USA > Arizona > History of Arizona, Vol. III > Part 17
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According to the Fish manuscript Callville was located by the Mormon church: "On De- cember 17th, 1864, a landing and site for a ware- house afterwards known as Call's Landing, was selected by Anson Call on the Colorado River. Call was from Utah, and this move was in the interest of the Mormon Church, which, at that time, contemplated sending emigrants from Europe by way of Panama, the Gulf of Cali- fornia and up the Colorado to this landing, which
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was considered the head of navigation on the river. But very few steamers ever came up to this place and no immigrants ever passed over this route."
Callville was located in Pah-Ute County, which was established by the Second Legislature of the Territory of Arizona, and which embraced all of the Territory west of the Colorado River, that was afterwards taken from Arizona and annexed to Nevada about the year 1867. At Callville and adjacent settlements, the Mormons had done a great deal of work. They had taken out irriga- ting ditches, built homes, and established a per- manent settlement, but after this county was an- nexed to Nevada, that state levied taxes that had accumulated for several years, while it was still a part of Arizona, which became so onerous that the settlers abandoned their homes, most of them returning to Utah, a few coming into Arizona.
Hardyville was established in 1864, by W. H. Hardy, a native of New York, who came to Arizona from California. He established a trad- ing post and a ferry at this point on the Colorado, and also a small store the following year in Prescott.
According to Hamilton ("Resources of Ari- zona," p. 383), the first Indian killed in Yavapai County was a thief who was caught in the act by a party of teamsters some distance northwest of where Prescott now stands. Two others were killed in the town of Weaver in 1863. It was the custom of the Indians to bring wood into the camp at Weaver, and, after selling it, they would stay around until it was dark and then slip off,
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and, invariably, some animals would be missing. Another killing occurred at Antelope Hill in 1863. Some California miners had lost their burros, and not being able to find them, the In- dians were accused of stealing them. The miners attacked the Indians, and killed about twenty of them in revenge for the supposed stealing of four burros. It turned out that the animals had not been stolen, as they were found within a mile of the camp.
After these murders no Indians came into the camps, but would steal every animal left un- guarded, and for ten years innocent men, women and children paid the penalty of these rash, un- just and cowardly acts. At first the Indians were poorly armed, but as they succeeded in kill- ing the whites, they got possession of guns and pistols, and, at times, considerable quantities of ammunition fell into their hands.
In December, 1863, three Mexicans went out from Weaver to gather grass as was their cus- tom (Hamilton, "Resources of Arizona,"
p. 389). They had one gun and a pistol. While at work they were surprised to find themselves surrounded by Apaches, armed with guns, bows and arrows. One of the Indians, accosting the man who had the pistol, said in fair Spanish : "My friend, give me your pistol," which was done. Then he said: "We already have your gun, and are driving your burros away to better feed. Now strip off and give us your clothes." This order was obeyed, and the Indians, divid- ing the clothes, put them on. There were eleven of them. They danced around and shouted for
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a while, when one of the Mexicans said : "Well, if you are going to kill us, do so and make an end of it." The leader of the party answered : "We are not going to hurt you; a dead Mexican is of no use. You may go back to town and get money, and this winter you will go to Sonora and bring us some more burros, or, perhaps, some mules, in the spring. We consider you
our
friends. Good-by.'
The Mexicans got
back to town in the costume of the Greek slave.
A man called "Hog" Johnson, was out about three miles from Weaver, hunting deer. See- ing some deer, he tied his horse, crept up some distance, and shot one of them. He cut off its head, took out its entrails, and prepared to load it on his horse. He started back for his horse. and when about halfway, he heard a yell and saw four Indians on the hillside, out of rifle range, going off with his horse. Just then he heard something behind him. Turning around, he saw four Indians, each with a quarter of the deer on his shoulder. He sat down on a rock and watched them load the deer on his horse and start off. Three years later, while mining alone near Antelope Hill, Johnson was killed by Mohave-Apaches.
