The Apache sentinel., 1943-07-16

and messages were carried on horse
back by soldiers. The first mention
of mail (dug from beneath a noun
tain of orders to officers of the
day) are found in a communication
dated July IL, in which it is stated
that "18 couriers only had been
sent to Tucson since the camp was
established four months ago." This
meant that the mail reached camp
bi-Weekly by mail riders from Tue
son. Courier horsemen departed each
way on Sundays and Wednesdays.
BY May 3, of the next year, how
ever, mail and packages were being
transported between Tucson and the
camp by blackboard. Later still the
mail carrying is contracted for,
though this did not prove completely
satisfactory even after the camp had
established its own post office. The
postal officers headache in those
days was that mail-carrying con-
tractors often broke their contracts
on short notice or failed to renew
them. Telegraph connections were
finally established between the post
and other centers. This form of
communications sented it's
problems, too. An illustrative (and
amusing@. letter is quoted:
"Sir:
The official copy by mail of your
telegram of the End instant, direct
ing this command to be held in
readiness for immediate field action
has been received this day. The
original by telegraph has not yet
come to hand"
The letter arrived eight days from
Prescott Barracks; but "the original
by telegraph has not yet come to
hand!"
Files Contain Romantic Data
The dusty, crumbling volumes
contain the story of the establish
ment and continuation of the IN
dian Wars outpost that is now Fort
Huachuca, are packed with data
that is as romantic as any thrilling
Western" ever written. True the
records have their dry and dull mo-
ments in the reports on prisoners,
multltudes of post orders, orders for
the officer of the day, orders for
the guard, company sick books, in
dorSements, formal transmittals and
request all in the painfully proper
language of a bygone era.
On the site of Capt. Whitside's
first camp there were a couple of
old adobe huts, that had been built
by prospectors and were suitable for
storing the immediate supplies of
the expedition. First problem of the
new garrison and one that might
evoke present-day sympathy is in
dicated by telegram dated March
9, 1877, to the chief of commissary.
Prescott. Arizona Territory, which
is the first communication mention
ing Capt. Whitside's new camp.
Queried the communication: 'Have
/ authority to purchase beef in the
open market delivered at this camp
at nine and one-half cents per
pound?"
The thing always to do to keep a
command satisfied is to sFeed em
fresh meat according to an old
Army tradition. 1t would appear
then, that Capt Whitside soon Start
ed renegading in the matter of fresh
meat on August 81, he asked that
the present method of supply of
fresh beef be reduced from so per
cent of fresh beef to 40 per cent
and 40 per cent of salt meat to SO
per cent of EACH" The explanation
is given that there are more troops
in the field on scouting expendi+
tions than in the camp and that
fresh meat on hand in the camp
spOils whereas troops in the field to
do not have enough of the Salted
meat. Tsas = @
Rainy Season. Presented Problem
Far more weighty than the fledg-
ling posts meat problems, though
were these presented by the aa1nual