Apache Campaigns - Fort Huachuca - U.S. Army

drowned trying to cross a flood-swollen river. The site will become known as Rucker Canyon.
In 1879 the Army was divided into three territorial divisions—the Atlantic, the Missouri,
and the Pacific. Under these divisions were eight divisions which in turn had a total of eleven
districts. The United Service journal began publication and featured military subjects. Ibsen
published A Doll’s House. The National Guard Association was established. A Ute uprising was
aborted. The incandescent light bulb was invented by Thomas Edison. Blond Mary opened a
brothel in Tombstone; she was followed by Rowdy Kate Lowe, Dutch Annie Crazy Horse Lil,
Madame Moustache and Big Nosed Kate. Capt. Richard H. Pratt opened a school for Indian
children at Carlisle Barracks, Pennsylvania. F. L. Austin advertised his sutler’s store at Huachuca
in the Tucson newspapers. The British were under siege by the Zulus at Rorke’s Drift.
The Greeks fought for and won their independence against the Turks. On 10 December Alexander
Ramsey replaced McCrary as Secretary of War.
Voices from the Canyon: Corporal Fitzgerald Takes His
Discharge
Corporal William R. Fitzgerald was a five-year veteran of B Company, 6th Cavalry, on
November 28, 1878, when he was called to report to Captain Whitside at headquarters. Fitzgerald
was one of the troopers who helped to establish Camp Huachuca and now his enlistment was up.
He was being discharged. He described the interview he had with his commander:
Capt. S.M. Whiteside [sic] bid me good morning, and took me by the hand and said, “Corporal,
you have been in my troop for five years. You have made a good soldier. Your time is up. I
wish you would reenlist in my Troop, but that is for you to decide. Here is your discharge, and
I have given you a good one. You deserve all that I have written on it and more too. Your
character is excellent in every respect.” And then the dear old commander said, “Now you stay
in camp until tomorrow and I will send you to Tucson with an escort.”
The next day I bid farewell to a troop of as splendid men as ever wore the uniform of Uncle Sam,
and my troop officers, fine big hearted men. As I rode away I could not keep the tears from
flowing. 25
Fitzgerald became a minister and settled in Arkansas.
A MAGAZINE OF THE FORT HUACHUCA MUSEUM
Apache Campaigns: Victorio
Victorio (or Beduiat) was the leader of the “Red Paint People” (“Tcihene” in Apache)
who called the Black Range in New Mexico home. This eastern subgroup of the Chiricahua
Apaches were also variously known as the Mimbres Apaches or Warm Springs Apache after
their headquarters at Ojo Caliente.
Government Indian agents reneged on promises to settle them on a reservation at Ojo
Caliente and instead shuttled them to Fort Tularosa in 1872 and to the overcrowded San Carlos in
1876, where they were kept at the malarial subagency of Camp Goodwin. Inadequate rationing
was always a source of trouble. In addition to being hungry, they were restless. They were
unhappy being away from their home country. These factors were enough to make them skittish
in 1877 and Chiricahua agent Tom Jeffords warned that the Warm Springs people were ready to
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