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

Fort Huachuca on the Eve of the Spanish-American WarThe U.S. Army at the advent of the 20 th century was little more than an Indian-fightingconstabulary, about 27,000 in number. Its fighting regiments, 10 of cavalry and 25 of infantry,were spread out over a constellation of distant and isolated frontier posts. One of these was FortHuachuca, a high-desert post in a canyon of the Huachuca Mountains hard on the Mexicanborder.Huachuca was a product of the Apache campaigns, most recently in 1886 against that steadfastholdout, Geronimo. It was built around a parade field, a rectangle just a little bigger than afootball field that tilted and sloped downward from where the canyon widened upon a vista of theSan Pedro valley. On one side of this makeshift, ankle-turning parade ground were the officers’quarters, large piles of Victorian adobe. On the opposite side, in direct line-of-sight from theirwatchful superiors, were a row of six enlisted barracks, long, wooden, two-story affairs thatsuggested a double-row of bunks on each floor to accommodate a 70-man company each. Theband had single-story building of its own. A few other buildings made their way on to theperimeter—a hospital, bakery, quartermaster shop, post office, amusement hall, bachelor officers’quarters, and even a Chinese restaurant. The stables were off to the north, across HuachucaCreek and out of sight of this well-ordered garrison. Oaks and cottonwoods provided shade,while rose bushes and fruit trees added splashes of color. A double reservoir, built on the hillbehind the officers’ quarters, hoarded the supply of water. At this elevation, the temperature wasa little cooler than on Arizona’s desert floor. By most accounts it was a good place to be stationedas these western forts went.Even though the Apache campaigns were concluded and the Army was closing most of itsinstallations in the Southwest, Fort Huachuca had a bright future. In the Secretary of the Army’sAnnual Report for 1889, the Department of Arizona commander, Col. Benjamin H. Grierson,10th Cavalry, wrote: “Fort Huachuca is in good repair and on account of its proximity to theMexican line and the railroad leading into Mexico, should be retained and fully garrisoned forsome years to come.”Grierson’s successor, Brig. Gen. A. McD. McCook, echoed these recommendations in 1891.“[Fort Huachuca] is located in a canyon of the same name about 14 miles north of the Mexicanline, a convenient point for observing and scouting the frontier. It is 9 miles from a station on theSonora and Guaymas Railroad. There are comfortable quarters here for four troops of cavalry.It is now garrisoned by two troops of Second Cavalry, and two companies of the Ninth Infantry.This is an important post, should be kept in good repair, and as soon as practicable should haveadditional quarters built, with an increase of troops.”The Department of Arizona in 1890 comprised the territories of Arizona, New Mexico, andCalifornia south of the 35th parallel. It was commanded by Brig. Gen. Alexander McD. McCook,who replaced Brig. Gen. Grierson late in the fiscal year, from his headquarters in Los Angeles. Itwas a subordinate command, along with the Departments of California and Columbia, of theDivision of the Pacific with headquarters at San Francisco. In command in San Francisco wasBrig. Gen. Nelson A. Miles. The Department of Arizona ceased to exist in 1893 when theDepartment of Arizona became part of the Military Department of Colorado, with headquarters inDenver.