USA > Arizona > History of Arizona, Vol. IV > Part 8
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rades to make smokes and other signs of their presence, and kept on with their prize of two head of beef cattle to a place of greater security for them. Two of their cattle they had lost, the other it is not known positively what did be- come of it. On the 29th the Lieut. returned after a fatiguing tramp of six days without seeing an Indian, and but very little fresh signs. The Indians made a circuit with their two beeves, and went in the direction of Black Canyon. On the 7th June, official notice of the resignation of Lt. Cervantes was received, and Company A was added to the command of Lt. Gallegos. The necessary transfer took up much precious time, and prevented an earlier pursuit of the Indians. On the 11th of July, Lt. Gallegos and 54 men were dispatched in a southeasterly direction with ten days' rations, with orders to enter Tonto Basin and use every effort to surprise the Indians there in their rancherias, who were supposed to reside there and farm in large numbers. On the 6th day out a small rancheria in a canyon leading into Tonto Basin was discovered, and the necessary preparations for attack made so as to secure the whole party, but in this our men were dis- covered, when a general stampede of the In- dians took place. One warrior was killed, and one (an old man) taken prisoner. The rest escaped, leaving everything behind them. The Indians scattered to spread word of the danger that awaited their neighbors. Lieut. Gallegos, knowing that the whole Basin would be immedi- ately depopulated, destroyed the cornfields and everything that fell in his way, and returned to Camp Lincoln on the 20th with the one prisoner
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and party. The prisoner was very communi- cative and reported his people completely de- moralized, not knowing whither to flee for safety. On the 17th I mounted ten men, and made a march of 30 miles up the river, coming upon a rancheria of 26 lodges, the occupants all fleeing into the mountains at the approach of my small party, leaving everything behind, which fell into our hands. Next day returned to Camp Lincoln, finding on my way two of the beeves captured from Sergt. Elias on the 3rd June, and driving them in. They were the first beeves killed for the command since the 20th June. Could beef have been procured, the whole month of July would have been occupied by the command in a campaign to the White Mountains with 80 men. It is greatly to be regretted that the expedition could not have been carried out as results of a very important effect to the Territory, I am confident, would have resulted from it. On the 28th July a scouting party of 40 men under command of Sergt. Ochoa, (Lt. G. being sick), was ordered to follow up some Indians who entered the wheat fields at Clear Creek by night, stealing some grain and a few tools. The orders given were faithfully obeyed, but the Indians had escaped 24 hours before word reached me of the depredations committed. August 3rd, 53 men of Company E refused to do further duty by reason of expiration of term of service, and nothing short of actual force could have com- pelled them to continue. This I did not have. They had now been a year in the service, with- out receiving a dollar's pay from the Govern- ment, and could not be blamed. Provision was
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therefore made for their discharge and pay- ment. On the 29th August, the command at Camp Lincoln was reduced to an aggregate of 5 enlisted men, all of whom were more or less sick, and myself, the only commissioned officer at the post, Lts. Gallegos and Ford being absent, sick. This force I believed to be entirely inadequate to remain at so retired a point in security. On the 30th and 31st, by the assistance of the set- tlers at Clear Creek, all the movable govern- ment stores were temporarily transferrd 6 miles below, to a place of greater security till reinforcements should arrive. By the 13th Sept. three more enlisted men were discharged, leaving two enlisted men, and they both sick. On the 15th Lts. G. & F. arrived, somewhat im- proved in health. On the 29th Capt. Downie, 14th U. S. Infantry, arrived and took command. On the 30th Lt. G. and one man Company E, and two citizens, attacked a thieving party of Indians in the cornfields, killing one Indian and frightening the rest effectually away, since which the settlers have not been troubled by their raids. The two men remaining in Com- pany E will be discharged on the 1st, and 5th, of November, and with them Lt. G. and myself, which will terminate its organization, making 161% months, the first 41% of which I got no pay for time nor expenses incurred. In recruiting this company I used $500 my own funds, and nearly half as much more recruiting Companies F, G, and D, which, with the exception of a por- tion of Company F, were never organized. During all this time the whole burden and re- sponsibility of the organization, both from the Government to the Company, and the Company to the Government, has fallen upon me. I have
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long been accustomed to hard and active labor and to positions of some responsibility, but never have I passed a year and four months of such unremitting toil and care as the past. Had the actual needed supplies been furnished, there is no doubt but that the record of this company would have been such as its officers could look back upon with pride. As it is, they see but little except disappointed hopes and expecta- tions. One thing at least has been proven, viz. : that the native troops are far superior to any others for field service in this Territory, and until this shall be taken as the basis of opera- tions, no immediate good results can occur. Government may continue to spend its millions upon any other basis, and Apache raids will still continue, while 300 native troops, well officered, at an expense of less than $800 to the man per year, will, in less than two years, rid the Terri- tory of its greatest bane and obstacle in the way of progress.