In the winter of 1863-64, J. T. Alsap, S. C. Miller and Con Moore started from Granite Creek to the placers on Lynx Creek. They stopped upon the mesa to cut grass for their horses, using their butcher knives. While thus employed they were attacked by a band of Apaches, who stampeded their horses and opened fire upon them. The party ran to the
1
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HISTORY OF ARIZONA.
nearest timber a few rods distant where they kept the foe at bay for an hour or two, when they ran for an old cabin near by. Miller had received a bullet wound just above the knee, but made no mention of it as it might discourage the others. On reaching the cabin, a kind of half dugout, they defended themselves until some miners, hearing the firing, came to their relief. Three or four Indians were killed.
According to Hamilton ("Resources of Ari- zona," p. 383), the first settler killed in North- ern Arizona was by a large band of Tonto Apaches, who came in from the southwest, and in the big canyon of the Hassayampa, killed three miners. Continuing their course toward Weaver, they attacked a party of a dozen Mexi- cans who were moving from the town to Walnut Grove to engage in farming. They killed five of them. This was on the 11th of March, 1864. In the same month Mr. Goodhue and four others were attacked by Indians between the Hassa- yampa and Granite Creek. Goodhue was killed, and the others succeeded in driving the Indians off. The Indians also attacked a train of wagons near Weaver, and mortally wounded Mr. Rykman and a Mexican. The Indians took all the stock and plundered the wagons.
In April, 1864, a Mexican was herding a dozen head of cattle in Walnut Grove. One afternoon he shot a rabbit and on going to pick it up, before reloading his gun, found himself surrounded by Indians, who stood within ten feet of him. Some of them took the gun and rabbit while others drove off the stock.
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(Hamilton, "Resources of Arizona," p. 390.) They then marched him across the valley in the same direction as the cattle were going, for a mile, pricking him with arrows. On reaching the hills they stopped, gave him the rabbit, and motioned him to go home, laughing, hooting and pointing their fingers at him in the meanwhile.
In 1863 and 1864, practically all the troops were withdrawn from Arizona. The southern part of the Territory and its valleys and farms, as we have seen, was depopulated, the Ameri- cans gathering in and around Tucson for pro- tection, where there was a small guard of soldiers, consequently everything was compara- tively quiet on the southern border. While engaged in the erection of buildings in Prescott, the workmen carried arms for protection, and it was dangerous at any time to venture alone beyond the town limits.
Early in January, 1864, twenty-eight head of stock was stolen from the corral of Messrs. Peeples and Dye on the Antelope ranch, twelve miles north of Weaver. From Granite Creek sixteen head were taken. King S. Woolsey lost thirty-three head from the Agua Fria ranch. The miners in the vicinity lost many animals, and were almost destitute of transportation. In consequence of the killing which occurred at Walnut Grove, and other murders, and the above stealing, it was determined to send a party into the Indians' country which resulted in the organization of a party by King S. Woolsey, who followed the Indians to the Bloody Tanks
17
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HISTORY OF ARIZONA.
where many of their chiefs were killed, in what was afterwards known as the "Pinole Treaty," an account of which has been given in a preced- ing volume, and the Indians' account of the same will be found on another page of this volume. After this fight Woolsey was ap- pointed Aide on the staff of Governor Goodwin, with the rank of Lieutenant-Colonel and was given authority to organize an expedition to go into the Indian country, killing the hostiles wherever found. Woolsey's official report to the Governor of his first expedition was printed in the "Arizona Miner" in September, 1864, and is as follows :
"Prescott, Arizona, August 28, 1864.
"To His Excellency, John N. Goodwin, Gov- ernor of Arizona Territory.
"Sir:
"I have the honor to report that my Com- mand consisting of 93 men (citizens) left the Agua Fria ranch about 6 p. m., June 1, and arrived at Fisher's Cienega at one o'clock the following morning, distance 15 miles, course N. 69 deg. East. A small party of Indians were encamped in this cienega but escaped in the dark. There are fine springs at this cienega, which is upon the Chavez wagon road, and will be a prominent point should that road prove a success.
"On the morning of the 2nd, we marched in the same general direction by way of Copper Canyon to the Rio Verde, distance ten miles. The trail down is rough, but readily made by
KING S. WOOLSEY.
