USA > Arizona > History of Arizona, Vol. VIII > Part 2
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miles above the post. There were few tools, but they were strung along the line of the ditch, and every tool that could be, was secured. There were a few old tools of different kinds at Fort Whipple, which were sent down, and the best possible use made of them. With these and with sticks hardened in the fire, the Apaches soon had a ditch completed five miles long, with a width of four feet, and three feet deep. Mason and Schuyler labored assidu- ously with the Apaches, and soon had about fifty-seven acres of land planted with melons and other garden truck, of which the Indians are very fond, and preparations for planting corn and barley on a large scale were made. The prospects of the Apaches looked bright, and there began to be hope that they would soon become self-sustaining, but it was not to be. The "ring" of Federal officials, contractors and others, succeeded in securing the issue of per- emptory orders that the Apaches should leave
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INDIAN AGENCIES.
at once for the mouth of the sickly San Carlos, there to be herded with the other tribes. The Apaches were contented on the Verde and satis- fied with their surroundings there. They had been promised that it should be their home, and to remove them was bad faith, particularly as their work was beginning to show results, and they had every prospect of becoming self- supporting. The move did not take place until the following winter, when the Indians flatlv refused to follow the special agent sent out by the Indian Bureau, not being acquainted with him, but did consent to go with Lieutenant Geo. O. Eaton. There were two thousand of these Indians in 1873, and in August of that year about nine hundred of them ran away, but four hundred of them returned in September. W. S. Schuyler succeeded Dr. Williams as agent. The place proved to be unhealthy and there was much sickness at the agency, which caused it to be changed somewhat. In 1874 there were a thousand and seventy-eight Indians at the place, and by June the soldiers had brought in more, increasing the number to fifteen hundred and forty-four. These Indians were removed, not only against their will, but also against the protest of General Crook. Re- ferring to the removal of the Indians, Dunn, in his "Massacres of the Mountains," says : "To the statement of the commissioner of Indian Affairs: 'I believe now no one in the Territory questions the wisdom of the removal of the Verde Indians', Colonel Kautz bluntly replied : 'So far as my observation goes, I have
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HISTORY OF ARIZONA.
seen no one who endorses it, except those con- nected with the Indian Department.' "
This removal was in March, 1875, and was in charge of Special Commissioner Dudley. On the way to the San Carlos reservation, the Ton- tos and Yavapais had a fight among themselves, in which five were killed.
The placing of the Indians on the Verde was in accordance with General Crook's arrange- ment with them when they surrendered, he then promising them that they should stay there as long as they were peaceable and good Indians. The removal of them to San Carlos was opposed by Crook, and had a bad effect on the Indians, as it seemed to them that Crook had failed to keep his promises, and the result was that, to a certain extent, they lost faith in the general, and in all promises made by the whites.
The Chiricahua reservation was established in October, 1872, by General O. O. Howard, on the conclusion of his treaty with Cochise. Prior to this time all attempts to induce this tribe to leave its old home had resulted in failure. In pursuance of this treaty Cochise ceased hostilities, and used his influence with such effect that in October and November, over a thousand Apaches had gathered upon this reservation, not only the Chiricahua Apaches, but also some of the Mescaleros, who were closely affiliated with them. The reservation included approximately that portion of Cochise county lying east of the Dragoon mountains. Its southern boundary was the international line between the United States and the Mexi-
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INDIAN AGENCIES.
can Republic. It was set apart by executive order of December 14th, and by the end of the year over a thousand Indians were being fed, according to the report of the agent, Thomas J. Jeffords. In setting apart this reservation, it was found that Rogers and Spence had a claim on Sulphur Springs, having located there in 1868. To settle this claim Rogers was given a hundred and sixty acres of land on the res- ervation, where he remained, keeping a trading post. The agency was at Sulphur Springs, Cienega de San Simon, Pinery Canyon and Apache Pass, successively. Cochise remained faithful to the time of his death in 1874, and was succeeded by his son, Taza, although neither had full control of all the bands. There were no farming lands, but the Chiricahuas were not farmers and did not care to learn the business.