"Such are some of the principal events in the history of Company E, which I should have been glad to have made out much more in extenso, but duties that could not be deferred have prevented.
"Very respectfully, "Your Obt. Servt., "H. S. WASHBURN, "Capt. 1st Inf. Ar. Vols. "P. S .- Before long I will endeavor to send you a sketch to accompany this report.
"H. S. W.
"P. S .- Among other omissions is that of the action between Sergeant Elias with 6 men Com- pany E, and 27 Apaches, while returning from escort service to Prescott. The fight lasted two hours. Elias had a bullet shot through his hat
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and one of the men was taken and retaken three times. One of the men lost his hat, and two of them a blanket each. The Indians had several wounded, two it is thought mortally. They re- tired from the fight just in time as the men had only three or four rounds of ammunition left at the close of the fight.
"H. S. WASHBURN, "Capt. &c."
Captain Washburn must, undoubtedly, have been very active and energetic, and did good work considering the material he had and the difficulties under which he labored. The follow- ing communication will show that his services were appreciated by the regular military at that time:
"Hd. Qrs., Dis. of Arizona Ter. "Tucson, Ar., June 25th, 1866.
"Capt. Washburn,
"Arizona Volunteers, "Comdg. Camp Lincoln. "Captain,
"It gives me pleasure to thank you and your command for several successful scouts against the hostile Apaches. I hope that you will en- courage your men in their valuable services to the Territory, and that I shall soon again have it in my power to commend you in high terms to Department and Division Head Quarters.
"I am, Captain,
"Very respectfully, "Yr. Obt. Servt., "H. D. WALLEN, "Lt. Col. 14th Inf., Bt. Col. U. S. A. Command- ing."
Official :
"H. S. Washburn, "Capt. &c."
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There is also a synopsis of a report made by Lieutenant Hutton, as follows:
"On the third of November, 1865, I was mustered into Company F as 2nd Lieut. to raise the company to its standard, Capt. Washburn having recruited 33, who were mustered in on said 3rd of November. On the 30th of No- vember, the company numbered 85 men, Com. officers and privates. On this same day I was ordered to disband the 53 recruits that I had raised by order of Col. Lewis of the 7th Cal. Vols., stationed at Fort Mason, and on the 5th day of December, I was ordered to Prescott. My men not having shoes and shirts, on the 25th was ordered to report to Capt. Grant at Date Creek, which I complied with on same day. On the 6th of January, with 12 men, I was sent as escort for wagons en route for Prescott. Ar- rived on the 9th, thermometer down to 9 above zero. On the 16th arrived at Camp Date Creek ; on the 21st one corp. and 5 privates on detached service. 30th one corp. and 6 privates on de- tached service. 1st of Feby. one corporal and 8 privates on detached service. 17th one corporal and 2 privates on detached service. 16th one non-com. and 2 men returned from detached ser- vice.
"19th left Camp Date Creek; proceeded to Skull Valley, and there took post. Arrived on the 21st. Feb. 24th one non-com. and 2 privates on detached service to Date Creek. One corp. and 5 men attacked by Indians and 2 men killed, one wounded. After fight of 3 hours' duration, the Indians were driven off. I consider that those men acted as bravely as men could under such circumstances.
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"26th, arrived in camp one non-com. and 7 privates from detached service.
"I would state here that the weather was very bad, cold winds prevailing, and snow and sleet most every day.
"27th, one non-com. officer and 11 men on de- tached service to Date Creek.
