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Unit Histories
"The Formation of the 10th Cavalry" (1) (2) 3 (4)
During the 22nd and 23rd of August the Wichita Agency was subjected to a fierce attack by the Kiowa and Naconee Indians. The Agency was defended by Troops C, E, H and L, 10th Cavalry, commanded by Lieut.-Colonel Davidson. The main object of the attack, as expressed in the vigorous language of the hostiles, was to "wipe out" the buildings and settlement. Attempts were made to do so by setting fire to the prairie at different points, but the tireless and well-directed efforts of the defenders succeeded in extinguishing the flames and saving the buildings. Repeated assaults were made by the Indians in numbers ranging from 50 to 500, at different points of the line, all of which were repulsed with the infliction of heavy losses and great disorder upon the assailants. The decisive feature of the engagement was a charge made by Captain Carpenter's troop. His men routed a body of over 150 warriors, who were about to take up a commanding position in rear of the troops. Only four men were wounded. Indian casualties was quite large, but owing to their well-known custom of carrying off their dead and wounded could not be definitely ascertained.
From Fort Sill the regimental headquarters moved back to Fort Gibson. They left Fort Sill on the 5th of June, 1872. During the three years and two months of their stay at that station a majority of the regiment—for a time there were eleven troops—was constantly at headquarters. The monthly rate of desertion fell from 7 to 3; the rate of discharge by court-martial from 2.5 to 1.5. In fact, the deportment of the regiment attested the advantage to discipline of large commands and varied and interesting occupation for the troops.
Among the stations other than Fort Sill, held by troops of the 10th Cavalry, were Forts Dodge, Gibson and Arbuckle, Camp Supply and Cheyenne Agency. Having remained at Fort Gibson until April 23, 1873 the regimental headquarters then returned to Fort Sill. In the meantime there had been a few skirmishes unattended by any casualties.
A movement of troops was now under way looking to a transfer of the regiment to the Department of Texas, and the end of April found Troops E, I and L at Fort Richardson, Texas; and Troops C, D and F en route, the two former for Fort Griffin, the latter for Fort Concho, Texas. The headquarters were reestablished at Fort Sill on the 4th of May, 1873, and remained there until the 27th of March, 1875. During this time the regiment continued serving partly in Texas and partly in the Indian Territory. The troops that were serving in the Indian Territory took part in the campaign of 1874-75 against the Kiowas and Comanches. This campaign was but a continuation of the campaign of 1867-68, and, like the latter, was directed by General Sheridan. There were four columns in the field operating separately under the following commanders:
Lieut.-Colonel Neill, 6th Cavalry; Colonel N. A. Miles, 5th Infantry; Lieut.-Colonel Davidson, 10th Cavalry; Colonel R. S. Mackenzie, 4th Cavalry.
The first capture of the campaign was made by a portion of Davidson's column. On the 25th of October, 1874, Troops B and M, 10th Cavalry, and one company of the 11th Infantry, under command of Major Schofield, while in pursuit of Indians near Elk Creek, pressed them so hard that the whole band surrendered. They numbered 68 warriors, 276 squaws and children, and about 1500 ponies. These prisoners, and others taken subsequently, were put in camp at Fort Sill, the more dangerous bucks being closely confined. At the close of the campaign the ringleaders were sent to Fort Marion, Florida, under charge of Captain Pratt. This officer never returned to the regiment. He is now justly distinguished for his work as an educator of Indians, especially in the superintendence of the Carlisle Indian School.
On the 6th of April, 1875, Black Horse, one of the Cheyenne ringleaders who was billeted for Fort Marion, broke from his guard at Cheyenne Agency and ran towards the camp of his people near by. He was pursued by Captain Bennett, 5th Infantry, with the guard, who fired upon Black Horse and killed him. Several shots passed beyond him and wounded some people in the camp. After firing a volley of bullets and arrows at the guard, about one-half of the Cheyenne tribe abandoned their camp and fled to a group of sand-hills on the south side of the Canadian River opposite the Cheyenne Agency. They were followed by a company of the 5th Infantry, a troop of the 6th Cavalry, and Troops D and M of the 10th Cavalry, all under command of Lieut.-Colonel Neill, 6th Cavalry. Being well armed and well posted, the Indians held their ground until nightfall and then stole away. The troops took up the trail and followed it about ten days, at the end of which time it was covered up by rains. Troops from other posts were ordered to assist in the pursuit and eventually most of the fugitives gave themselves up. In the fight at the Agency the Indians lost eight killed. The 10th Cavalry lost 12 men wounded, one mortally.
