Turn of the Century - Fort Huachuca - U.S. Army

There’s always gambling after pay day. I don’t remember any professional [civilian]gamblers allowed at Fort Bowie. I think the commanding officer kept them out, but [thesoldiers] used to gamble among themselves. There were men in the fort, who I think wereprofessional gamblers; who would actually enlist just for the opportunity to gamble. They’dput the money in a bank; then they’d serve their time or desert. There were enlisted men whoused to gamble until all the money got in to the hand of one or two—then they’d quit. I thinkthose one or two were, in this sense, professional gamblers. Gambling was done openly, inthe quarters on the bunks—no attempt was made to stop it.”All Bradley could relate about his living quarters was that the quarters had “a row of bunks oneach side, with a big pot-bellied stove that kept the quarters warm.” They were adobe buildingswith a “thin plaster outside that keeps the rain from digging in and destroying the wall.” Hespeculated that the adobe buildings would “last hundreds of years.” Some adobe foundations atFort Huachuca, where they were constantly cared for, have lasted over 100 years. But at FortBowie, which would be abandoned in October 1894, they deteriorated rapidly.When the garrison was alerted to take to the field, it could pack its supplies on mules and beready for the trail in three hours. There was no need to issue ammunition for each soldier “kepthis own belt of ammunition with him all the time in the barracks.” Rounds for his sidearm, hekept in his pockets. In what he termed a “hard chase after Apaches,” Bradley said the troopwould “ride to the scene of trouble as fast as possible—with arms, supplies on pack animals, andtwo canteens each of precious water.” The water was a precious commodity in Arizona. Thecavalryman exclaimed, “I should say water was scarce away from the post! I don’t believe wetook a drink or stopped between Fort Bowie and Rucker Canyon that night [on patrol]—40 miles.You know, all this talk about 100-mile rides. I read about ‘em, but I don’t believe half of ‘em.They might of took the 100 mile ride all right but they took ‘em in two days. Soldiering was ahard, dry business in southern Arizona 78 years ago.”He was able to save some of his clothing allowance by not drawing blankets or new uniforms.He would buy blankets at a dollar each from potential deserters or men about to be discharged.This was a savings of three or four dollars over the cost of having one issued and deducted fromhis clothing account. And he bought a full dress tunic second hand, “wore it for five years andthen sold it.” The dress uniform was worn by the troopers only on Sunday morning parade and,Bradley said, “then they’d only have it on for an hour or two.”And there was the matter of style. According to Bradley, “when a person joined he wasissued a suit of clothes; later he threw it to one side and purchased non-commissioned officerscloth, which was better, and had the troop tailor make a suit of clothes. Nearly all the men hadthis kind of suit of clothes, except for someone who just joined. The issue clothes were prettytough looking.” Remembering the first Army clothes he was issued, Bradley complained “theyhad two or three sizes and just threw you out a suit of clothes.”Private Bradley explained about his weapons: “you had to sign up for sabers and guns andcartridge belts.” The young trooper had qualified as a marksman and sharpshooter. He said, “Ihad the same carbine all the time—one did, except if the bore is not right. When you got a gunyou knew, you wanted to keep it, because you could shoot better with that one than any other.”The NCO in charge of the barracks would padlock the carbines in a round rack each evening and“it was his duty to see that all the guns were in there, or accounted for.”He considered the horses at Fort Bowie as good. “They’re always inspected by the officers,and tested out. I had a pretty good horse, but he wasn’t half broke. I had a lot of breaking to do.”10 HUACHUCA ILLUSTRATED