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WHIMS OF INDIAN SCOUTS%.2hihilt;•4daa11n8iilap-\ilt;Ve-1idii»•)in-*nJ!“Indian scout* are useful, lmliapeusable In fact. In campaigning against certaintribe* of the Western plains ami mourn*tains, said an army officer who has seen service all along the Western frontier from Canada to the Mexican line anil across It. He told it to the New York Sun. Our regular soldiers are time fighters, as good as any in the world,patient, brave and enduring, and theyhave no trouble in disposing of Indiana under any fair odds once they can bring them to battle; but just here is the trouble, to catch them. The Indians, born and bred In the country, knowing every foot of it. accustomed to warfare and tomoving swiftly over wide spaces, and hampered by no baggage train or other Impedimenta, cun keep away from a greatly superior pursuing force of civilised soldiers for a long time. If they de ctda to tight they are able usually to choose their own place ami time tor giving battle. This is especially true of theApaches, who have been the moat in-veterately hostile and the hardest to deal with of all the Western tribes. It is in the blood of an Apache to live by rapine and plunder, and he is physically organised ami trained to that end. He can run sixty mile* a day over country open or rough, taking it as he finds It, for aweek on a stretch, finding his subsistence as he goes; can hide himself anywhere almost that a ground Heard can, and knows every trick of dodging or following or getting away from an enemy.“Of all our Indians the Apaches have been employed the most as scouts for the regular army, and without their services in this way the government might hove failed to this day in making the south west territories, New Mexico and Arizona. safely habitable for white settlers.Jn first organiixng this service men from one Apache tribe were enlisted to light those of another tribe. Hater, when all the Apache triies had been put on reservations. the Indian scouts and police were found quite as ready to perform their duty with their own tribesmen as with offenders of another tribe. When culled on to take the field against hostile Indians they fully match them in cunning and endurance. They know every move of the enemy, can trail him night and day and fight him in hllt; own fashion when they come up with him. Almost without exception the Apache scouts have been loyal to the government and havedone their duty bravely and faithfully.Hut their usefulness depends greatly upon the qualities of the officer who leads thorn. They must first and foremost respect him, and any suspicion of timidityor lack of prompt decision in his behavior forfeits bis efficient control over them, ai d may be even dangerous to his safety. 1 Nowhere is force of character, pure and simple, more appreciated and bowed to than among Indians, and in dealing with , them in friendship or war the lack of It is fatal. f VI Vf“It was about the time tlvat Gen. Crook wound up bis famous campaigns against ttie Apaches that 1 came with my new lieutenant’s commission to (Jump llowle, Arizona. Crook had whipped the Apaches out and out, had killed a great many, and had corralled all the tribe* in reservations except a few warriors, a remnant of Cochise’s old hand, who bad refused to surrender and bad gone into tin* Sierra Mad res across the Mexican border, where ; he could not reach them. The Apaches, for the time being, had enough of fight- Ing, and so things were quiet for a while. This gave me time to pick up some Span ish and Apache words for use with the Indian scouts before 1 was called on to lead them anywhere, 1 had the chance to go as Junior officer on a scouting expedition or two, and so got a little the hang of tlie thing before I was assigned to the command of scouts myself.“It was in early autumn that I got my first orders to go out with a detail of Apaches to scout tin* Chirieahua mountains southward as far as the Mexican lino and return by way of I lie San Simon plain. It was difficult country, wholly new to me, as 11 was to moat men then, and, to make the thing worse, there had just been a shifting of scouts at the post, and there was not a man in my command that I knew except Casimlro Grijalba, a, Mexican, who acted as Interpreter. But of course I took my assignment thankfully, made my requisitions for a ten days’ trip, and rode out of the post the next morning Into the southwest opening of Apache pass, Hitting very straight on my horse, with Grijalba rid lng by my side and twenty Apache scouts stringing along on foot behind.