USA > Arizona > History of Arizona, Volume I > Part 15
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"Ponce,-This is all very good. The Apaches know that the Americans are their friends. The Apaches believe what the Americans say is true. They know that the Americans do not
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speak with two tongues. They know that you have never told them a lie. They know that you will do what you say. But the Apaches will not be satisfied to know that the murderer is punished in Santa Fe. They want him punished here, at the Copper Mines, where the band of the dead brave may see him put to death-where all the Apaches may see him put to death (mak- ing the sign of being suspended by the neck). Then the Apaches will see and know that their American brothers will do justice to them.
"Commissioner,-I will propose another plan to the chiefs and captains of the Apaches. This plan is to keep the murderer in chains, as you now see him, to make him work, and to give all he earns to the wife and family of your dead brave. This I will see paid in blankets, in cot- ton, in beads, in corn, in money or in anything the family may want. I will give them all that is now due this man, and at the end of every month, I will give them twenty dollars more in money or in goods. When the cold season arrives, these women and children will then come in and receive their blankets and cloth to keep them warm, and corn to satisfy their hunger.
"Ponce,-You speak well. Your promises are fair. But money will not satisfy an Apache for the murder of a brave! No! thousands will not drown the grief of this poor woman for the loss of her son. Would money satisfy an Ameri- can for the murder of his people? Would money pay you, Senor Commissioner, for the loss of your child? No! money will not bury your grief. It will not bury ours. The mother
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of this brave demands the life of the murderer. Nothing else will satisfy her. She wants no money. She wants no goods. She wants no corn. Would money satisfy me, Ponce (at the same time striking his breast), for the death of my son? No! I would demand the life of the murderer. Then I would be satisfied. Then I would be willing to die myself. I would not wish to live and bear the grief which the loss of my son would cause me.
"Commissioner,-Your words are good and true. You speak with a heart full of feeling. I feel as you do. All the Americans feel as you do. Our hearts are sad at your loss. We mourn with this poor woman. We will do all that we can to assist her and her family. I know that neither money nor goods will pay for their loss. I do not want the Apache chiefs, my brothers, so to consider it. What I propose is
for the good of this family. My wish is to make them comfortable. I desire to give them the aid of which they are deprived by the loss of their protector. If the prisoner's life is taken, your desire for revenge is satisfied. Law and justice are satisfied. But this poor woman and her family get nothing. They remain poor. They have no one to labor for them. Will it not be better to provide for their wants ?
"The chiefs now exchanged views with each other, all having more or less to say; when Ponce, their principal speaker, said they had all agreed to leave the matter entirely with the mother of the deceased, and that by her decision they would abide. She evidently desired the life of the prisoner. Her desire for revenge, or jus-
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tice, was more to her than money or goods. The discussion was resumed.
"Ponce,-If an Apache should take the life of an American, would you not make war on us and take many Apache lives ?
"Commissioner,-No, I would demand the arrest of the murderer, and would be satisfied to have him punished, as the Apaches punish those who commit murder. Did not a band of Apaches attack a small party of Americans, my countrymen, very lately on the Janos road ? Did they not kill one of them, and pierce three others with their arrows? And did they not take from them all their property ? Yes, you all know it to be true, and I know it to be true. I passed near the spot where it took place, three days after. The Apaches did not even bury their victim, they left him lying by the roadside, food for the wolves and crows. Why do not the Americans revenge themselves for this act? They are strong enough to do it. They have many soldiers, and in a few days can bring a thousand more here. But there would be no justice in that. The Americans believe that this murder was committed by your bad men, by cowards. The Apaches have bad men among them; but you who are now with us are our friends, and we will not demand redress of you. Yet, as I told you before, you must endeavor to find the man who killed our brother, and punish him. Our animals feed in your valleys; some of your bad men might steal them, as they have already done; but the Americans would not make war on you for this. We hold you re- sponsible, and shall call on you to find them and
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bring them back as you have done. While the Apaches continue to do this, the Americans will be their friends and brothers. But if the Apaches take their property and you do not re- store it, you can no longer be the friends of the Americans. War will then follow; thousands of soldiers will take possession of your best lands, your grass valleys, and your watering places. They will destroy every Apache they find, and take your women and children captives. "The discussion continued in this manner for two hours, the chiefs showing much sagacity in arguing their point. The matter was finally settled very much to my satisfaction and ap- parently to that of the Indians, by my paying to the mother of the deceased thirty dollars in money, that being the amount due the prisoner. I furthermore agreed to pay her twenty dollars a month, hereafter, the amount of the prisoner's wages. Thus was terminated this unfortunate affair, which, at one time, seemed about to de- stroy the good understanding which had existed between the members of the Commission and our Indian friends."
While the Indians apparently accepted the conclusions forced upon them by the Commis- sion, yet it is a matter of fact that they did not feel themselves bound to comply with the condi- tions. In other words, it was a treaty accepted under duress, which the Commission paid dearly for, for the Indians stole from them several hundred head of very valuable animals, causing them much loss and delay. Delgadito, one of the chiefs who was present at these interviews, was the leader of the band which committed
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these depredations, and the Commission was forced to leave, as soon as possible, the territory of the savage Apaches, for that occupied by the Pima and Maricopa tribes along the Gila River, and, in the subsequent treaty, known as the Gadsden treaty, the eleventh article of the treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo, previously mentioned, was abrogated, our Government having learned, by that time, more of the mammoth task it had undertaken in agreeing to protect the frontier of Mexico against Apache incursions. Santa Ana, then dictator of Mexico, consented to the abro- gation of this clause, and gave as his excuse to his countrymen, that he did not think or believe that the American Government ever intended to carry it out.
