San Antonio Express. (San Antonio, Tex.), Vol. 52, No. 301, Ed. 1 Sunday, October 28, 1917 Page: 45 of 72
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SUNDAY MORNING, OCTOBER 28, 1917
SOCIETY AND GENERAL NEWS
■
mi
h - *<4 / 4« i: I' -a
OrncotPJ" or thg Fighting Sixth vhiic-the I?c-gimciit
VAJ" DOIDS DOTy OM THE PLAIN/ AtlD IN THE t?AD lAND/.
P[(?/HIMG rtApkC-D WITH A Cf50// *
r)
Regiment Born in the Strife of Civil War Came to
Texas Soon After Long Conflict Only to Face
Desperadoes and Indians—Its Present Com-
mander and Officer Who Heads American
Force in France Served Together on Plains
and in Bad Lands in the Eighties.
'HE FIGHTING SIXTH CAVALRY, a regiment born in the strife of the
war between the North and South, and which came out of that long
struggle only to be sent South to battle with Indians and desperadoes on the
plains and in the bad lands, is coming to San Antonio for station. Not only that,
the regiment is now notable because Pershing, the same John J. who is com-
manding the American expeditionary force in France came to it from West
Point, back in the eighties. And, it was with the Sixth this gallant soldier got
his first real touch of soldiering on the frontier. He served in the Apachc
Indian campaign in Arizona and New Mexico in 1886, soon after joining, ana
was with the Sixth when it was dealing with the Sioux Indians in the Dakotas
in 1890 and 1891, and for a time was commanding the Sioux Indian Scouts.
The Sixth Cavalry has had its full measure of service. Sometimes the
troopers were called to the field under the blazing tropical suns, and again in
the land of the blizzard where the icy winds made life miserable alike to the
pursuer and the pursued. The regiment has recently been doing boader service
and it is now making an overland march of 445 miles to Fort Sam Houston.
The present commandwer, Col. Alonzo Gray, was a second lieutenant in the
regiment, joining in 1887, just a year after Pershing did. This will be Colonel
Gray's third tour of duty in San Antonio. He first came here with the Fifth
Cavalry as a first lieutenant, then as inspector general of the Southern Depart-
ment under Generals Bliss and Funston. Colonel Gray, too, has the red service
badge of the Indian wars for he served thronph the Sioux campaign.
. V I
■ir * <* \ U
Col At ouzo 6f?AV.
OrrtcfRf or the/ixth -Photo taw
DOtriHS THE Re&IMC-KTJ' EAftlY SERVICE IN TEXAS
Alonzo Gray indicated BY CftOtf
CacwmcTeapi laoi.&Eiicvue IPAMfiG • Lieu Per/hihg /gated a." right cno
Lieut. Alonzo Gray is seated second from the left.
Following the Civil War the regiment
was ordered to Texas and the organization
took a hand In many Indian fights and
also were active In suppressing lawless-
ness. The regiment made the Journey from
New York to Galveston by water, readi-
ng the latter place November 12, 1865.
From Galveston the march was overland
to Austin, the capital being reached No-
vember 2and Camp Sanders was estab-
lished half a mile west of the town, .The
headquarters remained there for nearly
three years, when on August 2, 1808, it was
moved to Fort Richardson.
EARLY SERVICE IN TEXAS.
The regiment performed not only the
lifual frontier service, but. in adltlon, mu^
of a character not strictly military. The
troops were seldom employed together;
In fact, they were not infrequently scat-
tered all over the State. During the pe
rlod, 1865 to 1871, the duties In Texas
were of the most varied and dangerous
kind. After the close of the Civil War the
country was over run with desperadoes
who were even worse than the hostile
Comanrhes, and the officers and men were
frequently called upon to guard the courts
of Justice, assist revenue officers, aid In
executing convicted criminal*, supervise
elections, pursue outlaws aod murderers,
and In general to institute lawful proceed-
ing* where anarchy reigned. Many sol-
diers were assassinated for their devotion
to law and order, snd nothing but in
cessant vigilance and unflinching courage
prevented the guerrilla community from
controlling the border counties of the
State.
Owing to the pcattered condition of the
troops the records of this period are very
meager and unsatisfactory, and Important
actions in the light of today are entirety
omitted or remain only a* traditions In
the regiment, saj* Lieut. Col \V. II. Car-
ter In his book, "From Iprktown to San
tlago.** a volume published In IWi and
dealing with the history of the 6th Cav-
alry.
On Jane 11 IMi Troop O was sent from
to Maw Otimm* far ncoMtnctiti
duty, and remained ther for nearly twj
years during a critical period in the city's
history, performing duty at General Sheri-
dan's headquarters, as the regiment had
done during his more active career in the
Army of the Potomac.
A detachment of the regiment marched
from Fort Belknap during the month of
July, to Maxwell's celebrated ranch on the
Clear Fork of the Brazos River, and estab-
lished Fort Griffin, which was subsequent-
ly occupied by a portion of the regiment.
