USA > Arizona > History of Arizona, Vol. V > Part 20
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was his closest call; that he was an old man and had had enough of fighting. Although the In- dians had carried off all their dead, the ground all along the outside of the corral was as bloody as a slaughter pen, 'exactly like a barnyard in hog-killing time.' The cattle were brought into Prescott, and the same night the Indians re- turned and burned the cabin and corral to the ground.
"This ranch has for many years been occu- pied by Robert Blair as a cattle ranch, and is still known, to old timers at least, as the 'Burnt Ranch.' "
The date of this fight has been given by some writers as 1864, but as Mr. Wells arrived in the Territory in that year, and as he also owned the cattle which were being herded by old man Mil- ler, it is to be presumed that his statement that the fight occurred in 1865 is correct.
In the "Prescott Journal-Miner" of January 10th, 1911, appears the following:
"William Bentley, mention of whom was made in the 'Journal-Miner' recently, as the nephew of the late E. A. Bentley, who was the editor and proprietor of the Arizona 'Miner' (now the 'Journal-Miner'), in 1865-66, in an interesting reminiscent mood, Saturday, re- called many thrilling events of that far away day in Prescott when life was insecure and it was not known at what moment the cruel Apache would claim another victim. Although he was a mere boy, but sixteen years of age, he remembers the danger attendant upon living in this little hamlet, not to mention such hazardous
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undertakings as leaving the settlement, except under a strong escort.
"While his uncle was not classed as a 'fight- ing-editor' nevertheless he was a brave man, as were all in that day on the frontier, and from his intrepidity received a bullet from an Apache, which led to his death later. This was in the spring of 1868, and in that memorable fight, Louis St. James, a resident of Prescott to-day, was one of the participants. In recalling this thrilling event, Mr. St. James yesterday stated that he was with Mr. Bentley, both being en route for the old Bowers' ranch, in Skull Valley, from Prescott. They traveled on horseback, and took the cut off trail route of that day, which passes over a portion of the present wagon road to Copper Basin. After reaching the latter place, and while going through a long ravine at a low elevation, the party was fired upon. Mr. Bentley, being in front, received the first wound. He was struck in the abdomen and fell from his horse. With nerves of steel and a firm determination to make a brave fight to the end he stood erect and poured several vol- leys into the redskins. Mr. St. James came up at this critical time and began firing a fusilade of bullets that astounded the Indians. He had a Henry rifle, the first repeating weapon that had been received in the country. The rapidity of the fire, together with the good execution, saved Mr. Bentley and himself from a horrible fate. The Indians took to the brush, with the excep- tion of three killed by Mr. St. James at close range, and while they were ready to descend upon the two with their knives to begin their
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frightful work of mutilation. Mr. St. James was also wounded in this battle, receiving a wound in the leg, which would not permit of him advancing except at a slow pace.
"Mr. Bentley, in his pitiable condition, was brought to Prescott that day, a party of trav- elers fortunately coming along and assisting the wounded men back. Eighteen days later Mr. Bentley passed away as a result of his wounds, and a short time afterward his nephew left the Territory for Oakland, California, and ever since has made his home in California."
Conditions in the southern part of the Terri- tory were as bad as in the north, as the follow- ing, from a paper read before the Pioneers' Historical Society at Tucson, by Charles A. Shibell, of whom mention has been made in this history, will show :
"During the year 1867 I was for the first six months at Tubac, and in that time murders by Apaches were of constant occurrence. On March 1st, Ed. Marcy was killed, and our brother pioneer, Oscar Buckalew, lost his leg and ran a narrow chance for his life. The circumstances of this case show out in bold relief that bond that knit us as a band of brothers, and the feel- ing that exists between us, which to those outside of us is hardly understood. Mr. Buckalew was the mail rider between Tubac and the Patagonia mine, and on approaching the buildings at the mine, that were then in charge of Thomas Yerkes, Richard Dorce, and E. I. Marcy, he was waylaid by the Indians, fired on by them, his horse mortally wounded, and himself shot. The horse had life enough in him to reach the
CHAS. A. SHIBELL.
