On The Trail Of Deserters

The year of 1871 had been so full of incidents and far reaching results for the Fourth Cavalry and its new Colonel, Ranald S. Mackenzie, that it is somewhat difficult to go back into the dim vistas of that period and select the one incident, or absorbing event which would be either of greatest magnitude or afford the most thrilling interest-- This capture of ten deserters, however, under circumstances of more than ordinary importance, since it is believed to be the record capture ever made in the Military Department of Texas, or, perhaps for that matter, of any Military Department in the United States--came about as closely in touch with the writer's life as almost any other experience he ever had while serving as an officer of that regiment--including, as it did, terrible exposure, and unavoidable hardships and privations-- Like all of the other Cavalry regiments in our Army, which were then doing about three fourths of all the active, effective work--the work that disables or kills--in the subjugation of the savage tribes in the United States, driving them into Indian reservations, and rendering it possible for the frontier border to be settled, and civilization to be advanced to a point where it could feel safe from raids and bloody incursions, the Fourth U. S. Cavalry, notwithstanding its high morale and almost perfect state of discipline--had its share of desertions--