APACHE LAND.CAMP STARVATION PART 15

In the course of the day, we had passed a sort of sign-board, with the rudely written inscription, “Camp Starvation,” and we had heard from Mr. Bailey the story of the tragic misfortunes at this very place of the well-known Hitchcock family of Arizona. The road was lined with dry bones, and skulls of oxen,
OATMAN ARIZONA
The Oatman family were settlers heading west. They had camped near Gila Bend in 1851 when they were attacked by a band of Yavapai Indians. Of the five Oatmans, the father and mother were killed, the brother (Lorenzo) left for dead, and the two girls (Olive and Mary Ann) captured. The two girls were eventually traded to a group of Mohave Indians situated near present day Needles, California. The girls were tattooed on their chins and arms with a blue ink, apparently the tattoo type indicated that the girls were slaves. A year later, Mary Ann died, some say from starvation due to a lack of food in the tribe, while others contend it
 was due to harsh slave-like conditions the girls had to endure. In 1856, military authorities from Fort Yuma negotiated her return. Olive was 16 years old at the this time. Olive and her brother Lorenzo were eventually reunited and she married a John Fairchild in New York state in 1865. The town of Oatman was named in her honor. That all being said, the story variates among different sources, with some saying that Olive was marr
ied in the tribe and had two sons, one being a John Oatman. There doesn't appear to be any evidence Now about t he donkeys. this is a bmc horse I am converting to a us cavalry horse
They are the reason anyone really travels here anyways. The donkey's come down into town to get fed by the tourists. I was more interested in the mining history than the donkeys, but everywhere you walk you run into an ass and it does keep town financially afloat these days. The donkeys are the descendants of the ones us
ed by the miners and prospectors. When the miners left, some of them left their donkeys who must have taken the craggy mountains and started little donkey families. The difference between the ones you see today and the ones in the old mining era is that the mining donkey was trained, while the modern day asses are not. They will kick you and/or bite you. However, so many people feed them carrots that they're really quite friendly.

Quite a few of original buildings remain in the town, including the Oatman Hotel, built in 1902, and the Glory Hole antique store which was built in 1914 as Oatman Drug Company. The Glory Hole was originally one story, was raised, and is now a two story. It is on the National Register of historical places. The Oatman Hotel was where Clark Gable and Carol Lombard spent their wedding night on March 19th, 1939 after their wedding in Kingman. Entering Oatman, you will be driving through was once Camp 49, the red light district, though nothing remains of it. There is quite a few remnants of the mining done here, 




white and bleached in the sun, lying on the bare rocks.MANNIE GENTILE PHOTO FROM HIS BLOG TOY SOLDIERS FOREVER


Indeed, at every stage of the road we saw evidences of hard travel, exhausted cattle, anxious teamsters, hunger and thirst, despair, starvation, and death.
However, Stoneman's Lake remains a joy in the memory, and far and away the most beautiful spot I ever saw in Arizona. But unless the approaches to it are made easier, tourists will never gaze upon it.
In the distance we saw the “divide,” over which we must pass in order to reach Camp Verde, which was to be our first stopping place, and we looked joyfully towards the next day's march, which we expected would bring us there.
But the road on the following day was worse than any we had yet encountered. I could not remain in the ambulance, so tried to walk a part of the way. comanche hit by apache arrow
The Alsatian carried the baby in the Apache cradle, while the rest of us followed. One of the cavalrymen gave me his horse to ride, but I was not strong enough at that time to mount a horse.below Camp Verde
Little by little we gave up hope of reaching Verde that day. At four o'clock we crossed the “divide,” and clattered down a road so near the edge of a precipice that I was frightened beyond everything: my senses nearly left me. Down and around, this way and that, near the edge, then back again, swaying, swerving, pitching, the gravel clattering over the precipice, the six mules trotting their fastest, we reached the bottom and the driver pulled up his team.