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gate of the corral, where he fell dead, Bucka- lew with a broken leg being under him. The Indians kept up a constant fire, in the midst of which Thomas Yerkes rushed out from the cor- ral, succeeded in extricating Buckalew and carry- ing him into the building. His life was saved at the expense of a leg. Richard Dorce was wounded at the same time, from the effects of which he became demented, and wandering off, was never found. In the same year about July, on the old Camp Grant road, Tomlinson, Israel and Irwin were killed. In August, Charles Hadsell, known as Tennessee, and two soldiers were killed on the road near Bowie. About the same time Lieut. C. C. Carrol and John Slater were killed near Bowie.
"During this time murders by the Indians were numerous, and among those killed I recall the following: E. C. Pennington. His son, Green Pennington, on the Sonoita, during the month of July, 1868. Narboe's cattle, some 660 head, were taken near Picacho, one man killed and two wounded. Although efforts were made to recover these cattle, the Indians succeeded in getting away with them all."
The following is contributed by A. F. Banta, who has been mentioned in these pages at dif- ferent times :
"In 1867 the writer had again drifted back to the Zuni villages. Some time in June of the same year Sol Barth and a few Mexicans from the frontier village of Cubero passed Zuni for the Apacheria. The party was well supplied with saddle animals; also pack animals loaded with Indian goods. In due time, and without
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mishap, the party reached the Rio Carizo, the home country of the Coyotero Apache. In the olden days, before the subjugation of the Apaches and their confinement upon reserva- tions, the trail from Zuni to Apacheria followed down the valley of the Zuni river until it reached the last black mesa, which bordered the Zuni river on its northern side. At this point the trail left the valley and led across some sandy hills and table lands, striking the Little Colorado river among some sandstone cliffs about twelve miles below the present town of St. Johns. Amongst these rocks was the usual place of meeting for the purpose of trade be- tween the Zuni Indians and the White Mountain Apaches. It was the usual custom of these Apaches to make signal fires on the summit of the mountain by which they indicated the day they could be expected at the 'Rock Crossing' for the purpose above mentioned. Crossing the river at this point, the trail led down the south side to Concho Creek; here the trail forked, the one for the Coyotero country taking a westerly course, and the trail leading to the White Moun- tain country followed up Concho creek in a southerly direction.
"From time immemorial, or within the writer's knowledge of the past fifty-four years, the Little Colorado river has been the neutral ground for the mutual benefit of the various Indian tribes, and no hostilities ever occurred between them in its immediate vicinity. Never- theless, it is no bar to scraps (as the writer knows from experience), going to or from the river itself.
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"The Barth party remained some days at the rancheria of the Coyoteros, by whom they were hospitably treated, when they decided to visit the White Mountain Apaches, whose country lay some distance southeast from the Carizo. Unfortunately, for the Barth party, the notor- ious Cochise, with a large band of his picked warriors had arrived at the rancheria of Pedro, the chief of the Sierra Blanca Apaches, a short while prior to the Barth party; and, to make matters worse, Pedro happened to be tem- porarily absent from the rancheria. Cochise being of a dominating disposition and notor- iously cruel and savage, he simply overawed the sub-chief left in charge of the rancheria, and before they realized what was taking place, the members of the Barth party were disarmed, stripped of clothing, and of all their animals and plunder. Pandemonium was rampant for a time, and the naked bunch of terrified captives expected nothing else but instant death. How- ever, the savage Cochise, to give his captives all the mental distress possible, decided to post- pone the execution to the following morning. He had decided, after a conference with his warriors, to lash the captives to trees, and have another old fashioned human barbecue. In the mean- time the sub-chief had dispatched a swift mes- senger to meet his chief. The White Mountain chief made all haste to reach his camp. Pedro rushed in, released the captives, and demanded in a loud angry voice: 'By whose authority is this done in my camp and in my absence ?' The captives stood huddled together, hardly daring V-21
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to breathe, listening to the angry conversation- not understanding a word-between Chief Pedro and the bloody-minded Cochise. Pedro told Cochise that, 'You have violated my hospi- tality ; have violated the hospitality of my camp and my people; have committed outrages enough, and when I want people killed in my camp, I alone will give the order. What I have said, I have said.' He then turned to the cap- tives and said, 'Go, go quickly.' His motion and words were understood, and they hit the trail without any ceremonious farewells. As they passed by some women, one of them handed Sol a pair of cotton drawers. And without food, clothing, or even a match to start a fire, the fugitives had one hundred and twenty-five miles to hoof between the Apache Camp and the Zuni villages, the nearest point where assist- ance could be obtained.
