b'Colonel George Stoneman General George R. Crook Lieutenant Charles B. Gatewoodout. Two hundred men also dropped out as they continuedTime was passing quickly. In 1862, the United States Armythe wells could recover. Moreover, when Walker got to the down the Rio Grande to Mesilla, near the Texas border.came on the scene, ironically, not to fight Indians but to getPima and Maricopa villages he was amazed at the wheat Once there they then headed westward toward Tucson. Stillrid of the injured confederates that had been left behind.fields (and other grain) he saw. They had food aplenty. and all, by the time they reached Tucson, the battalion wasMany forts were abandoned when the Civil War began andAnother unexpected thing happened while they were there. in dire shape. There were numerous stragglers. Some of thethe union soldiers were pulled out of Arizona and NewThe soldiers learned the Pima loved their brass buttons, of wagons (not to mention animals) were breaking down Mexico to be sent back east. Colonel Carlton, who wasall things. They wound up cutting them off their uniforms they were without water for more than a dayit was awith that Mormon Battalion mentioned earlier, was nowand trading single buttons for whole loaves of bread. It also grueling trek, to say the least. in command of 2300 men sent back to Arizona to get ridbecame Walkers job to take care of the business end of of those confederates. The Apaches allowed the Mormonthings with the Pima and Maricopa to buy this grain to feed When they reached the Pima villages they quickly learnedBattalion to go through without incident, for some reason,the Army animals.the Pima could be the most cordial and helpful people inbut when the California column reached Apache Pass theyThe Apaches continued their unrelenting attacks on the world. They took water back to the stragglers and helpedjumped all over them. The California Column had artilleryeverybody. That included the Pima, Maricopa, and Papago bring them in. The lead elements were so exhausted that apieces which the Apache had never seen before and they gotwho were all suffering under that same aggression. It lot of them fell asleep and left their wagons set where theya taste of what that was all about. The California Column, onseemed as though the only safe place to be was at the stopped. Those wagons had all sorts of personal propertythe other hand, received a rude awakening when they sawPresidio at Tucson. If you left Tucson you were taking your in them, including guns, but not one item was ever stolen.how horrendous the Apache atrocities could be. life in your hands. When talking about all these attacks by When the battalion continued to San Diego they left somethe Apaches, it appears as though they were everywhere. mules behind to replace the ones on the straggler wagons.Lieutenant John Walker was in charge of all the wagonsThey were nothing like the organized tribes. Those tribes all The mules were right where they were left and were therewith the Column. He was sending people over piece-mealhad a chain of command with chiefs in charge. While the when those wagons arrived. These people proved beyondfor water because the animals were drinking up all theApaches did follow a hierarchy within their separate groups, doubt that they were honorable people. water. Sending them over a few at a time was the only wayeach of those groups operated independently of each other. continued on page 11403 N. Florence StreetCasa Grande, AZ 85122Western Trading Post TVas seen on theCowboy ChannelMonthly Auctions,Check Website for ScheduleArizonaRealCountry.com November 2020 9'