The Apache sentinel., 1944-09-17

vicinity for forty years His history of Hu
When today newly arrived stranger sur
veys Fort Huachuca from any elevated point
the Post, it is difficult to visualize the ap-
pearance of this area on that March day in
1877. when Captain S. NJ Whitside of Troop
B, 9th u. S. Cavalry set it apart as military
reservation
There not an American settler or ranch
er within radius of hundred miles The
hills were rocky and covered with huge
growth of timber, principally pine, juniper and
oak In this part of the southwest water
and of very poor quality; roads were
non-existant and, worst of ALL it the favo-
rite hunting ground of America fiercest and
most treacherous tribe Of Indians, the Dragon
Apaches
For over three hundred years these Apaches
had defeated the flower of Spanish. Mexican
and American Armies, and, not knowing any
thing about the rest of these United States be-
lieved they could retain their control of this
great southwest for all time 1t was their an
cestral hunting ground.
Impoverished by the debts of the Civil War,
the American Congress had limited the size of
the army to a few thousand and were
extremely parsimonious with appropriations
for the equipment and support of these few
men, Scattered over the United States were
other hostile tribes commanded by Sitting Bull,
Red Cloud, Chief Joseph and others who
necessarily continually watched and guarded
by the army hence it was impossible to
centrate the whole army here to deal with these
hostiles The Apache tribe in Arizona alone
equalled or outnumbered the entire American
Army at this time. 1t must be remembered
an Apache could live off the country indefinite
ly A drink of water, handful of acorns or
pine nuts or the fruit of the cactus plant would
easily suffice him for days while all kinds of
game, deer, antelope, quail and deer teemed
in all the surrounding mountains. By the mas
sacre of travellers to and from California over
the Old Overland Trail which traversed this
section, the Apaches received an almost
tinual supply of modern and ammunition.
1t was tough tribe to defeat as centuries
of continual victories had made them arrogant
and conceited. They seldom worked. War and
violence in their blood.
The United States particularly con-
cerned about these Southern Arizona Apaches
because their home was adjacent to the In
ternational Boundary with Mexico. This
once belonged to Mexico but became part of
the United States through the Gadsden Pur-
chase in 1854. The Apaches had warred con-
tinually with the Mexican Government and
could see no reason for stopping these hos
tilities just because the boundary had been
shifted southwark to make them inhabitants of
the United States They had depended
these forays into Mexico to supply them with
saddles good horses and other equipment
they were unaccustomed to acquire peaceably.
But now these Apache raids acquired sim
ister aspect Mexico demanded that the United
States keep them north of the border. This
demand was treated somewhat lightly until
Mexico presented huge bill for the damages
wrought by the murder of her citizens, the
lootng of her ranches and the kidnapping of
her young girls who were kept to maintain the
polygamous standards of the Apache in the
late seventies and early eighties.
At this time Arizona was considered of no
value to the rest of the United States Govern
ment expenses far exceeded the little income
wear of combat dutv in France Tin