The reservation being on the Mexican border, there was much raiding across the line, which Agent Jeffords insisted was not done by his Indians, but by those from San Carlos and other points, a statement which was not gener- ally credited by those outside of the reserva- tion. Superintendent L. E. Dudley, of New Mexico, endeavored to have the Chiricahuas re- moved to the Hot Springs, but they refused to go. In April, 1876, after the killing of Rogers and Spence, which has been heretofore noted, the Indians, fearing punishment, fled to the mountains of Mexico, and from that time on, for six long years, the history of the Chirica- huas was one of continual struggle, as will be shown in future pages of this history. By the
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HISTORY OF ARIZONA.
influence of Governor Safford, and against the advice of General Kautz, then in command, the removal of all the Indians was ordered. A band of a hundred and forty went to Hot Springs; three hundred and twenty-five, under Taza, were sent to San Carlos in June, and the remaining four hundred ran away to com- mit depredations on the frontier. These last figures were according to Agent Jeffords. The reservation was restored to the public domain by executive order of October 30th, 1876.
Vincent Colyer established a temporary res- ervation at Camp McDowell in 1871, but it was abolished the following year by General Howard. He also established reservations the same year at Camp Grant and Fort Apache. The establishment of the White Mountain res- ervation is dated November 9th, 1871. As all these reservations were for the Apaches, they were practically one after the move from Camp Grant. In 1872 General Howard changed the Camp Grant reservation to the Gila, naming it San Carlos. This reservation seems to have extended to the New Mexico line.
The salaries of the officers for the San Carlos reservation for the year 1884 were as follows: Agent, $2,000; Storekeeper, $900; Physician, $1,200; Clerk, $1,200; Chief Scout, $1,000; Head Farmer, $900; Issue Clerk, $900; School
Teacher, $800; two School Teachers, $600; Matron, $600; Seamstress, $600; Assistant Farmer, $750.
December 14th, 1872, the executive order creating the reservation was supplemented by several new orders; that of August 5th, 1873,
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INDIAN AGENCIES.
cut off all the Gila Valley above Old Camp Goodwin; that of April 27th, 1876, cut off a strip on the east; that of January 28, 1877, cut off a strip of seven thousand four hundred and twenty-one acres in the northeast corner, and that of March 31st, 1877, the southwest corner south of the Gila. As left, the reservation con- tained four thousand four hundred and forty square miles. The agents were as follows: Ed. C. Jacobs, George H. Stevens, H. R. Wilbur, C. F. Larrabee, W. H. Brown, J. E. Roberts, and John P. Clum during the period from 1872 to 1876. H. L. Hart was agent in 1877-78; Adna R. Chaffee in 1879-80; J. C. Tiffany in 1880-81; Phil P. Wilcox in 1882-83, and G. Ford in 1884. From 1882 the reservation be- came practically under control of the military commander.
In the early years of these reservations the great objection on the part of the Indians to coming upon them and remaining, was the sys- tem of "tagging," (Bourke, "On the Border with Crook," p. 219,) which they regarded as humiliating, and to which their proud spirits could not submit. This caused many of them to leave the reservations, and yet it would seem it was the only way of keeping them where the agent could locate his Indians. The Apaches were gradually disarmed, and the use of "tiz- win," the native liquor, was suppressed. One cause of trouble and outbreaks was the putting of strange and different tribes on the same res- ervation, which caused the usual jealousies and bickerings that always arise under these con- ditions.
VIII-2
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HISTORY OF ARIZONA.
The total expenditures of the government on account of the Indian service, from 1789 to 1900, amounts to more than three hundred and sixty- eight millions of dollars. More money has been paid to extinguish Indian land titles, than to extinguish the titles of foreign nations, and the cost of our Indian wars has been equal to the cost of all our foreign wars.
In 1863 the number of Indians in Arizona was estimated as follows:
Apaches 5,000
Papagoes 7,500
Pimas & Maricopas 5,000
Cocopahs 3,000
Yumas 5,000
Yampais 2,500
Chimehuevis
2,000 Mohaves 5,000 2,000 Wallapais 500 Pah-Utes
Moquis
7,000
Navahos 15,000
Apaches Man 100
Total 59,600
The different tribes of Indians in the Terri- tory were originally located as follows :
COLORADO RIVER AGENCY.
Mohaves at Mohave .. 677
Mohaves at Needles. 667
Mohaves at Fort Mohave 700
Wallapais 700
Chimehuevis 141
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INDIAN AGENCIES.
NAVAHO AGENCY :
Navahos 20,500
Moquis, (Pueblo) 2,029
PIMA AGENCY :
Pimas, Gila Reservation. . 3,723
Maricopas, Salt River Reservation. . 93
Maricopas, Gila Reservation. 203
Pimas, Salt River Reservation 543
Papagos, Gila Bend Reservation 75
Papagos, Nomadic 1,800
Papagos, San Xavier. 517
Papagos, Peerless Well 248
SAN CARLOS AGENCY :
Coyotero Apaches 612
Tonto Apaches 856
Mohave-Apaches
501
San Carlos Apaches
1,134
White Mountain Apaches 1,739
Yuma-Apaches 51
Havasupias, (unattached) 215
Total 37,724
The foregoing figures are probably a little under the real number in some instances. According to the census of 1900 there were but 26,480 Indians in Arizona. There is some omission in this, probably ; some of the Pueblo tribes may not have been included.