When moved for the second time from Fort Sill the regimental headquarters were transferred to Fort Concho, Texas, where they were established on the 17th of April, 1875. The 1st of May found the troops of the regiment located in Texas and Indian Territory as follows: Troops A, F, G, I and L, at Fort Concho; B and E at Fort Griffin; C and K at Fort McKavett; H at Fort Davis; D and M in the field at Buffalo Springs, I. T. During the month of May, troops D and M moved from the Indian Territory, the former to Fort Concho, the latter to Fort Stockton.
In the course of the next two years the disposition of the troops was modified so as to scatter the regiment over the length and breadth of Western Texas. Its headquarters, however, were destined to remain at Fort Concho for more than seven years. During this period the regiment continued with some variation its past experience in Indian fighting. Its campaigning consisted mainly in pursuing small bands of marauding Apaches. This carried the troops,—now across the border into the unknown territory of the "Gringo"-hating Mexicans,—now over the scorching wastes of the Staked Plains (near the present day city of Andrews in West Texas),—now up and down the rocky fastnesses of the Guadalupe Mountains and the bad lands bordering the upper Rio Grande.
Over the next several years the men of the 10th remained in the forefront of the action in West Texas. In July, 1876, Troops B, E and K crossed into Mexico as part of a column commanded by Lieut.-Colonel Shafter, 24th Infantry. A detachment of this command, made up of twenty picked men of Troop B under Lieutenant Evans, and twenty Seminole scouts, all under command of Lieutenant Bullis, 24th Infantry, made a march of 110 miles in twenty-five hours and thereby succeeded in surprising a camp of twenty-three lodges of hostile Lipans and Kickapoos near Saragossa, Mexico. They killed ten Indians and captured four, and also captured about 200 horses. They then made a bonfire of the camp material and with their prisoners and captured stock rejoined the main column as fast as their jaded horses would carry them.
On the 10th of July, 1877, Troop A left Fort Concho under command of Captain Nolan for a scout on the Staked Plains (near present-day Andrews, Texas). The command got lost, and, as a consequence, Captain Nolan, Lieutenant Cooper, Sergeant Jackson and about ten privates were ninety-six hours without water. Four of the men died. Other parties were from twenty-four to thirty-eight hours without water. The command was found and brought back to Fort Concho by a party sent out from there to search for it.
In 1880 the regiment was engaged in what is known as the Victorio campaign, a series of operations direct against the Mescalero Apache chief Victorio, who, with his Whole band, had escaped from the military authorities in New Mexico. On the 30th of July Colonel Grierson, with a party of only six men, was attacked by this band between Quitman and Eagle Springs. Lieutenant Finley with fifteen men of Troop G came up, engaged the Indians, and held them in check until the arrival of Captains Viele and Nolan with Troops C and A. In an engagement, which lasted four hours, seven Indians were killed and a number wounded. On the side of the troops one soldier was killed and Lieutenant Colladay wounded. The hostiles were driven off and pursued to the Rio Grande. In the course of the pursuit a running fight of at least fifteen miles was maintained near the Alamo by a detachment under Corporal Asa Weaver of Troop H. Private Tockes, Troop C, was killed. His horse went to bucking and then ran directly into the Indians. When last seen alive this devoted trooper had dropped his reins, drawn his carbine, and was firing to right and left. His skeleton was found months afterwards. For his gallant conduct in this affair Corporal Weaver was promoted to a sergeant on the ground. The same day Captain Lebo, with Troop K, followed an Indian trail to the top of the Sierra Diabola, captured Victorio's supply camp of twenty-five head of cattle, and a large quantity of beef and other provisions on pack animals.
The decisive blow of the campaign was struck a few days later by Colonel Grierson. On the trail of Victorio, heading northward through the Carriso Mountains, Grierson switched off to his right, and, by a forced march of sixty-five miles, swung around the flank of the unsuspecting Apaches and struck them in front, forcing them southward across the frontier and into Mexico, a march that exhausted the entire party. Victorio never went raiding again on American soil. He was subsequently killed by the Mexican troops near Lake Guzman, Mexico.
In July, 1882, regimental headquarters were moved from Fort Concho to Fort Davis, where they remained until March 30,1885. During this time the regiment saw little active field service.