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pack animals. Crossing the river a mile below the canyon, we continued our march East to a branch of the Rio Verde, striking it about six miles from the mouth. This branch is called Clear Creek, and is about thirty miles in length. It runs from the northeast and three miles above where we camped, it canyons and for fif- teen miles passes through one of the roughest and most impassable canyons in the territory. At Clear Fork I divided the command, sending the pack trains with thirty-three men south- ward to seek a passage through the mountains, while with the remaining sixty men I continued in an easterly course, toward the great Tonto Basin, where the pack train was directed to meet us. That train was under the command of M. Lewis, an experienced mountaineer and one of the original Walker party of explorers. Our way was over very rough country, through which a pack train could hardly have gone. After a fatiguing trip of two days, we arrived at the top of the mountain or table-land over- looking a great basin and standing at its upper or eastern end. This basin is occupied by Tonto and Pinal Apaches, and I confidently expected a fight with them.
"The next morning we descended into the basin, not without much difficulty and we began a search for the redskins, but were unable to find any, though traces of their recent presence were numerous. For three days we continued the search, beating up the small streams and ravines about the basin, but in vain. In the afternoon of the fifth day, after leaving Clear
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Fork, we were joined by the pack train, upon a stream that we called the East Fork of the Verde. The train had followed the course of the river about eight miles nearly south over the foothills and had then struck across the Mesa southeasterly about eight miles to Fossil Creek, thence south thirty degrees east, about eighteen miles through Fossil Canyon and over the moun- tains, thence East about six miles to the East Fork of the Verde where they joined us. Their route is reported as practical for wagons. This portion of the country is a lava bed, covered with timber and excellent grass upon the moun- tains. On the morning of the eighth of June, we took our march in a southerly direction over the hills and at noon reached a stream, which I called Tonto Creek, running south thirty de- grees east and being about thirty miles in length. The rock hereabouts changes to a bluish granite. Our stopping place was at a very pretty Cienega with an excellent spring of water. In the afternoon we moved to Tonto Creek, about nine miles and camped at some tanks. There is no water in the creek so high up. We continued down Tonto Creek to a point about five miles from its mouth where we turned East and struck across a mesa to Salt River, at a point four miles above the junction of the creek. On Tonto Creek we prospected in several places for gold, and found color, but not in paying quantities. All along it are the ruins of ancient fortifications and houses indicating a former large population. The walls of the
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buildings are of stone laid in cement which is yet quite firm.
"Finding our stock of provisions was getting low, I started a pack train to the Pimo Villages. It consisted of thirty-six animals with an escort of twenty-three men, under the command of Henry Jaycox. The water of Salt River is very brackish and there being but little grass at our camp, I went out with a small mounted party to hunt a better. I first went down the run to the mouth of the creek, where we found a large Indian village of some fifty huts. It had been abandoned but a few hours before. This was beyond doubt the headquarters of Wa-poo-i-ta, or Big Rump, the Tonto Chief. The next day the Indians fired the village, utterly destroying it. Not finding a camp in this direction, on the following day I went up the river about four miles and discovered an excellent point. A large spring of pure water, grass in abundance and of excellent quality, and wood at a convenient distance. The next day we moved to the inviting point and named it Grapevine Springs. About this Spring are about 600 acres of good tillable land and the water is sufficient for very large herds of stock.
