Apache Campaigns - Fort Huachuca - U.S. Army

he did not have in mind Hiram Winchester. Winchester was a Civil War veteran, having served
as a first lieutenant in the 1st Maryland Cavalry. After the war he received a regular’s commission
in the 6th Cavalry in 1867. He had a lot of experience scouting for Indians, working out of
Fort Lowell, Camp Huacuca, and Camp Supply. He commanded at the latter two posts for a
time. While he was at Huachuca, he could often be found in the Tombstone saloons. He was
court-martialed for being absent without leave, “loud and indecent behavior...in company with a
prostitute” 10 while at a Tombstone hotel. He was found guilty and served nine months at the
federal prison at Fort Yuma. Shortly after rejoining his regiment, he died at Tombstone on 29
May 1881 at the age of 38.
Tombstone, located 20 miles east, was a popular off-duty destination for many Fort
Huachuca soldiers. It was also a favorite “watering hole” for many desperados, stage robbers,
and cattle rustlers. Frontier justice was handed out by such men as Wyatt Earp, Jeff Milton, and
John Slaughter.
The protection provided by Fort Huachuca in the late 1870s enabled the mineral wealth of
the surrounding areas to be exploited. Nearby Tombstone and Bisbee soon became large cosmopolitan
cities supported by gold, silver, and copper mines. The presence of the 6th Cavalry in the
area offered an umbrella of security for the settlers in what today comprises Cochise and Santa
Cruz counties, and census figures skyrocketed. The increased protection from lawlessness and
renegade Apache Apaches made even stronger the lure of instant wealth lying under the ground,
and the neighboring mining towns flourished. Merchants, farmers, saloon owners and dance hall
girls clamored to sell their goods and services to the Army.
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“Tombstone, Arizona Territory, circa 1890, or earlier.” Photo courtesy Frank C. Brophy.
The small Huachuca garrison was not unique in terms of desolation and misery. Drastically
reduced in size after the Civil War and understrength, the U.S. Army was faced with the
HUACHUCA ILLUSTRATED