Apache Campaigns - Fort Huachuca - U.S. Army

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the time of the 1880 battle of Tres Castillo in which Victorio and many of the tribe were killed. He said he was ten years before he knew that people died in other ways than violently. He lived until 1963. He “learned the history of my people about the fires at night.” He could relate them “word for word...long before [he] understood the significance of them.” The Apache’s historical tradition is oral and subject to transformation and myth-making. But possibly no more so than the reminiscences of soldiers who write their stories down years later. Kaywaykla narrated those campfire stories to anthropologist Eve Ball, a neighbor and long-time friend of the Apaches on the Mescalero Reservation in New Mexico. They give us a viewpoint from the Apache side. Kaywaykla here relates how Victorio slipped by Col. Hatch coming up to the fight at Hembrillo Canyon. The troops were easily beaten back until more cavalry came in from the Tularosa Basin. Nana took the women and children up the arroyo and around a point to the Jornada. The trail was very rocky and there was little dust to warn us of the coming of an enemy until they were almost upon us. As the cavalry rounded a point of rocks pretty well lined with mesquite, Grandfather [Nana] set the people east, following a rocky ledge, to the shelter of an arroyo. While they were concealing themselves and their horses, the boys hastily did what they could to cover our trail. Fortunately, unshod hoofs make little noise and leave few traces of their passing. Taking advantage of every clump of vegetation, every rock, our people stood with hands ready to press the nostrils of our horses so that they would not betray our position. Mother took off Chenleh’s cradle and handed it to Grandmother, freeing her to use her rifle. If the baby had opened her mouth to make a sound it would have been necessary to smother her cries, for the ears of scouts are good. There we waited anxiously until the scouts had passed. I think we could not have been more than a quarter of a mile off the trail, and it seems impossible that our presence was not detected. Not one even glanced in our direction. It was not long before the Blue Coats came into sight. It was a very large detachment, several companies. We learned later that it was commanded by Colonel Hatch, and that he had been sent to cut off our retreat. Nana did not wait long in hiding. He anticipated that the cavalry would follow Victorio, and that our band, being of less importance, might be of secondary interest. Over the Jornada we rushed, that trail which my people had made a terror to invaders. After a long ride the line stopped. Men broke the lock at the well, drew water in a bucket, and we drank. When the horses had finished we mounted again. I do not remember having crossed the Rio Bravo, for I slept much of the time. I think we got no real rest until we were in a canyon of the Black Range. If, as people believed, Grandfather could sleep in the saddle, it could not have been very satisfying sleep. When we reached the cave in the Floridas two or three weeks later he really rested for two days. 41 Recognizing that the Tularosa reservation was a gathering place for hostiles in need of refitting, Col. Hatch determined to deprive the reservation Indians of their weapons and horses. To accomplish this, soldiers under Hatch and Grierson converged upon the agency on 12 April and began to round up the Apaches in the vicinity. On 16 April they had collected about 320 when the shooting started and most of the Indians bolted for the mountains with Grierson’s cavalry in pursuit. A few of the Mescaleros were shot down in the chase. Most returned to the reservation under the cover of nightfall. It was estimated that between thirty and fifty joined up with Victorio. The Army failed to fully disarm the Indians, but they did station a reinforced guard around the agency which effectively kept the hostiles from having free access to their homebase. 64 HUACHUCA ILLUSTRATED
These entries from 10th Cavalry records show the level of activity in 1880: Co. K—Sculptured Tanks, Guadalupe Mountains, April, 1880. Left Salada Water Holes, Texas, April 1st, arrived at Black River Falls, N.M. Marched thence northward through the Guadalupe Mountains by way of Guadalupe Creek to the Rio Panasco in the Sacramento Mountains, thence to the agency and took part in the disarming and dismounting the Mescalero Indians. April 9th struck the camp of a small party of Mescaleros at Shakehand Springs, New Mexico. Killed one buck, captured four squaws and one child, released from captivity a small Mexican boy aged 11. Captured 21 head of horses and mules, and destroyed their camp. Distance marched, 417 1/2 miles. Company A—Near old Fort Quitman, Texas, August, 1880. Left Eagle Springs, Texas, August 2nd and marched to Van Horn’s Wells. August 3rd, marched to Devil’s Race Course. August 4th, marched to Rattlesnake Springs; 6th, 7th, and 8th, engaged in scouting and picketing the passes of the Sierra Diablo. August 10th, marched to Ash Springs. August 11th, discovered and followed trail of Victoria’s band of Apaches from 8:00 P.M. until 11:45 A.M. of the 12th, when, after marching and reaching the Rio Grande, the pursuit ended by reason of the enemy crossing the river into Mexico. Distance marched by company and detachments, 748 miles. Company G—Sulphur Water Hole, Texas, August, 1880. Left Eagle Springs, Texas, August 3rd, arriving at Van Horn, Texas, the same night; August 4th, 5th, marched to Rattlesnake Springs, Texas. August 6th, engaged with hostile Indians near Rattlesnake Springs. No casualties. August 7th, marched to Sulphur Water Hole, Texas. August 3rd, Private Julius London, one of the party of scouts, was engaged and wounded in action with hostile Apaches near Eagle Springs, Texas. Distance marched 1,256 miles. Company H—Near Hot Springs, Texas, August, 1880. August 1st, engaged in furnishing pickets and scouts from Eagle Springs, Texas. August 3rd, Corporal A. Weaver, with Private Brent of H Company, and a small detail from other companies, while on picket at Alamo Springs, discovered Victoria’s band of Indians after they had crossed the Rio Grande and had an engagement and running fight for fifteen miles. August 3rd, left Eagle Springs in pursuit of Victoria’s band. Marched to Van Horn and thence to Devil’s Race Course, thence across to the Rattlesnake Springs. August 6th, participated in an engagement with Victoria’s band with Companies B, C and G, under command of Captain L.H. Carpenter, the Indians being repulsed and fleeing to the mountains. Private Wesley Hardy missing in action. Distance marched by company and detachments, 1,250 miles. 