"As the pack train would not return from Pimo for several days, and I was confident there was a large number of Indians in the vicinity, I determined to hunt them and on the following day, after dark, I started at the head of thirty- six men with six days rations for a scout on the north side of the river. By two o'clock the next morning we reached a high mountain, since
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called 'Signal' mountain, but were unable to reach the top in the darkness, it being very precipitous, and we lay down until daylight. We found a trail to the top and passed over the southern end of the mountain. We followed it to a rancheria, (upon which we came unex- pectedly to ourselves) and so suddenly that the Indians fled leaving behind their bows and ar- rows and their fire burning. After hunting around for two or three hours without finding the Indians, we proceeded northward and at noon arrived at a stream flowing easterly, which we named Sycamore Creek. This creek we followed about 12 miles to its mouth, finding Indian corn and wheat fields all the way. At the mouth of the Creek, the Salt River flows southward for some miles and then turns to the west. Three or four Indians appeared upon the hills and hallooed to us on our arrival at Salt River, and after a time I succeeded in hav- ing a talk with one who represented himself to be a 'captain.' He refused, however, to ap- proach nearer than 200 or 300 yards. We crossed the Salt River here and followed the left bank down about six miles when the stream canyoned and we were obliged to climb the moun- tains. It was dark when we reached the top and we followed an Indian trail over the rough ground in a southerly direction. After several miles we turned westwardly and at 11 o'clock p. m. we came upon a fine stream of water. Here we camped for the night, hearing Indians all around but seeing none. The morning light revealed a beautiful valley covered with corn
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and wheat fields. The creek was named Pinal Creek. It runs northerly and empties into Salt River near the great bend above mentioned. Soon after daylight, the Indian fires commenced blazing on the hilltops and the Indians began hallooing at us. One appeared to be the leader. He approached near enough to talk to us and I invited him and his people to visit us at our camp on Salt River, which he promised he and they would do the next day.
"We followed Pinal Creek down to its mouth and then proceeded down Salt River to camp, which we reached about sundown. We waited all the next day for our expected visitors, but they did not come, though their fires blazed con- tinuously on the hills north of the river. On the following day I determined to move camp to Pinal Creek and after detaching fifteen men to meet the pack train, we started, reaching our old camp at sundown. The road from Grapevine Springs is for about ten miles, southeast to some springs and tanks, and then turning east for about five miles where it reaches Pinal Creek at our camping grounds, which is about three miles from a road around a mountain peak which we called Cupola Peak (from camp N. 65 deg. east).
"The morning after our arrival a few squaws came into camp and inquired our intentions and were told we were hungry and wanted wheat. The whole command was at the same time en- gaged in cutting and threshing wheat, and our horses and mules were feeding. The next day a few Indians came in with a flag of truce (a
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white rag tied to a cross) bringing an inter- preter with them. We had a long talk and numbers of them continued to visit us until the arrival of our pack train. Until then I had thought it best to be friendly with them, al- though it was evident that on one occasion they came with the intention of taking our scalps, but found that we were too well prepared for them. From the arrival of the pack train on the eighth day but few Indians visited us. After allowing the pack animals one day's rest, we again began our march, starting at 6 a. m. on the morning of July 4, following the creek to its head in the Pinal Mountains, the highest peak of which was situated south 29 deg. east, about thirty miles distant from camp at the wheat fields. We found gold at the head of the creek, but not in paying quantities, and some good look- ing quartz lodes. The water raises in this creek about two miles above our camp, and from that to the mountain, we found water only in springs and tanks. We camped on the top of Pinal mountain and from its highest peak the follow- ing observations were taken:
"Tonto peak, N. 60 deg. 30 deg. W .; Needles, N. 86 deg. W .; Casa Blanca, near Pimo, S. 70 deg. West and Picacho, S. 7 deg. West. We re- mained at this camp throughout the day of our arrival, our hunters keeping us well supplied with venison and turkey. Eighteen men left the party and returned by way of Pimo. I sent out a party to prospect for mineral on the south side of this mountain, but they returned with- out finding any. We moved camp to the foot of