From the date of the entry of the California Column into Arizona, and for many years thereafter, there was an element that was opposed to any peace with the Apaches. Their
20
HISTORY OF ARIZONA.
cry was extermination and, as we have seen, General Carleton and many others adhered to this policy. The civilians who gave out this cry were those who were fattening on Govern- ment contracts, holding lucrative positions in many ways. They were merely sojourners in Arizona. Her magnificent forests; her moun- tains rich in gold, silver and copper; her val- leys, productive as any known to man ; her hills covered with nutritious grasses; this paradise of the stockman, lumberman, farmer and miner, did not attract them. The latent wealth of the future commonwealth did not appeal to this class, whose only desire was to gather quickly the crumbs which leaked from the Federal feed basket. Another, and by far a more numerous class of the population were those who realized the possibilities of the future, and desired to build here their homes, the empire builders who imperilled life and fortune in an effort to re- claim the Territory from savagery to civiliza- tion, but saw their neighbors murdered, their homes pillaged, their stock stolen, and their fields laid waste by a foe as ruthless and relent- less as any that had ever cursed mankind. Under these conditions all classes were clamor- ing for a war of extermination. Agencies and reservations were denounced as "feeding stations and depots of supplies" for the hos- tile Apaches, where they could recruit their strength and form plans for new atrocities. Throughout the country the newspapers re- echoed the popular cry: "Do away with the agencies ; fight the Apaches to the death." The Governor and Legislature were in full sym-
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INDIAN AGENCIES.
pathy with the people in this popular outcry, which had become common to every Arizonan, for the feeling that now actuated all the citi- zens of the Territory was one of bitter hatred and revenge for their murdered friends and relatives. War for aggrandizement or gain was not thought of except by the few who com- posed the ring which received Uncle Sam's money in return for services rendered. The people were crazy for blood; the spirit of re- venge burned at fever heat, for during these years, up to and including 1870, they could see no progress, and became discouraged and clam- orous for reform. The troops were blamed, and the officers declared unfit for their posi- tions. In military circles there was a division of opinion, inspectors and officers not always agreeing as to the best policy to be pursued. It was a time of excitement and exaggeration, of unreasonable views and acts, and while the Indians were responsible for many outrages, the whites were guilty of many crimes against the Indians. The spirit of revenge seemed to have taken hold of all classes, depriving men of their cooler judgment. The feeling of human kindness which is said to be implanted in all men, was smothered, and it was not to be won- dered at. It is hard to be calm when one's rela- tives and friends are being butchered, and this applied as well to the Indian as to the white man.
In June, 1869, Major General Thomas re- lieved General Halleck in command of the Mili- tary Division of the Pacific, and General Ord succeeded to the command of the Department
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HISTORY OF ARIZONA.
of California, which included Arizona. "Gen- eral Ord," says Fish, "was an enthusiastic ex- terminator so far as the Apaches were con- cerned." In September, 1869, he wrote: "I encourage the troops to capture and root out the Apaches by every means, and to hunt them as they would wild animals. This they have done with unrelenting vigor." General Halleck, who preceded General Thomas in command of the Military Division of the Pacific, said, as has been heretofore stated: "It is useless to nego- tiate with these Apache Indians. They will ob- serve no treaties, agreements or truces. With them there is no alternative but active and vig- orous war till they are completely destroyed, or forced to surrender as prisoners of war."
Soon after being placed in command of the Department of California, General Ord visited Arizona, making a personal inspection of the principal forts in the Territory, and laying his plans for future operations. It does not appear, however, that his visit resulted in much good. He was a Civil War veteran, a graduate of West Point, and a First Lieutenant in 1849 in the regular army, and, later, was a Major General in the Civil War, where, through long and distinguished services, he gained a place in the history of our country during those trying times.
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EXPEDITIONS AGAINST INDIANS.
CHAPTER II.
EXPEDITIONS AGAINST INDIANS.
