Apache Campaigns - Fort Huachuca - U.S. Army

More documents

Recommendations

Info

obtained from a creek running through camp and is of excellent quality. Reservation Area is 81 square miles. Climate: Healthy and delightful. The nearest local Civil Authorities are at Charleston on the San Pedro River, 12 miles distant. There is no public conveyance between this point and Tucson. Mail carriers are dispatched once per week to Tucson. 11 Whitside concluded that “the site is everything that could be desired for a permanent Military Post and by far in every respect, the most desirable point for one in all Southern Arizona.” 12 As was the custom of the era, troop labor and materials procured from the immediate area were employed to accomplish the early construction of the post. Captain Whitside located stands of oak and pine and began a sawmill operation by the Spring of 1879. The motivation of the workforce was varied. Many of the soldier laborers were working off misdemeanor sentences and hangovers while the remaining toiled for the additional incentive pay. Twenty cents per day was the standard rate with noncoms and skilled men receiving 35 cents. Whether disgruntled miscreants or thrifty volunteers, they made remarkable progress at Camp Huachuca, finishing dozens of buildings made variously of canvas, wood frame and adobe. The work was not without drudgery and sometimes was a source of disillusionment to the young midwesterner who had enlisted expecting high adventure in the Indian campaigns. No army would be complete without complaints to Congress and the Army of the 1870s was no exception. The following petition, prepared by several anonymous soldiers in 1878, was dispatched to Congress and gives a picture of the typical fatigue duty performed by the cavalry trooper. We first enlisted with the usual ideas of the life of a soldier, ...but we find in service that we are obliged to perform all kinds of labor, such as all the operations of building quarters, stables, storehouses, bridges, roads, and telegraph lines; involving logging, lumbering, quarrying, adobe and brick making, lime-burning, mason-work, plastering, carpentering, painting, etc., blacksmithing, and sometimes woodchopping and haymaking. This is in addition to guard duty, care of horses, arms and equipments, cooking, baking, police of quarters and stables, moving stores, etc., as well as drilling, and frequently to the exclusion of the latter. 13 Their case is given credibility by an 1883 report of the department’s Inspector General who found fault with the drill proficiency at Huachuca. In a reply to his findings, the commanding officers of each company wrote to the Post Adjutant and called his attention to the fact that their men had been so busily engaged in building construction that they had not practised military drills since coming to this post. An article appearing in the August 27, 1879 edition of the Arizona Daily Star gives a contemporary description of the camp and provides an interesting counterpoint to Captain Whitside’s gloomy report of a year earlier. Major Whitside was detailed for duty here two and a half years ago. He found the whole region deserted; but one man near his intended camp, owing to the border and Indian troubles. By his vigor, courage, sound judgment and alertness, he has quieted the border, corralled the troublesome Apache, and brought into the district two thousand pioneers and workers; the result of which is the opening of mines, starting of towns, the erection of mills, etc. [Camp Huachuca] lies at the base of the greatest mountain peaks of the range, where the gorge between them widens into a grassy valley of a fourth of a mile or more, gently sloping, winding through which a sweet stream flows, affording water supplies for the camp, and over which oak trees grow.... Officers’ quarters are built in neat style of adobe brick, and are very 20 HUACHUCA ILLUSTRATED
home-like, especially at Major Whitside’s, where the hand of a good wife has come to the rescue with exquisite taste in simple home adornments. ...The whole camp was clean, bright, embowered and attractive.... About the camp were some contractors and a few Mexican families who worked for them. ...Around this one spot there is wood, water, and grass in abundance for scores of settlers. 14 Funds in the amount of $3,500 were appropriated for a hospital structure and work commenced in September 1879. The hospital was completed the next year and remains today as the oldest remaining building on Fort Huachuca. In February 1878, Private Peter King of Company M died and his belongings were auctioned off. They brought in $27.95 and the money was turned over to the paymaster. Here is what a private serving along the border in 1878 could be expected to have accumulated: 2 hats, 1 helmet, 1 forage cap, 1 pair ear flaps, 1 shaving brush, 1 pair of scissors, 1 pin cushion, 1 spool thread, 1 blouse, 1 pair overalls, 1 stable frock, 2 undershirts, 1 pair flannel drawers, 1 pair boots, 1 pound tobacco, 3 pair work gloves, 1 calico shirt and collar, 1 scarf, 1 buckskin, 2 boxes of sardines, 1/2 pound citric acid, 4 blankets, 1 great coat, 4 pairs of socks, and 1 prayer book. Target practice in the desert. Photo courtesy Arizona Historical Society. A MAGAZINE OF THE FORT HUACHUCA MUSEUM 21
