army posts IN the country
This fort is especially valuable, as IT
is spleudidly situated to command the
border country.
In the year 1856 along about the time
Of the closing of the Geronimo cam
paign. there were G,00o troops Of the
regular army stationed At various
points throughout the territory
Among other forts which hive been
abandoned and forgotten are Forts Mo
have. Bead Springs. Yuma, just across
the river on the California side, Verde,
Date creek. Mcdowell, Reno, at Tonic
Basin, Grant, San Carlos post, Thomas,
porie. Lowell and half dozen other
nosts where small dctaehmcnts Of regu'
lar army men were kept
That was in the Wild and woody
DAYS of Geronimo, coehise and the