NUMBER OF WHITES KILLED BY INDIANS-IN- CREASE OF MILITARY-NUMBER OF INDIANS KILLED AND CAPTURED BY MILITARY-KING WOOLSEY'S ACCOUNT OF LIEUTENANT MC- CLEAVE'S SCOUT-FIGHT AT HARQUA HALA SPRINGS-COLONEL BARNARD'S FIGHT WITH APACHES UNDER COCHISE.
General Devin's report for 1868 shows that in the Northern District, in forty-six expedi- tions, one hundred and forty-six Indians had been killed, sixty-one wounded, and thirty-five captured. In the south little had been done dur- ing that time. Several new posts were estab- lished and much work was done at the forts. The force this year was two regiments of in- fantry, and nine of cavalry. In Pima County for the year ending July 17th, 1869, fifty-two whites were killed and eighteen wounded by Apaches. In the next year forty-seven were killed and six wounded, besides destruction of property in every part of the Territory. Hardly a freighter, stockman, or farmer, that did not suffer from Indian raids.
The "Prescott Miner," of March 6th, 1869, contains the following item :
"Indians continuing depredations around Prescott and all the adjacent towns, killing citizens and running off stock."
This paper, on the same date, notes the suc- cession of General Ord in command of the De-
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HISTORY OF ARIZONA.
partment of California, and says: "The num- ber of companies in Arizona is increased to thirty-six, which will be re-enforced by eight companies to be forwarded as soon as possible. The number of troops when the re-enforce- ments arrive, will be about eighteen hundred. The operation of the troops during the last quarter in Northern Arizona has been of con- siderable interest. The scouts of General Alex- ander, Colonel Price, Major Clendenin, and Lieutenants Hasson, Sommerbee and Wells, re- sulted in the capture of numerous Indians and the killing of sixty-four, and the destruction of the villages and property of several warlike parties of Indians who have been committing outrages and killing the settlers in the Terri- tory. The war parties of Indians are mostly roving Apaches, some of them being from the hostile branch of the Hualapai tribe."
In a letter dated from the Vulture Mine, July 12th, 1869, King Woolsey gives an account of the scout of Lieutenant Wm. McCleave of the 8th U. S. Cavalry, a description of which has been given in Volume 3 of this History as related by William Fourr. The following is King Woolsey's report :
"On July 6th they arrived at Harqua Hala Springs. An Indian appeared on a high point overlooking our camp, waved his gun high in the air, and sounded the warwhoop, all of which was a signal of battle. Then opened one of the most terrific Indian fights I have ever had the pleasure of witnessing.
"After the first half hour it was plain that we could drive them at will, but the 'old man,'
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EXPEDITIONS AGAINST INDIANS.
as the boys called McCleave, thought it best to keep them close to us until we wanted to retire to the plain below. Our men fought Indian fashion, every man from behind a rock. Had they been exposed they would not have lasted ten minutes. At six o'clock orders were given to saddle and pack up. The Indians saw the move and rushed furiously to the charge. It was a dear charge for them, and during the few minutes it lasted, we hurt more Indians than we had in the previous two hours fighting. Numbers fell and were dragged back to the rocks, and three lay dead in full view. We had one man wounded severely in the head. We forced a passage to the plain below, and camped for the night. At daylight the cliffs at the en- trance of the canyon and below the water were black with the red devils, apparently busily for- tifying. Knowing that we were compelled to have water, they were using every exertion to prevent us from getting it. At eight o'clock A. M., after having grazed our horses and break- fasted, orders were given to pack, saddle, and fall in. After detailing a rear guard, and every fourth man to hold or lead horses, we only had thirteen soldiers and two citizens to face the enemy ; this small band was drawn up in a line and, after a few stirring words from our Gen- eral, we deployed on foot. The Apaches wel- comed us with loud shouts, waving bright lances and guns in the morning sun. They had evi-
dently been reinforced during the night and, being now well fortified, were eager for the con- test. We marched directly toward the fortified hill until within five hundred yards of it. We
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HISTORY OF ARIZONA.
diverged to the right, crossing the canyon and gaining the high ground on the north. This move was executed in full view of the enemy, who appeared to be completely stupefied. As soon as we faced about and bore down toward the water, they sullenly left their fort, hurried around, and crawled into the rocks overhanging the water. As they were shifting from the for- tification, we had an opportunity of approxi- mating their number, and I think that at least sixty left the hill and passed into the rocks, where also were others. Our train was halted within four hundred yards of the water, and we were ordered to advance. Our advance was a succession of charges or rushes from one cluster of rocks to another, one half of our force cov- ering while the other half charged. In about one hour the water was cleared, and about one- half of our fighting force had crossed the canyon and occupied the rocks lately in possession of the savages.