"March 4, one non-com. and 3 privates from escort duty. 5th, one non-com. and 10 privates
7th, non-com. off. returned from escort duty. 15th, non-com. and 7 privates on escort duty. returned from escort duty. 19th one corporal and 6 men on escort duty to Walnut Grove. 21st, one cor- 23rd, returned with said escort. poral and 9 men on escort duty. 29th, one cor- poral and 4 men returned from escort duty. April 1st, one sergt. and one corporal with ten men, escort duty. 6th, returned. 7th, Lieut. Hutton on detached service with 5 men. 10th, returned with said men. 19th, 4 privates re- turned. 23rd, one corporal and 5 men on escort duty. 24th, returned with escort. May 1st, one non-com. and 5 privates on escort duty. 3rd, 3 privates on escort duty. 5th, one non-com. and 5 men returned from escort duty. 10th, one corp. and 5 men on escort duty to Prescott. 11th, one corporal on detached service with 5 men as guard for ranch. 13th, one non-com. and 3 pri- vates on escort duty. 13th, one non-com. and 5 privates returned. 15th, one non-com. and 5 privates on escort. 21st, returned. 26th, Lieut. Hutton with 15 men on scout. Returned on June 1st after an arduous search after Indians, him- self and men packing their blankets and pro- visions on their backs. 3rd, one non-com. and 5
8
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privates returned from detached service as guard for ranch. 6th, one non-com. and 4 pri- vates on escort duty. 8th, returned with said escort. 9th, one non-com. and 4 privates re- turned from escort. 10th, one non-com. and 6 privates on escort duty. 14th, one non-com. and 6 privates on escort duty. One non-com. and 4 privates returned from escort. 25th, one non- com. and 6 privates from escort duty. 28th, one non-com, and 12 men on scout. 10th, returned, no Indians. 12th, 3 non-coms. and 15 men on a scout after Indians with 18 men from Fort Whipple under charge of Lieut. Hutton. Au- gust 2nd returned. Succeeded in killing and wounding 2, and capturing 2 children. Travelled over 300 miles north north-east from Skull Val- ley. August 13th, Lieut. Hutton, with 14 men and some 13 citizens, killed 23 Indians. Loss, one man killed and one wounded. During the remainder of August escorted two trains to Pres- cott.
"Sept. I have a good deal of sickness in camp; have not been able, with the small force at my command, to scout.
"I have run over my morning reports and noted such as are on these pages. You must take into consideration that I have had to always keep guard and do daily duty, the same as the men in camp.
"Col. : I send you this; if you wish you can re- copy into some shape as I have so much to do that I can't give time to this at present. You are better posted than I am in such matters. I would just here state that I have to lose the time that I was doing duty previous to mustering
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in as first sergt. from the 1st of August till 3rd of November.
"I am, sir, Col.,
"Very respectfully, "Yr. Obt. Servant, "OSCAR HUTTON, "2nd Lieut. Co. F, A. Vols., "Comdg. Company."
The following letter from Captain H. S. Washburn to the Adjutant-General, under date of Sept. 12, 1866, from Camp at Clear Creek, gives some idea of what the settlers suffered at that time:
"Camp at Clear Creek, Sept. 12, 1866. "'Colonel,
"The Indians are now harvesting the corn at this settlement at the rate of about 30 or 40 bushels nightly. There is but one soldier left who is able to shoulder a musket, and he has charge of the commissary stores at this camp, what there are, no meat left. When the bearer of this leaves, there will be two citizens left who call themselves well. I am hourly expecting an attempt to take the stock. I have to do guard duty day and night.
"If assistance does not come very soon, I shall have to abandon what government property I am trying to protect, and seek security for my- self and animals.
"Yours truly, "H. S. WASHBURN, "Captain, &c. "'To Lieut .- Col. W. H. Garvin, "Adjt .- General, "Ar. Vols."
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It will be observed that these companies were raised under authority given by the Provost- Marshal General in 1864, and the term of service was for three years or during the war. The war between the States was ended the following year. No attempt was made to organize this regiment until the war was over. The troops were enlisted under the mustering in officer at San Francisco. On June 1st, 1866, Secretary McCormick wrote to the Secretary of War, asking their retention in the service, and authority to recruit a full regiment. This letter was referred to General Grant, who replied as follows:
"I know of no law under which this regiment could be raised, and special legislation would be necessary to provide for its equipment, sub- sistence and payment."
These Arizona Volunteers, besides killing a great number of Apaches, carried the war into the heart of the Apache country. They explored the Tonto Basin country; the country in and around Globe, and the upper waters of the Gra- ham Valley in Gila County, going as far as the Natural Bridge in the northern part of Gila County.