Page 2 and 3: 2 HUACHUCA ILLUSTRATED
Page 4 and 5: Voices oices oices fr from fr om th
Page 6 and 7: trouble spot. He left Arizona a her
Page 8 and 9: 8 Indians with agent John Clum. Joh
Page 10 and 11: Orlando Bolivar Willcox was in the
Page 12 and 13: 12 Southern Arizona in the Late 70s
Page 14 and 15: 14 Timeline In 1875 the stagecoach
Page 16 and 17: he did not have in mind Hiram Winch
Page 18 and 19: William A. Rafferty was a solid Ind
Page 22 and 23: Map: Vicinity of Camp Huachuca, Ari
Page 24 and 25: complacency that beset isolated out
Page 26 and 27: 26 Colonel Whitside (seated on the
Page 28 and 29: 28 A true copy of a letter recommen
Page 30 and 31: 30 Col. Samuel Marmaduke Whitside.
Page 32 and 33: 32 Roll Call: The First Wife at Hua
Page 34 and 35: Carlos in 1928 when that place was
Page 36 and 37: 36 other articles, and chase them u
Page 38 and 39: 38 land sufficient for farming and
Page 40 and 41: 40 Others are provided with amulets
Page 42 and 43: 42 Fort Huachuca in 1879. Photo cou
Page 44 and 45: “Fort Huachuca, Arizona, Roll Cal
Page 46 and 47: olt. They may have been further mot
Page 48 and 49: would not be the last time that Cap
Page 50 and 51: Pedro Valley east of Fort Huachuca.
Page 52 and 53: Lieutenant Gatewood with his Apache
Page 54 and 55: Maj. Morrow reported the incident o
Page 56 and 57: October. Major Morrow was on their
Page 58 and 59: 58 Edward Hatch. Photo courtesy U.S
Page 60 and 61: Assistant Acting Surgeon Dorsey McP
Page 62 and 63: 62 come northward and close in on t
Page 64 and 65: the time of the 1880 battle of Tres
Page 66 and 67: Washington, in the meantime, had mo
Page 68 and 69: Maj. Morrow’s force twice made co
Page 70 and 71:
apidly in force. They were vigorous
Page 72 and 73:
old, would sound the final battle c
Page 74 and 75:
cover the withdrawal of Lieut. Valo
Page 76 and 77:
weather and make our report by mail
Page 78 and 79:
78 Apache Campaigns: Cibecu The unb
Page 80 and 81:
Arresting the Apache spiritual lead
Page 82 and 83:
82 cover us, the Sergeant of the Gu
Page 84 and 85:
ground between officers’ quarters
Page 86 and 87:
86 Apache Indian Scouts, with two p
Page 88 and 89:
88 Toggy-Snoggy at upper right. Cib
Page 90 and 91:
George A. Forsyth wrote two books a
Page 92 and 93:
General Willcox, operating out of F
Page 94 and 95:
Sixth Cavalry. Their course brought
Page 96 and 97:
96 side of the defile to see if the
Page 98 and 99:
98 the dead scouts, which had follo
Page 100 and 101:
strong position, which we again fla
Page 102 and 103:
Wirt Davis began his career as an e
Page 104 and 105:
104 managed to slip away and head n
Page 106 and 107:
faucets, and they were held back un
Page 108 and 109:
108 rear probably all in. From the
Page 110 and 111:
110 and in my judgement the circums
Page 112 and 113:
efore, the 28th. Forsyth said Tuppe
Page 114 and 115:
handling of the pursuit. Col. Forsy
Page 116 and 117:
116 behind. This was the worst thin
Page 118 and 119:
118 captured. 92 Wilbur Elliott Wil
Page 120 and 121:
120 5 p.m. when we stopped for supp
Page 122 and 123:
“Camp Huachuca, A.T., As proposed
Page 124 and 125:
124 Apache Campaigns: Big Dry Wash
Page 126 and 127:
126 whatever; except for the trees,
Page 128 and 129:
128 indicated by scattered blankets
Page 130 and 131:
get food and replenish our ammuniti
Page 132 and 133:
132 He was killed on 11 January 188
Page 134 and 135:
134 Tzoe, or “Peaches,” Apache
Page 136 and 137:
136 Mangas, son of Mangas Colorado
Page 138 and 139:
eport for 1884 that “for the firs
Page 140 and 141:
140 Timeline In 1882 Lt. James B. L
Page 142 and 143:
paigns. The American Army had used
Page 144 and 145:
144 Free, Mickey, in Washington, D.
Page 146 and 147:
146 Indian trading stores at San Ca
Page 148 and 149:
148 Department of Arizona General O
Page 150 and 151:
In December 1881 the troop strength
Page 152 and 153:
period and were intended to serve a
Page 154 and 155:
stables of Texas and Arizona are or
Page 156 and 157:
Guard House. Bldg. 22328 (Sam Kee H
Page 158 and 159:
General view of Fort Huachuca Terri
Page 160 and 161:
160 What appears to be the guard mo
Page 162 and 163:
162 1880.15.00.123 Reservoir, Fort
Page 164 and 165:
164 Barracks (Bldg. No. 15). U.S. A
Page 166 and 167:
1884.00.00.012 Photo of officers’
Page 168 and 169:
168 A view of Fort Huachuca in abou
Page 170 and 171:
170 “Police Party,” along Grier
Page 172 and 173:
Dougherty wagon in front of officer
Page 174 and 175:
dispensary, surgeon’s office, two
Page 176 and 177:
176 “Ground Plan, Front Elevation
Page 178 and 179:
178 Troopers’ hangout near Fort H
Page 180 and 181:
180 HUACHUCA ILLUSTRATED
Page 182 and 183:
In 1886 he was the aide to Gen. Joh
Page 184 and 185:
62 Cruse, Thomas, Apache Days and A
Page 186:
112 113 Sherman, William T., Annual
show all

Apache Campaigns - Fort Huachuca - U.S. Army

You also want an ePaper? Increase the reach of your titles

Delete template?

Save as template?