"The train and horses were now ordered to the water. The Indians rallied and made a des- perate attempt to regain their lost ground, but failed, losing one of their chiefs, quite a number of their warriors, and leaving us masters of the field. Thus ended two of the hardest contested Indian fights I have ever witnessed. I think they outnumbered us the last day at least five to one. The fighting was almost entirely done by the soldiers as, besides myself, there was but one citizen, William Fourr, in the fight. Our leader proved himself worthy the great reputa- tion he bears. He was everywhere, and always at the right place."
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EXPEDITIONS AGAINST INDIANS.
On August 14th, 1869, General Devin trans- ferred his headquarters to Tucson. The "Miner" of October 30th, 1869, prints a letter under date of October 13th, 1869, from Tucson, giving an account of Indian depredations in that locality, and especially one in which the band was headed by Cochise. The last paragraph of this letter is as follows :
"Colonel Barnard has now two companies under his command, with orders to follow Co- chise's trail by day and night, wherever it may lead."
In the "Miner" of December 12th, 1869, is the report of Colonel P. F. Barnard of his fight with the Apaches under Cochise :
"On the 16th of October Colonel Barnard started from Camp Bowie with sixty-one men and fifteen days' rations, marching entirely by night, which rendered it difficult to follow the trail of the Indians. On the 20th he came upon a camp which appeared to have been deserted but a day or so, where he halted the command. not being able to see the trail. The Colonel galloped into a canyon, while the guide with five men climbed toward a rocky mesa. The Colonel, looking back to see how the men were getting up the hill, saw several Indians running for the crest. He got back as quick as his horse would carry him, and ordered his men to tie their horses to the trees and get to the tops of the hills as quickly as possible, leaving six men with the horses. Before the men had reached half way up the hill, the Indians had opened fire on the guide and the five men with him, com- pelling them to take shelter behind rocks. At this,
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HISTORY OF ARIZONA.
firing commenced at all parts of the rocks above us. The troops were placed about thirty yards from the ledge occupied by the Indians, which enabled them to shoot arrows at any person who might show himself. Here two men were killed and one wounded. The men then made themselves secure behind the rocks, and the sharp-shooting commenced in earnest and was kept up for a half hour, when the Colonel gave the command of the troops occupying the rocks to Lieutenant Lafferty, while he disposed of the rear guard and pack train which was just com- ing in. When the Colonel reached the place where he had left the horses, he found that they were greatly exposed to the enemy's fire, and, it being impossible to advance, Lieutenant Laf- ferty was ordered to fall back and bring the dead with him, which he was unable to do. One man in coming down the hill, fell over the rocks and broke his leg. The animals were then re- moved to a place of safety, leaving the Lieuten- ant and a few men to protect the dead bodies until something could be done to drive the In- dians from the rocks. The Colonel with twenty men moved to the left in hopes of being able to get in the rear of the enemy, but found every point on the mesa well guarded, and as he got within gunshot, they would open fire upon him. He then took thirty men and went to the right, determined to get to the top of the mesa if pos- sible. This movement was made around a hill so that the Indians could not see him until he reached the place that he intended to charge from, where he found a deep canyon that he had to lead his horses down and up before reach-
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EXPEDITIONS AGAINST INDIANS.
ing the top of the mesa. He had not more than made his appearance here until they commenced firing upon him. He then gave his first sergeant fifteen men, with orders to occupy the hill near- est the mesa and try to make the Indians leave their stronghold near the dead men. This fire had great effect on them as several men were killed from this point. He again returned to the place where the animals were left and gave Captain Adams all the men he could spare, with orders to report to Lieutenant Lafferty to make a charge and get the bodies of the dead men. Just as Captain Adams arrived and was about to report to Lieutenant Lafferty, he, Lieu- tenant Lafferty, was shot, the ball taking effect in the cheek, breaking and carrying away the greater portion of the lower jaw, the bullet and broken bones greatly lacerating his face. Suc- cess was now made a loss, and there being no place where the command could camp in this vicinity out of gunshot range of the hill, besides which the whole country being thickly settled with timber, night appeared very dark, as it had been raining all day, the Colonel thought it best to withdraw and not lose more men in the vain attempt to dislodge the enemy, which could not have been done with twice the number of men. In his report the Colonel says: 'The men all fought well, and no men could have done better than they did. I feel certain that I could not have dislodged the Indians with a hundred and fifty men without losing at least one-half of them. The Indians were brave, but many of them must have been killed and wounded.' He is returning to the place of ac-
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