“We camped that nig lit on the Kan Pedro, and the next morning took Into the n ountains. The country after passing the foothills was horribly rough, and there was only one man in my command v ho owned to having been in the mountains before. He was u half-Mexican Apache called Durango, the least to be trusted of any. Half of my men might have fought or hunted through and through the whole range, and known every pass and spring and valley in it; but that sort of knowledge an Indian keeps to himself, and until he knows and trusts his commander he simply follows Ha orders and leaves him, without so much as a hint of assistance, to find his own way. I knew too much by this time to show a sign of hesitancy, and, helped by Grijalba, hi* admirable and trustworthy rnan. 1 picked out rny route, good or bad, riding ahead into all sorts of places, scanning the ground and sky for Indian sign, and generally making a grand l luff of knowing everything about everything for effect upon my men. Perhaps I overdid the thing, for on the third day I began to notice a change In ‘liedid not Join themin the lurch. If they outright.’“He nodded again. ‘It is bad, very had.' he said gravely. ‘It Is the talk of Durango that makes the other Indians’ hearts bad. He thinks himself a medicine man and he tells them that It means ill luck if they follow you against their own people that you are young and know nothing of war and that your heart will quake when danger comes,*“it would have been a great comfort just then to have my half company of regulars at my call. But here I was In tho heart of the ChtrlcAhua* alone, except for Grijalba, among twenty Apaches on the verge of mutiny. Things looked squally and I could see no ending of them that was not bad. I felt that Grljalba’g advicewould be valuable Juat then.“ ‘Wall, what is to be done?* I said. *1 can see no way but to shoot Durgngo, and the quicker ths better. It will make thing* no worse, and will bring mattersto a head.*“ ‘You may have to do it. or 1, tf you give me the order. Hut wait until 1 have tnlktxl with the scouts. Ah, here come* Durango now to tell us that the scout reports no Apache tires from the mountains. There will bo no signs of the hostile* found, depend upon it, senor, untilths men’s hearts have changed.*“The half-breed was coming und taking hi* time about It. We waited, and when ho got up with vm ho told, as Grijalba hud said, that the scout hud come back ami had seen no firlt; s from the mountain top.“ ‘Casimlro, go hack and bring the scouts up.’ I ordered ‘Durango will stay with me,' I wanted to give the Interpreter a (diance to talk to the ocouta withthe half-breed away.“Grijalba hesitated, and gave me u look that meant ‘Be on your guard;' then rode back to the scouts. 1 motioned to the half-breed to go ahead of me, and we went slowly up the valley. I knowing that Grijalba, with the scouts, could easily overtake us. Durango went none too willingly, feeling guilty toward me, perhaps, and not knowing what I hud found out or meant to do. It would not have helped his feelings to have known that 1 was watching for the first hint of treachery or dtaobedlent e, which would have been my pretext for shooting him out of hand.“A grizzly bear brought an end to thisinteresting sltation quite different fromwhat anybody concerned had Intended.As we came opposite u little blind canon,a mere recess In the cliffs that shut in the valley, there came from within ii the roar of a grizzly disturbed in his midday nap by our passing. There wo* no way for him to climb out of the canon, and, thinking himself cornered, he showed tight at once, and came for us, grizzly fashion; his hair bristled up, making him look a* big as two bears. I could not pay much attention to the ln*ar for some seconds, for at the wound of the roar my horse wheeled and ran from under me so quickly that I found myself sitting on the ground without quite knowing how I got there. The Jar with which t came to the earth made mo see stars, and when the fire stopped dancing in my eyes so that 1 could see I he bear was Ju*t corning out of the canon and Durango was running for a tree. I might perhaps have got to a tree In time, hut the scouts, who were now coining up the valley, could nee everything that Wtvu Oil, and, u« things were then, it was as bad as the grizzly could do for me to show the white leather before them.“My carbine, with right cartridge* tnthe magazine and one in the barrel, waa | in my hand when I waa thrown. If tluwte j nine shots failed to stop the bear bctor® lie covered the hundred yards that lay between us well, ii was safe to bank that 1 wouldn't cate for bears or Apache* or i anything any more. I dropped on to one knee, using the other a* a rest formy elbow as I fired, and pumped bullets at the hear. He was a moving mark, not easy to hit In spite of his bigness, and my first three shots mlesid him. The fourth shot struck ill* right shoulder and ho turned to bite at the wound, giving me a fair mark for the next bullet behind the left shoulder. It struck where I send it, but he came on without wincing, as fast as before. My other four shots all land -fd, one of them in the head, knocking the boar down, hut he got up and came on, wabbling a little and bleeding from both nostrils, but as determined a* ever. With the hear not ten pace* away I drew my revolver and gave him every one of the six shots, dodging to one side and firing the lost one into hiu ear as ho lurched over the place where 1 had been and fell in a heap, gasping out his last breath*.