Howard Bass Cushing's short life was a kaleidoscope of experiences and adventures. His military career began with the First Illinois Light Artillery as a private during the Civil War, and he later rose to the rank of Lieutenant in the Regular Army. He died in 1871 in an Apache ambush while leading a special scout to locate and punish marauding Apaches in southeastern Arizona Territory. A checkered military career reflected his personality. During the Civil War, he rose rapidly and proved capable of commanding an artillery battery, yet Cushing faced a court martial as the result of a drunken escapade. To escape the stigma attached to this incident, he requested, and was finally granted, a transfer to the third Cavalry in the New Mexico and Arizona Territories.