42 Victorio was active in the Black and Mogollon Ranges. Meanwhile, a raiding party under Washington, possibly Victorio’s son, was reported as far west as the San Carlos reservation where their families were living. They left a trail of death and destruction, even attacking some Chiricahuas under Juh and Geronimo who were then living on the reservation. The motive for the raid is unclear. It may have been an attempt to take some of their families from the reservation, or it may have been a revenge raid to punish those Apaches who were fighting as scouts on the side of the Americans. After a fight with Arizona troops sent after them, they scattered into the Burro Mountains and eventually regained Victorio’s main band, then twenty miles south of Hillsboro. Cruse gives details of their fight with U.S. troops. Captain Kramer, with Lieutenant Blocksom and a few Indian Scouts, was camped near rocky Canon, waiting for [the raiders], but the Indian was practically all night reaching him. A MAGAZINE OF THE FORT HUACHUCA MUSEUM 65
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2 HUACHUCA ILLUSTRATED
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Voices oices oices fr from fr om th
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trouble spot. He left Arizona a her
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8 Indians with agent John Clum. Joh
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Orlando Bolivar Willcox was in the
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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 20 and 21: obtained from a creek running throu
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 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
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handling of the pursuit. Col. Forsy
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116 behind. This was the worst thin
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118 captured. 92 Wilbur Elliott Wil
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120 5 p.m. when we stopped for supp
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“Camp Huachuca, A.T., As proposed
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124 Apache Campaigns: Big Dry Wash
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126 whatever; except for the trees,
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128 indicated by scattered blankets
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get food and replenish our ammuniti
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132 He was killed on 11 January 188
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134 Tzoe, or “Peaches,” Apache
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136 Mangas, son of Mangas Colorado
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eport for 1884 that “for the firs
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140 Timeline In 1882 Lt. James B. L
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paigns. The American Army had used
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144 Free, Mickey, in Washington, D.
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146 Indian trading stores at San Ca
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148 Department of Arizona General O
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In December 1881 the troop strength
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period and were intended to serve a
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stables of Texas and Arizona are or
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Guard House. Bldg. 22328 (Sam Kee H
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General view of Fort Huachuca Terri
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160 What appears to be the guard mo
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162 1880.15.00.123 Reservoir, Fort
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164 Barracks (Bldg. No. 15). U.S. A
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1884.00.00.012 Photo of officers’
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168 A view of Fort Huachuca in abou
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170 “Police Party,” along Grier
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Dougherty wagon in front of officer
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dispensary, surgeon’s office, two
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176 “Ground Plan, Front Elevation
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178 Troopers’ hangout near Fort H
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180 HUACHUCA ILLUSTRATED
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In 1886 he was the aide to Gen. Joh
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62 Cruse, Thomas, Apache Days and A
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112 113 Sherman, William T., Annual
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