“('uHimLro Grijalba got first to the mjmm, with the scouts close behind him, andthe little Mexican’* eye* wore dancing. He did not stop by the bear, but rode to the tree where the half-breed was Jti#t climbing down, and begun to make fun of him in the Apache tongue, for run-’lt;iito*hr«mtsn-alg€urityinetnlng away from the bear.“ ‘You are a coyote,* he said. Halt-breds, you understand, are called coyote* by the Mexicans. ‘You are not a true Apache, and 1 am ashamed of the Mexican blood in you. Go hack to the reservation and carry water with the women. You are not fit company for me.’“An Indian taxed with an act orcowardice which he has committed before his fellows has not the spirit to show resentments. Durango etood, sullen and [downcast under Grijaha's words and the , Other Apaches Jeered and laughed athim.“ 'Now is your lime,’ Grijalba Mid to me in Knglish, not turning his head. ‘Disarm him and send him away/“I walked over to Durango. His rifle waft lying on the ground whore he had dr ipped it wlen he climbed the tree. ‘You are a coward, not fit to serve in my command,’ 1 said to him, Grijalba translatingmy words Into Apache a* I spoke. *Tak*Ibehavior of the scouts. They had started * - -briskly from Camp Bowl*, as pleased. ftp- I ofr. y‘’.l,.r /’artrids,- Wit. Ths half breadparently, as a pack of hunting dogs at taking a trail. For the find two days, at any time on the way, they were ready to dart off in chase of a jaekrabbit or turkey, laughing as they followed and headed off their victim at every turn and usually carrying it along at the end to help out the government rations at supper at the bivouac. Now they had grown silent and sullen, talking together Iri undertonesiiunbuckled his belt and the Interpreter took It. I held up my watt h. ‘I will give you two minutes, remember, I shall turn loose,* 1 said, and cocked my carbino which, I just r merrib red, had not a cartridge in it, while rny revolver was likewise empty. D was just as well, for tint scouts, all loyal ag tin now that there waft business to do and f had asserted myself,were cocking their rifle* waiting forat our h.iltH ;.nlt;l taklni? un tbf route ; | «r«llt;-rs to lir, , wllb ttn-lr eyes Klanolngu*d#allI*hier,hito,r»ilt;*lt;5iiol IS nI'Rtth« til 18tEd*m-r«iliftliftJtiUoiwith 1 ttle will ng teas. Durango the halfMexican Apache, had the most to say among them, and I could see that they listened to his words, f'aslmiro Grijalba, who understood the Apache tongue and character better than any other white nan living, was quietly attentive to what went on in camp and on trail, but said nothing to me of what he heard and saw.When I noticed a shade of anxiety appearing in 1 is face I took the first chance to ask him what was wrong with the scouts. J put my questions to him on the morning of the fourth day as we two. rode up a grassy valley, hemmed in ... f -----I steep mountain cliffs and dotted with pine j turn tofrom mine to Durango, who was running like a greyhound for the nearest timber.“I made the two minutes hist until the* half-breed had g d beyond rifle shot, for I did not want any shooting done. The scouts were disappointed at missing their chance to fire at Durango, but we alt went hack to the bear, which was a big fellow. I could not take ids skin along, but his scalp and the claws of one foot 1 err i mI back to tlie post as a trophy.“There was no more trouble, for me in handling Apache scouts then or at anyother time. I was big chief with thi* by j party, and it was not long after our rone i turn tn ('namp Howie before the story ofend oak trets like a park. I had sent a man up on the mountain to report any Apache fires he might see, and the rest of the scout* were behind us about 200 yards down the valley, where f had ordered them to wait until the Indian came back from the mountain.“ ‘What is the matter with the scouts, Casimlro ?* I asked. ‘They seem to have grown unwilling and sulky.’“He nhrugged his shoulders and nodded. “ ‘Yes. senor,* he said. ‘They get that way sometimes. It is their nature.’“ 'But this won’t do,' I said. ’The way they feel now. I can’t trust them to report any Tndian signs they find, much lew to take up a trail and follow it. And how much could I depend on them if we fell inmy killing the grizzly and running the half-breed off had traveled over all the reservations and wherever there was a band of Apacho scouts. We had some luck, too. before we got hack, capturing a party of seven renegades from the Kan Carlo* reservation on their way to the Sierra Madre* to join the hostile Chiric o huas and killing two of the bucks. Durango was next heard of on the reservation, and he lived long enough to mak* more trouble for the whites. He wasr found among the dead left on the field after a winning fight with hostile* two years later, and It came out that he had been dealing with renegade Indians, selling them ammunition and bringing them information all the time that he was prowith the hostile*? They would leave us ! tendirg to be the friend of the whiteo.
Newspaper Details
Defiance Daily Crescent
Defiance, Ohio, US
Fri, Feb 03, 1899
Page 7
Full Page
Clipped by
Ryan B.
USA 29 May 2019
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