Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1907-11-29

were also Apaches, but Of a differen
tribe from those who were at war. Tn
Chiracahuas, who had left their reser
vation and who had been raiding ant
numbering were admittedly the wors
Indians in all the United States. Sew
eral Tonto Apaches had been brough
into camp for the purpose of assisting
us in following the Chiracahuas, ant
one night word came in that band o
the raiders had made its way into th
valley below us and under the yer!
noses Of the troops had robbed severa
ranches and murdered the inhabitants
In order to make a successful NOV,
against these Indians II was necessar!
to march at night on account Of warn
ings sent ahead by signal fires. A!
soon as night came troop Of cavalry
and company Of trailers were out af.
ter the raiders. All the day Indiar
scouts had searched the surrounding
country for trails. and when the
troops were ready to start the scout:
had a trail which they believed lee
directly to the rancheria or village Of
the raiding Apaches. The trail was
followed over stony and rough ground
and through underbush, In the dark
the trailers actually feeling their way
with their hands. They seemed to ex-
perience no difficulty in tracing the
trail with their fingers in the dark, but
suddenly there was halt, and word
was sent back that the trail had been
crossed by a fresher one.
A consultation was held, the Indians
holding their hands on the trail until
cured and the new trail examined. The
cross trail proved to be that of bear,
which had passed along after the In
dams. The original was taken up and
followed steadily through the night,
and the rancheria was found and cap
tured early in the morning. This re-
markable feat Of trailing was consid-
cred the greatest ever known. and re-
ceived mention in the report Of the
general to the war department.
The Indian is taught from earliest
childhood to note and examine every
mark on the ground. He is given con-
stant instructions regarding the plac-
ing Of his feet while on the march,
and under all circumstances, whether
in peace or war; he hides his trail. 1t
has become a second nature to him,
and the watching Of the trails he
crosses Is as instructive as is the hid
ing Of his own. But 1t Is not alone by
watching the marks left on the ground
that he follows those whom he Is pur-
suing. He does as he knows they have
done, and travels by landmarks.
His perfect knowledge Of the coun-
try tells where the fleeing party is bound
to pass If not too closely pursued, and
instead Of following an intricate trail
over wide expanse Of country he makes
directly for the place where he is GER
tain the trail will cross a ridge or
through a pass in the mountains. If
the fleeing party makes devious twists
and turns, crossing and recrossing Its
own trail in order to throw the fol-
lowers off the expert trailer does not
attempt to follow these turns, but goes
directly to the landmark ahead and
thus frequently gains an hours time.
1t Is only when the pursued Is very
closely pursued that he will abandon
the landmarks and endeavor to throw
the pursuers off by striking out inde-
pendently across the country.
Sometimes a large party finds itself
so hotly followed that 1t is compelled
to scatter and the members take devil
Gus ways across mountains or plains
to a point some hundred Of miles
away. Then the trailer finds his work
cut out for him, for the trailer cannot
proceed so rapidly as he who makes
the trail. The Indian on a raid pays
little attention to his front. He knows
that this weakness is in his trail and
he always carefully guards the rear OF
his march. His knowledge Of his own
ability to find the trail Of his enemy
makes him afraid Of the discovery OF
that left by himself
Reference is still made to the "Chey-
enne raid" which took place In Kan
sas in 1878. This memorable event
was not a raid in the true sense OF the
word The northern. Cheyennes had
been rounded up and transported to
the Indian Territory, where they were
held on a reservation, much against
their Wills Wild Hog. one Of the most
famous chiefs Of the tribe, led the tribe
in an effort to break away from the
reservation and return to the old home
One hundred and twenty men, with all
their women and children, left Fort
Reno, fought their way through one
line of troops and evaded and outran
two other lines. They Travelled 800
miles in ten days, but so expert was
their chief that they left scarcely a
mark to show where they went over
the prairie. They marched in open
order, covering a belt from three TO
eight miles wide, and left trail so
slight on the hard prairie that the most
expert trailers among the troops were
unable to trace them.
The fourth line Of troops turned the
Indians after a battle in which COL
Lewis was killed, and then Wild Hog
turned toward the settled part of Kan
sas to get fresh mounts. After this
raid the band fled to the sand hills
where it secreted itself near water
holes known to the Indians alone.
Among the trailers at the fort was a
Pawnee Indian. He was put to WORK
to solve the problem. He followed
steadily after the fleeing band, and
where the trail was lost he utilized his
knowledge of landmarks, never hesi-
tating for a minute, and ran the band
to its hiding place after every other
scout and trailer had given the task
up as being one impossible of compile
ton.
Ill IL