"It must be remembered that Chief Pedro labored under a great disadvantage; all his women and children were in that camp, and Cochise only had his band of picked men; and in the event of a fight, Cochise had much the best of the situation. Cochise absolutely refused to give up as much as a string of the plunder ; but, as a compromise, he allowed Pedro the privilege of disposing of the captives in any manner suitable to him. Cochise suggested that the proper end- ing of the affair would be an old-fashioned 'roast and big dance.' Most of the foregoing facts were obtained from two Mexicans Cautivos,- Miguel of the Coyotero Apaches, and Concepcion of the White Mountain Apaches. Miguel gave
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his version of the affair in 1869, and Concepcion in 1872.
"The second day of their flight a little Apache dog came to them, which was caught and killed. They carried the dead dog until they fortunately came to some flints, and with these the dog was dressed. The next thing was to make a fire. Taking a small piece of the cotton drawers and pounding it and rubbing it to a fuzzy pulp, and with the flints they struck sparks until one caught the cotton and, with patient blowing, a fire was made. They made a fairly good meal out of the roasted dog without salt, were comparatively happy and laughed at their present predicament. Sol Barth, being the only 'aristocrat' in the bunch, being sumptuously and gaily dressed in a pair of cotton drawers, was unanimously dubbed 'EL REY.' Before leaving this camp fire, they charred a chunk of wood, and by waving it occa- sionally, kept it afire for the following night. The third day's tramp carried the party well up the Zuni river, and having the fire and the rem- nants of the dog, they were fairly well off, so to speak. However, by this time, their feet were sore, and their bodies badly blistered by the sun.
"The fourth day the fugitives reached the neighborhood of the Zuni villages, where they concealed themselves in a ravine until the 'King' could go to the village for some sort of apparel for the party. Mr. Barth came to my place, and after he had filled himself with beans, mutton and shah-kay-way (an Indian substitute for bread), I let him have sheeting enough to dress his companions, and late that evening the whole party came in and were comfortably housed.
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The party were exhausted, and lay over for a few days to recuperate. In the meantime I let Mr. Barth have more manta and a full piece of gaiyete (a species of red flannel highly prized by the Indians, and especially by the Navajo). With this he hired animals to ride and bought baustimento (grub) to last the party till they could reach Cubero, New Mexico. The distance from Zuni to Cubero, the nearest town, is about one hundred miles,
"I doubt if Mr. Barth and the Mexicans ever knew they were to be burned, although they had every reason to expect death at the hands of the bloodthirsty Apaches."
Another version of this story, which is author- ized by Mr. Barth himself, is as follows :
"One of the most memorable experiences in the adventurous life of Sol Barth occurred in November, 1868. Barth, Magdalena, Calderon, George Clifton, Francisco Tafolla, Jesus and Roman Sanches, and a Mexican named Mazon, who had been an Apache captive, had been trad- ing on the Cibicu with the White Mountain In- dians, of which tribe Pedro was the chief. The white men were thence called over, possibly en- ticed, to trade with a band of Apaches headed by Cochise. The band had but lately come from the south and were hostile. Barth and his party were led about forty miles to a point near the present Fort Apache, by a treacherous Mexican, who effectively delivered them into the hands of their enemies. The Indians had been making tizwin and all were drunk. The traders ap- proaching by a narrow trail, were seized singly by the Indians and stripped of everything includ-
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ing clothing. Barth was last, and found his companions standing naked and waiting for death, within a circle of Indians, who were threatening them with clubs that had been charred and hardened by fire. Barth's arms and clothing went the same way as had his compan- ions' belongings. Juana Marta, a Mexican cap- tive of the band, then appeared in the role of Pocahontas. It appeared that she cited some tribal law concerning the taking of captives on the lands of a friendly tribe, and so the case had to be appealed to Pedro, chief of the White Mountains. He was not long in coming, and there was only a short confab after he arrived. He was a decent sort of Indian and well disposed toward the white man, but the best he could do was to save their lives, without any reference to the loot. The conference concluded, the white men were dismissed with a mere wave of the hand.