Secretary McCormick, in his message to the Legislature in 1866, said: "Our Delegate pro- posed an amendment to the new army bill, where- by the companies already in the service should be retained." The Congressional Globe, how- ever, has no report of Delegate Goodwin ever proposing such an amendment to the army bill. As a consequence, enlistments were discontinued, and those already in the service, some of them having served for more than a year, were dis- banded on the first of the following July.
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These soldiers were not paid, and have not been paid up to this date, by the General Govern- ment. They were disbanded and the settlers of Arizona were left to the tender mercies of the Apaches, with such meagre assistance as a very reduced force of regular soldiers could give them.
From an interview with Maj. A. J. Doran, who was particularly intimate with Captain J. D. Walker during his lifetime, I obtained the fol- lowing short biographical sketch :
Captain Walker was born in Nauvoo, Illinois, about the year 1840. In early manhood he came to California, enlisted in the 5th Regiment Cali- fornia Infantry, and was appointed a wagon- master.
Upon his arrival in the Pima Villages, it was found that there was a surplus of wheat and corn, which the Government traded for, and this was conveyed by wagon to the different posts of the California Volunteers, as far as the Rio Grande.
When Captain Walker received his discharge from the service, he settled among the Pimas at Sacaton, and, being part Indian himself, was adopted into the tribe. He was descended from one of the Illinois tribes. He was a natural linguist and soon mastered the Pima language. He originated the first grammar of their lan- guage and reduced it to a written language. Pastor Cook claims this, but Captain Walker was the man who did it, according to Major Doran. To all intents and purposes Walker be- came an Indian and was one of the big chiefs of the Pima tribe. He was a leader in all their councils and big talks. Having studied medicine
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in his early life, he became the big medicine man of the tribe. He was a good physician and a man of extraordinary intelligence, somewhat of a scientist. He was a reticent man, never talk- ing much, but had a wonderful fund of informa- tion on almost every subject, and he was very precise. He was not a graduate of any college, but was a great reader and a self educated man; a thoughtful man, somewhat of a philosopher.
He was elected surveyor of Pinal County by his party, and served as Probate Judge for sev- eral terms. The duties of this office he dis- charged with fidelity and intelligence. His word was as good as his bond. No one ever knew John D. Walker to go back on his word in any way.
He raised a company of Pima Indians for the Arizona Volunteers, and was made captain of it. It is said that when they were in the field you could not tell him from the other Indians. He dressed like them, with nothing on but a breech- clout, and whooped and yelled like his Indian comrades.
He had a noted fight with the Apaches above Pinal at the Picacho. South of Pinal there is a big Picacho and a perpendicular bluff, all full of crevasses. Here he surprised the Apaches and got behind them, and those he didn't kill he drove over this bluff, wiping out the entire band, about seventy-five in number. "Even now," says Major Doran, "you can see on this battle- field the skeletons of the Apaches in the crevices ; they were Tonto Apaches."
When he was Probate Judge Captain Walker lived in Florence, it being the county seat. Shortly after his induction into office, the Vekol
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mine was discovered by an Indian, who showed it to Walker, and Peter R. Brady. They lo- cated it and worked it for a while. Walker bought Brady out, and took his brother Lucien, as a partner in the mine, and they worked it until they bottomed the mine. They took out about two millions of dollars, most of which Captain Walker spent among the Pima Indians, who were well taken care of.
Major Doran sold Walker's interest in the Reymont mine for a hundred and twelve thou- sand dollars, a hundred and five thousand of which comprised the greater portion of his es- tate when he died. Several years before his death Captain Walker was adjudged insane and placed in an asylum. Shortly before his death, in the year 1894 or 1895, a woman came out from Illinois and became his nurse, and con- ceived the idea of marrying him, which she did, the marriage ceremony being performed by an itinerant Greek minister. When Walker died the heirs consisted of three brothers and four sisters, all living outside of Arizona, and they asked Major Doran to become the administrator of the estate. Major Doran made application and was so appointed. The alleged wife also made application for appointment as adminis- tratrix, claiming that being his wife she had the best right to administer the estate. Major Doran contested her claim, and that suit was in litigation for over five years. It went to the Supreme Court of the United States and was decided in favor of Major Doran.
Soon after an heir cropped up in the person of an Indian girl, Juana Walker, who claimed to be Walker's heir because he had lived with
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her mother and had been married to her under the tribal laws of the Pimas. This suit was con- tested by the administrator on the ground that a white man could not marry an Indian under the laws of the Territory. It was appealed to the Supreme Court of the Territory, and then to the Supreme Court of the United States, fin- ally being decided in favor of the administrator.