TROOPERS DIE OF CHOLERA.
During September, 1866, F Troop was
sent to Spring Creek to escort recruits
for the regiment to Austin. 1'pon arriving
at Onion Creek, September 15, on the re-
turn Journey, cholcra broke out and th<*
command went into camp. Lieut Adam
Kramer was sent from Austin, took charge
and endeavored to stamp out the much
dreaded dloes.-e. Ten of the men died be
fore the command could move on to Aus-
tin.
A vast amount of scouting was done in
Texas by the regiment, sometimes merely
as patrol doty, but not Infrequently result-
ing in overhauling war parties of the rov-
lug. ruthless Indians who inhabited Texas
and Mexico, and who Lad developed ordi-
nary horse and cattle stealing Into a flue
art.
On July 21, 1*C7. while Captain Hutch-
Ins. with the greater part of tlie gsrrisou
from Buffalo Springs, was training a
party of Ind ans who had committed dep-
redations in Jack County, the post, which
had been left with a small detachment
and quartermaster s employes, under Lieu-
tenant Ma^.N y, was attacked bv Indians
who were rej -d. When Captain Hutch-
Ins abandone se pursuit because the In
dians scattered an<l the trail was lost, he
returned to find that tb«-j had evidently
reassembled at a ;• reconverted rendezvous
and endeavored *»» capture the post b*
for* U»* garret. could get back. There
were a number of families at the post dur-
ing the attack .*nd the small number of
enlisted m.-n Made Llenten.net Mr.Jtheny s
task a difficult one. Fortunately, however,
the efforts of the Indians were frustrated,
but they ho\«red a boot the vicinity until
the appro* of the returning troops was
discovered when they dl*api>eared.
On Mar< b 5. Capt. Adna R. Chaf-
fer. with lroop I. left Fort Griffin on a
scout after Indiana. He marched on the
dty ®eauo ae4 to Led better's Ranch and
party of In-
The fndiuns were
from thence In the night to Dead Man'f
Creek. He crossed Clear Fork of the
Brazos, about twelve miles below Phantom
Hill, on the 6th, and soon after found
an Indian trail which he followed through-
out the day. On the morning of tbe^ fol-
lowing day he came upon
dians near Paint Creek.
charged and seven of them killed.
DESPERADOES AND INDIANS.
About this time the desperadoes previ-
ously mentioned, organised into bands of
outlaws in many parts of Texas, one of
the most notorious being Lee's band. On
March 7, is6S, Corporal Ilenhold. Troop D.
left Sherman with thirteen enlisted men
and some citizen guides to break up thin
band. The pursuit carried the detach-
ment to Read Creek Swamp, where tho
band was effectively broken up by kill-
ing two and <apturing five of their num-
ber. One troop inarched more than a
thousand miles In pursuit of outlaws dur-
ing the last three months of 1868.
The year 18«59 was not uneventful, al-
though there were no fights with Indiana,
who, while engaging iu petty depredations
and preparing for more deviltry on a
larger scale, managed to avoid actual col-
lision. Matters drifted along, but by con-
stant activity and scouting the trooM:
succeeded in preserving |»eace along the J
frontier assigned to them. The Indians'
grew more bold in 1870, and began to
o|*»rate over a wide extent of country.
Lieut. I. M. Walters, who was out with
a detachment, encountered a band of
mauradlng Indians on May 30 and fought
them with the loss of one soldiers and two
citizens killed. During July the Indians
made attacks along the mail stage route,
and troops were hurried from all campi to
reo(»en the line and drive the Indians
back to the reservations. Captain Mc-
Lcllan was the first to come in contact
with them and his report of the fight was
a splendid word picture of the scouting
for Indians on the frontier.
The casualties in this engagement
two enlisted men killed, one acting as
sistant surgeon and ten enlisted men
wounded. The wounded were all brought
off the field, but the killed were left in
the hands of the enemy, it being Impos-
sible t«> carry tnem away. Eight horses
were killed and twenty-one wounded. The
loss of the enemy was fifteen killed and
a large number wounded. Captain Mcl^l-
lan's command was greatly outnumbered
by the Indians, yet he fought them for
four and one-half hours and taught them
a severe lesson. Officers and men alike
displayed much gallantry. The fighting
wain bora of
qualities of the individual members of
the command called forth much commends
tion from superior officers and tho wai
f —,
tion from *up#rlor
lxy*mu«ut conferred
medals
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San Antonio Express. (San Antonio, Tex.), Vol. 52, No. 301, Ed. 1 Sunday, October 28, 1917, newspaper, October 28, 1917; San Antonio, Texas. (https://texashistory.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metapth433360/m1/45/?q=j+w+gardner: accessed July 17, 2024), University of North Texas Libraries, The Portal to Texas History, https://texashistory.unt.edu; crediting Abilene Library Consortium.