"It happened that none of them had been robbed of their shoes, a fortunate circumstance, inasmuch as it took four days of travel to reach the nearest point of safety, the Zuni village in northwestern New Mexico. During that time the men's bare skin was scorched by the sun of the days, while they huddled, nearly frozen, around fires at night, for winter was coming on. Barth tells that he stood the trip rather better than the others and kept in the lead. The jour- ney was made on a very light diet, consisting almost entirely of tuna fruit, and an all too scanty share of the carcass of a small dog that had followed them from the Indian camp. On the last day Barth was well ahead, and, at a point
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fifteen miles out from Zuni, met an Indian who divided with him a few tortillas. Barth hap- pened to be well acquainted with the Indian, but the recognition was not mutual, for the fugitive, by that time, had little resemblance to the well fed and cheerful freighter who for years had made Zuni a stopping place. Refreshed by the tortillas, Barth then made rapid time into the village, from which he sent runners out with as- sistance and food. All recovered from their hardships, though Barth suffered a severe attack of 'Chills and fever.' "
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CHAPTER XV. PROGRESS OF THE TERRITORY.
BUILDING BOOM IN TUCSON - LEADING MER- CHANTS-INDIAN RAIDS-A. J. DORAN'S EX- PERIENCE WITH PAH-UTES - LOYALTY OF INDIANS-BIOGRAPHY OF J. W. SULLIVAN- HIS EARLY EXPERIENCES IN THE TERRITORY- BIOGRAPHY OF JOHN H. MARION.
About this time, 1867-68, S. W. Foreman made the first survey of Tucson, and, according to Fish, soon after this building took a boom. Sub- stantial and convenient houses replaced many of the old hovels. Kirtland built the first road from Tucson to the Santa Rita mountains, and hauled logs into the settlement.
In 1866, according to Hinton, "Handbook of Arizona," p. 266, several mercantile firms brought large stocks of goods to the place. Among the leading firms of the early days were Tully, Ochoa & Company, the senior member of which, P. R. Tully, died in Tucson in the year of 1903. This firm did a very large business. They were followed, after the removal of the cap- ital to Tucson, and, with it, the opportunities of getting fat contracts and legislation suitable to the governed classes, resulting in Tucson having quite a revival, by other firms, among them being that of Lord & Williams. Dr. Lord, the senior member of this firm, was appointed receiver of public moneys in Tucson. W. W. Williams, his partner, was born in New York, came to Arizona
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in 1864, and died April 19th, 1907. L. Zecken- dorf & Company were also among the leading merchants.
It required a large capital at that time to do business. Supplies came from California and from the Missouri river, compelling the mer- chants to keep a stock of goods in transit, and a stock of goods in the store. Prior to this time, and, indeed, including this time, the firm of Hooper, Whiting & Company were the leading merchants of the Territory. This firm had wholesale houses at Yuma, and branches at Ehrenberg, Camp McDowell and Maricopa Wells, from which the adjoining territory was supplied. Merchants were constantly harassed by roving bands of Indians, who captured their supply trains, often causing losses running into tens of thousands of dollars.
The outlook for 1868 was not very hopeful, for the Indians on the Colorado and in the Apache strongholds were on the warpath. Fish says that in the winter of 1867-68, there were forty- eight men, settlers, killed in and around Prescott and Walnut Grove.
The Navahos were quiet as far as Arizona was concerned ; they made no raids but, occasionally, would steal stock. They, however, made forays into Utah, murdering and driving off stock. Jacob Hamblin, who was the pioneer diplomat of the Mormon Church, and who founded the set- tlements around Callville and in what was then Pah-Ute County, Arizona, was sent down to ar- range a peace with them, which he succeeded in doing.
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Major Powell, in his explorations of the Colorado river, in speaking of Hamblin, says: "This man Hamblin speaks their language well, and has a great influence over all the Indians in the regions round about. His talk is so low that they must listen attentively to hear, and they sit around him in deathlike silence. When he finishes a measured sentence, the chief repeats it, and they all give a solemn grunt.
