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

pursue, capture or destroy any hostile Indians which may be found on the border.” This steppedup patrolling would, according the department commander, determine whether the marauderswere Indians or not and “give assurances that nothing will be left undone by the military toprevent disorder on the frontier; while evil doers, let them be whom they may, will soon beinduced to desist from their course or leave the country to seek more favorable locations for theirnefarious practices.”A few weeks later a man named Gray said Indians had attacked him and run off eleven ofhis horses. Again, it looked like a false report. Lieut. A. M. Fuller, Second Cavalry, wrote fromhis camp in Rucker Canyon on 20 June: “I do not believe there are any Indians in this section ofthe country.... Gray’s . . . statements are very conflicting. First he says: “six Indians tookeleven head of stock; I ran after them with a six-shooter and followed them 500 yards, I then shotthree times; they returned my fire with one shot and then abandoned the stock and ran.” SixIndians scared off by one man with a six-shooter! Again he said: “Five Indians,” and again hespoke of “one Indian” trying to get his horses. During my scout I saw horses in every directiongrazing; on Silver Creek, San Simon Valley, and through the hills, and Indians could get all themounts they desire.”False reports of Indian depredations continued to be received. On 18 June the commanderat Fort Huachuca was notified by citizens at Crittenden, Arizona, that Indians had slaughteredtheir cattle in the Santa Rita Mountains and that they were forming a posse to go after them.Lieut. D. L. Brainard, 2d Cavalry, was sent out with a detachment to investigate and reportedback that the cattle had been dead for some 15 days, showed no bullet holes, and had probablydied of thirst or starvation. Likewise, the governor of Sonora confirmed that no Indians had beensighted near the border nor had any incidents been reported there. Brainard said, “The youngman, Paret by name, who first found the cattle and spread the report that they had been killed byIndians denied that he had seen any Indians or had observed moccasin tracks as reported. Heacknowledged that the animals were in a putrid state and filled with worms when found by himthree days before.”The findings of his commanders in the field and the confirmation by the governor of Sonorathat no Indian activity could be discovered in Mexico, led General Grierson to conclude that thereports of the Indian raids were fabricated. He called for criminal proceedings against theoffenders. “The circulation of false reports alleging the committal of depredations by Indians—designed to take troops into the field unnecessarily, where they have to endure hardships andprivations in a desolate country almost destitute of water, incurring great expense to the Government—shouldbe made subject to severe punishment, as they excite the apprehension of the betterclass of people, permanent residents, and stand in the way of the development and advancement ofthe country.”Around 17 June Denver newspapers were publishing accounts out of El Paso, TX, that toldof a cowboy who had survived an Indian attack north of Separ, NM. An investigation made byColonel Bliss commanding the District of New Mexico at Fort Bayard concluded that the storywas a hoax perpetuated by ten cowboys to frighten one of their more gullible company. Scoutsby the 10th Cavalry failed to turn up any sign of Indians.The department commander’s feelings about the rash of reported Indian depredations aroundFort Huachuca were clear. Brig. Gen. Grierson said, “It has been definitely ascertained that thenumerous reports of alleged depredations by Indians since that date are entirely groundless, gottenup by malicious persons bent upon their favorite scheme of calling upon the Government forA MAGAZINE OF THE FORT HUACHUCA MUSEUM21