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the mountain on the east side, at some tanks, and the next day reached the San Carlos River, a distance of 25 miles. There is no water upon this trail for this distance, it being all the way down a dry arroyo, N. 60 deg. East. We found an Indian corn field and bean patch upon the San Carlos. The corn was not yet fit to eat, but the beans were just ripe for snaps and we made much of them. The next day we moved down the San Carlos to the Gila River, distant about ten miles, and thence by easy marches up the Gila to the new Ft. Goodwin, distant about thirty miles. We camped on the Gila about three miles from the Fort, which is situated on a stream called the 'Pulerosa' and immediately reported to Col. Rigg, First Infantry, California Volunteers, commanding. He issued rations to my command and it was agreed between us that I should proceed up the country to the Black River and prospect the district, also looking for the Indians and that I should return across by the heads of the Bonito and San Carlos to our old camp on Pinal Creek and there join Maj. Thomas J. Blakeney's command and with it operate against the Apaches in the vicinity of that creek and Signal mountain, on the north side of Salt River. I left Ft. Goodwin on the morning of the 15th day of July and proceeded up the Gila River, about thirty-five miles to a point near the Pueblo Viejo. Leaving the river here I struck across the mountain divide to a stream called 'Bonito,' striking it as I supposed about ten miles from its mouth. The Bonito is a small stream forty to fifty miles in length,
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heading in a range of lava hills running through a lava formation for its whole length in a south- erly direction, emptying into the Gila about 45 miles above Ft. Goodwin. I think we struck the Black River 14 miles above its mouth. About thirty miles above, the Canyon opens into a fine valley of several miles in length, containing at least 10,000 acres of fine tillable land, sur- rounded by low rolling hills covered with excel- lent grass. There were about 20 acres of Indian corn in the valley, but we saw no Indians. The day before we reached this valley, a Yaqui squaw, about ten years of age, came into our camp. She had been a captive among the Apaches and had just made her escape. She came in with us and is now at my Agua Fria ranch. From the head of this valley I made an effort to pass the mountain to the eastward, but did not succeed in finding a point where I could pass with the pack train, and was obliged to re- turn to the river and continue up it twenty miles further to where the stream forks, one fork com- ing from the eastward and the other from the northwest. Upon examination here, it was found that the water raised in both streams as far as about one mile from camp. I reached this point on the 23rd day of July, and as I had prom- ised Col. Rigg that I would join Major Blake- ney at Pinal Creek on the 30th, it was necessary to turn in that direction to keep the appoint- ment. A portion of the command was not satis- fied that this stream was the Black River, and were desirous of going further east to look for it. I, therefore, detached Mr. P. MeCannon
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with 46 men in that direction while with the re- maining 24 men I started on my return to Pinal Creek. Mr. McCannon rejoined me at Ft. Good- win 19 days from his departure, and made a re- port to me, a copy of which accompanies this paper. On the 24th day of July, with 24 men, I left our camp at the forks of the Black River and followed the western branch up to its head, distant about eight miles. I then turned in a southwesterly direction. We were obliged to camp the first night without water, but about nine o'clock the next morning we found water in tanks at the foot of a high, round mountain, the end of a range lying to the northwest and cov- ered with pine timber. Soon after stopping Mr. J. W. Beauchamp left camp to go to the top of this mountain and take a view of the surround- ing country and the bearings of different points towards which we expected to travel. Upon arriving near the top of the mountain he was waylaid by six Indians, shot through the chest with a rifle, lanced, stripped and left for dead. He lived for some fifteen or twenty minutes, however, after we reached him, but died before we could get him to camp. We buried him at the foot of the mountain, which we named Beau- champ Peak in memory of the unfortunate vic- tim of Indian cruelty and cowardice. A deep and precipitous canyon heads upon the northeast side of this mountain or peak, and running around its northern side, falls off to the south- west for several miles, then turning northwest, passes around a range of high mountains and running thence southward is, in fact, the main
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branch of the San Carlos River. We travelled along it some thirty miles over a level country shaded with cedar trees, covered with grass, forming a most excellent stock range. Among these cedars we found an abundance of 'bear sign,' and one evening just before camping, we had some excellent sport in killing a bear, our second, as we had killed one on the Gila about fifteen miles above Ft. Goodwin. Both of them were of the species known as the cinnamon bear. About twenty miles from Beauchamp Peak, in a southwesterly direction, we reached the foot of the mountains last spoken of and the road over them for about eight miles was very rough and rocky, the descent upon the western side being particularly difficult. Upon reaching the foot of the mountain on the western side we found a small stream of good water and a ran- cheria of Indians who fled at our approach, some of them on horseback. We stopped here for some three hours for noon and upon leaving the Indians hallooed at us from the hills as long as we were within hearing, taking good care, however, to keep out of our range. We now trav- elled over a level mesa for about twenty miles in a southwesterly direction, until we reached the eastern branch of the San Carlos. We found no water in this branch, but the next was the one before spoken of as heading at Beauchamp Peak, and in it was found running water in abundance. Still continuing our southwest course, we crossed a level mesa for about twelve miles, varied only by crossing the deep canyon of the San Carlos. We succeeded in crossing
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