‘‘“Beaver Springs!”’’ said he, impressively, loosening up the brakes.
As Jack lifted me out of the ambulance, I said: ‘‘“Why didn't you tell me?”’’ pointing back to the steep road. ‘‘“Oh,”’’ said he, ‘‘“I thought it was better for you not to know; people get scared about such things, when they know about them beforehand.”’’
‘‘“But,”’’ I remarked, ‘‘“such a break-neck pace!”’’ Then, to the driver, ‘‘“Smith, how could you drive down that place at such a rate and frighten me so?’’”
‘‘“Had to, ma'am, or we'd a' gone over the edge.”’’early us cavalry from my collection
I had been brought up in a flat country down near the sea, and I did not know the dangers of mountain travelling, nor the difficulties attending the piloting of a six-mule team down a road like that. From this time on, however, Smith rose in my estimation. I seemed also to be realizing that the Southwest was a great country and that there was much to learn about. Life out there was beginning to interest me.
Camp Verde lay sixteen miles farther on; no one knew if the road were good or bad. I declared I could not travel another mile, even if they all went on and left me to the wolves and the darkness of Beaver Springs.apaches coming by remington
We looked to our provisions and took account of stock. There was not enough for the two families. We had no flour and no bread; there was only a small piece of bacon, six potatoes, some condensed milk; and some Chocolate. The Baileys decided to go on; for



Mrs. Bailey was to meet her sister at Verde and her parents at Whipple. We said good-bye, and their ambulance rolled away. Our tent was pitched and the baby was laid on the bed, asleep from pure exhaustion.hillconversion in my collection
The dread darkness of night descended upon us, and the strange odors of the bottom-lands arose, mingling with the delicious smoky smell of the camp-fire.

commanche in my collection italian production

By the light of the blazing mesquite wood, we now divided what provisions we had, into two portions: one for supper, and one for breakfast. A very light meal we had that evening, and I arose from the mess. table unsatisfied and hungry.BELOW MANNIE GENTILE
Jack and I sat down by the camp-fire, musing over the hard times we were having, when suddenly I heard a terrified cry from my little son. We rushed to the tent, lighted a candle, and oh! horror upon horrors! his head and face were covered with large black ants; he was wailing helplessly, and beating the air with his tiny arms.
‘‘“My God!”’’ cried Jack, ‘‘“we're camped over an ant-hill!”’’
I seized the child, and brushing off the ants as I fled, brought him out to the fire, where by its light I succeeded in getting rid of them all. But the horror of it! Can any mother brought up in God's country with kind nurses and loved ones to minister to her child, for a moment imagine how I felt when I saw those hideous, three-bodied, long-legged black ants. Is Beaver Springs now Beaver creek ed



crawling over my baby's face? After a lapse of years, I cannot recall that moment without a shudder.fixed bayonet cavalryman on offer from myself in unpainted or painted form
The soldiers at last found a place which seemed to be free from ant-hills, and our tent was again pitched, but only to find that the venomous things swarmed over us as soon as we lay down to rest.
And so, after the fashion of the Missouri emigrant, we climbed into the ambulance and lay down upon our blankets in the bottom of it, and tried to believe we were comfortable.
My long, hard journey of the preceding autumn, covering a period of two months; my trying experiences during the winter at Camp Apache; the sudden break-up and the packing; the lack of assistance from a nurse; the terrors of the journey; the sympathy for my child, who suffered from many ailments and principally from lack of nourishment, added to the profound fatigue I felt, had reduced my strength to a minimum. I crescent conversion of cowboy in my collection the gun is metal


 I lived, but something sustained me, and when we reached Camp Verde the next day, and drew up before Lieutenant O'Connell's quarters, and saw Mrs. O'Connell's kind face beaming to welcome us, I felt that here was relief at last.my collection
The tall Alsatian handed the pappoose cradle to Mrs. O'Connell.
‘‘“Gracious goodness! what is this?”’’ cried the bewildered woman; ‘‘“surely it cannot be your baby! You haven't turned entirely Indian, have you, amongst those wild Apaches!”’’



I felt sorry I had not taken him out of the basket before we arrived. I did not realize the impression it would make at Camp Verde. After all, they did not know anything about our life at Apache, of our rough travels to get back from there. Here were lace-curtained windows, well-dressed women, smart uniforms, and, in fact, civilization, compared with what we had left.
The women of the post gathered around the broad piazza, to see the wonder. But when they saw the poor little wan face, the blue eyes which looked sadly out at them from this rude cradle, the linen bandages covering the back of the head, they did not laugh any more, but took him and ministered to him, as only kind women can minister to a sick baby.my collection

There was not much rest, however, for we had to sort and rearrange our things, and dress ourselves properly. (Oh! the luxury of a room and a tub, after that journey!) Jack put on his best uniform, and there was no end of visiting, in spite of the heat, which was-considerable even at that early date in May. The day there would have been pleasant enough but for my wretched condition.