After all these suits were disposed of the es- tate was divided among the heirs. The Vekol mine was reorganized, and McCabe, one of the lawyers of Juana Walker, received some of the stock, but, according to Major Doran, the Indian heir received nothing.
Major Doran says of Captain Walker: "He was somewhat of a scientist. I remember the Smithsonian Institute claimed that the Gila Monster was not poisonous. He contended that it was, and wrote a dissertation upon the sub- ject, and sent it and a specimen to them for an- alysis. They reversed their decision and ad- mitted that it was poisonous."
Of course there are many minor incidents in connection with Captain Walker's life in Ari- zona and elsewhere, but these comprise the main facts. The least that can be said of him was that he was a man of fine attainments, generous to a fault; the best type of the Western man, which embodies everything that is bold, chival- rous, and honorable.
Captain Washburn came from Mexico to Ari- zona, and after his term of service here, went to Washington, where he held a position in one of the Departments. He never returned to Ari- zona. Concerning Lieut. Hutton I have been unable to obtain anything whatever.
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CHAPTER VI. THE INDIANS AND THE MILITARY.
FIRST RESERVATION IN ARIZONA-INCREASED MIL- ITARY PROTECTION AGAINST INDIANS-GEN- ERAL MASON'S ORDER TO KILL ALL MALE APACHES ABLE TO BEAR ARMS-GENERAL MASON'S POLICY-CHARLES A. SHIBELL- HIS STORY-PRINCIPAL INDIAN FIGHTS IN NORTHERN PART OF TERRITORY-SKULL VAL- LEY FIGHT-FORT ROCK FIGHT- FIGHT BE- TWEEN MINT AND SKULL VALLEYS-BATTLE FLAT FIGHT-KILLING OF INDIAN AGENT LEIHY-KILLING OF DR. TAPPAN-RECEP- TION TO GENERAL MCDOWELL AT PRESCOTT- GOVERNMENT FARM ESTABLISHED AT FORT MCDOWELL-MILITARY HEADQUARTERS RE- MOVED TO TUCSON.
Through the influence of Mr. Poston, Con- gress appropriated twenty thousand dollars for presents, etc., for the Indians on the Colorado River. This reservation was located in the lat- ter part of the year 1865, and on it were gath- ered Iretaba's tribe of Colorado Mohaves. It does not appear that any other band of Indians were located permanently at that time upon this reservation. Iretaba, their chief, was taken on a visit to Washington, which so impressed him with the power of the nation, that he used his influence, meager though it was, to induce his Indians to discontinue their warfare against the whites. The result was that during the year 1865, there were but few murders committed by these Indians, their depredations being confined to the stealing of livestock. This was the first
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reservation set aside by the general government for Indians in Arizona after the organization of the Territory, and it still exists to-day, where the Indians are cultivating their own fields, are self-supporting, their children are educated at a Government school, and the tribe will soon be prepared to assume all the responsibilities of American citizenship.
The larger portion of the California Volun- teers were mustered out in September, 1864, and only skeleton forces remained to occupy and de- fend the posts. So hostilities continued with but little cessation, and the year 1865 came in with raids and depredations by the Indians in full swing. Early in February, 1865, Colonel C. E. Bennett visited Fort Bowie and con- demned the quarters as being unfit for use, and recommended that the new quarters be made of rock. About this time Old Fort Buchanan was being used as a vidette station, some six or eight men being stationed there. On the 17th of Feb- ruary, 1865, it was attacked by about one hun- dred Apaches, who fired the roof of the building. The soldiers escaped, but afterward it was found that one was missing; whether he ran away or was captured and killed, it was not known. He was out hunting at the time, and probably was killed by the Indians. All the horses, clothing, supplies, etc., fell into the hands of the Apaches.
In the northwest part of the Territory, around Fort Mohave, there seems to have been much trouble. The commander of the post reported that the Indians had been massacring and rob- bing travellers and capturing freight trains. On February 22nd, orders were issued to arrest twenty of the Chimehuevi Indians, and hold
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them as hostages until the guilty ones were deliv- ered up. These Chimehuevi Indians lived across the Colorado in Pah Ute County. The Pah Utes in the same county were also at war with the whites.
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