Wild West Discussion – June 2015
In the Southwest the U.S. Army used Apache scouts to hunt Navajos and other Apaches. To the north the Army used a handful of Lakota scouts, as well as scouts from various friendly tribes—Crow, Pawnee, Shoshone, Arikara—to track down renegade Lakotas and Cheyennes. What do you think of the use of such Indian scouts, and how do you rate their respective performances in the Indian wars?
Our sense is it was the Apache scouts that really ended the Apache wars. They seemed light-footed. Near us in southern New Mexico is the site of the 1879 Massacre Canyon fight between Victorio and 9th Cav Buffalo Soldiers. Deep in the wilderness lie the bodies of black soldiers KIA along with two Navajo scouts. Their graves were marked by the Medal of Honor Society.
The builder of our house was at that 1879 battle.