"Mr. Hamblin fell into conversation with one of the men, and held him until the others had left, and then learned more of the particulars of the death of the three men. (Three of Powell's men lost in the first expedition. 'Kapurats,' as Major Powell was called by the Pah-Utes, and his men were allowed by the Pah-Utes to travel unmolested in their country.) They, the three men, came upon the Indian village almost starved, and exhausted with fatigue. They were supplied with food, and put on their way to the settlements. Shortly after they had left, an Indian from the east side of the Colorado arrived at their village, and told them about a number of miners having killed a squaw in a drunken brawl, and no doubt, these were the men. No person had ever come down the canyon; that was im- possible; they were trying to hide their guilt. In this way he worked them into a great rage. They followed, surrounded the men in ambush, and filled them full of arrows.
"That night I slept in peace, although these murderers of my men, and their friends, the U-in-ka-rets, were sleeping not five hundred yards away. While we were gone to the canyon, the packtrain and supplies, enough to make an
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Indian rich beyond his wildest dreams, were all left in their charge, and were all safe; not even a lump of sugar was pilfered by the children."
I give other evidences of Indian loyalty : Major A. J. Doran, in his memoirs, which will be produced later in these pages, recites a story of himself and companions entering a Pah-Ute camp when they were at war with the whites; joining in their festivities, and then returning to their own camp about a mile away and sleeping in peace all night, and, in the morning, after breaking camp and starting on their way, being passed by these same Indians and meeting with a friendly greeting from them, although, a few hours later the Indians attacked and murdered another party of white men.
As heretofore related, Captain Thos. J. Jef- fords went into Cochise's camp; took off his arms, ammunition, etc., and handed them to Cochise, and asked him to take care of them while he remained there a few days. Capt. Jef- fords received only hospitality at the hands of the chief and the friendship thus commenced lasted until Cochise's death.
W. H. Hardy, in one of his trips from Hardy- ville to Prescott, one evening, through mistake, rode into a camp of Wallapais. Finding him- self among them, he requested one of the Indians whom he knew, to take care of his horse and give him a place to sleep for the night. Although these Indians were at war at the time with the whites, Hardy only received that courtesy due to a brave man who had placed his life in their hands. The next morning he was permitted to
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resume his journey without molestation from the Indians.
With all the prejudices that a pioneer Ari- zonan may have against the Indians, for, after I came to this Territory in 1879, many of my friends lost their lives in Arizona and Sonora at the hands of the Chiricahuas, yet, in studying the record as I have tried to do, impartially, I find that as much, or even more, treachery can be charged against the whites as against the In- dians. General Crook once said that the Indian never violated a treaty, solemnly made; that the white man never kept one. This, perhaps, is overdrawing the matter, but still there is much truth in the remark.
Hon. J. W. Sullivan, is known as one of the most prosperous and opulent business men in the northern part of the State; a man whose cattle graze upon a thousand hills, who is inter- ested in mining, banking and other business pur- suits sufficient to occupy the mind of any ener- getic man, has his headquarters at Prescott and served as a member of the House of Represen- tatives in the Third Legislature of the State of Arizona, the only political position he has ever accepted.
Mr. Sullivan was born in Picton, Prince Ed- ward's County, on the shore of Lake Ontario, in Canada, in the year 1844. He went to Ohio in 1864, finding employment in a lumber camp where, for a time, he was employed in hewing railroad timbers and ties, in charge of an outfit so employed.
From there he went South into Kentucky and Tennessee, and was employed in bridge building
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near Nashville, as a carpenter, when the battle of Nashville was fought. After the assassination of President Lincoln, he went into the oil regions of Pennsylvania, taking a contract from the Pennsylvania Railroad for furnishing railroad ties, etc. After a few months he was employed by the Phelps, Dodge Company, who had large lumber interests, as a log scaler, whose duty it was to receive the logs from shippers and scale the measurements for the company. After two years in their employ, in the spring of 1867, he started West, employing his odd time as a car- penter and teamster. In May, 1868, he was sent in charge of seven teams from Fort Union, New Mexico, which was then in process of construc- tion, to Fort Craig and Fort Bowie, to deliver a lot of cavalry horses and Government mules. After his return to Albuquerque, he assisted in moving the Navajo Indians to their present Reservation.
About October, 1868, he met John Clark, who gave him glowing accounts of the mining pros- pects in Arizona, and organized a party of six- teen, which started for Prescott about the 5th of November, 1868. His life in Arizona and the West, as told by himself, follows:
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