At this time gold mines were discovered a few miles from the camp of the Commission, a fact that threatened the existence of a permanent colony of Americans, which, together with the invasion of their country by the Survey Party, the recovery of Inez Gonzales and the two Mexican boys by the Americans and their restoration to their relatives, served to inflame the savage malevolence of the Apaches. All was quiet at the Copper Mines for some weeks, but toward the latter end of July, following, a number of mules belonging to the Commission, and for which Colonel Craig was responsible, could not be found, although the surrounding country was searched for thirty miles, and the conclusion was reached that they had been stolen by the Apaches. Colonel Craig, taking thirty soldiers, visited the camp of Delgadito on the Mimbres River. The Indians were much ex-
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cited and disclaimed any participation in the robbery or any knowledge of the missing ani- mals. They promised to hunt them up and re- store them to Colonel Craig if found. Eight days after they kept their promise by making another raid upon the Colonel's herd of mules, and relieving him of the necessity of guarding some twenty-five of those animals, and some fine horses. Having nothing but infantry in his command, Colonel Craig invoked the aid of Capt. Buford's company of dragoons from Dona Ana. Soon after the arrival of that offi- cer, another batch of animals disappeared in the same mysterious manner, and a joint scout of dragoons and mounted infantry started off to find the lost animals, and punish the robbers, if possible. The raid proved wholly ineffective; the animals were not discovered and the Indians were not punished, but during the absence of the force, word was brought that the Apaches had attacked the mining camp about three or four miles down the canyon, and were driving off the about cattle. Lieutenant Whipple leading,
twenty of the Commission mounted their horses and gave immediate pursuit. The Indians were overhauled in a thick forest, and a party, con- sisting of about fifty warriors, stood ready for battle, while another detachment hurried on with the cattle. The Indians retreated as fast as pos- sible, secreting themselves behind large pine trees, but at all times showing a bold and steady front. The pursuing party dismounted and, having been joined by Mr. Hay, the head miner, with four of his associates, left their horses in care of eight men, and took to the trees, keeping
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up a lively fire behind their friendly shelter. All doubt as to the identity of the robbers was soon set at rest, for they, headed by Delgadito, who kept at a safe distance, poured out torrents of violent abuse upon the Americans. Del- gadito, only two nights before, had slept in the tent of one of the officers, and had then received from him a good shirt and a pair of shoes.
The Commission was furnished with several styles of newly patented arms, among these some Wesson rifles, which could throw a ball a dis- tance of four hundred yards with comparative accuracy, at that time a remarkable distance. Among the party was Wells, the Commis- sioner's carriage driver, a good shot, brave and cool. Captain Cremony, who owned one of these Wesson rifles, pointed out Delgadito to Wells, handing him the rifle, and told him to ap- proach as near as possible, take good aim, and bring the rascal down. Wells slipped from tree to tree with great caution and rapidity until he was within two hundred and sixty yards of Del- gadito, who, at that moment was slapping his buttocks and defying the Americans in the most opprobious language, a favorite taunt among the Apaches. He uncovered his posteriors to Wells, who, taking deliberate aim, fired. The ball reached its mark and Delgadito, with an un- earthly yell, and a series of dances and capers previously unknown to the Apache ballet, being recalled to the consciousness of his exposed posi- tion by the whizzing of several more balls in close proximity to his upper end, ceased his salutatory exercises, and rushed frantically through a thick copse, followed by his band.
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The command started back for their horses, remounted and again pressed forward in pur- suit. In a quarter of an hour they had passed through the woods and opened upon the plain, over which the Apaches were scouring in hot haste. The pursuit lasted for thirty miles, and at sundown the pursuing party came upon the cattle, which had been abandoned by the In- dians. Further pursuit being deemed useless, the herd of cattle was driven back and restored to its owner. It was afterwards learned that Wells' shot gouged a neat streak across that por- tion of Delgadito's person, known among school boys as the "seat of honor," which impaired his general activity for several weeks.
This celebrated Apache was killed about two years later by a Mexican whom he was seeking to destroy. They were fording the Mimbres river on foot, and upon reaching the eastern bank, Delgadito caught hold of the projecting branches of a tree to assist himself, when the Mexican, taking advantage of his momentary neglect, plunged a knife through the Indian's heart from behind. The body of the savage was found the next day clinging to the branch. (From Cre- mony's "Life Among the Apaches.")
Mangus Colorado, or Red Sleeves, whom we now meet for the first time in this history, will appear quite often in subsequent pages, and a brief outline of the man as he appeared to one who knew him well, may not be out of place at this time. He was the King Phillip of the Apache nation. He understood the value of col- lective forces, and his influence extended from the Mimbres river in New Mexico to the Colo-
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rado, and no other warrior, at that time, could gather together such a large force of savages under one command. He possessed a powerful frame with iron sinews and muscles, and was gifted with an extraordinary amount of brain strength. Like other Apache chiefs, he fought his way to the top, through his genius, diplomacy and courage. His wonderful resources, his ex- traordinary ability in planning campaigns, his wise teachings and counsel, surrounded him with a large and influential band, which gave him a prominence among the different branches of his tribe. He was a power in Arizona and New Mexico. He never assumed authority not dele- gated to him. He never spoke as one having authority, but invariably said he would use his influence to perform certain engagements en- tered into. In one of his raids into Sonora, he carried off a handsome Mexican girl, whom he made his wife to the exclusion of his Apache squaws. This favoritism led to trouble in the tribe for a short time, but was suddenly ended by Mangus challenging to mortal combat any of the relatives or brothers of the discarded wives, according to the unwritten laws of his tribe. The wager was accepted by two of the relatives, and both were killed in fair duel. This Mexican wife bore to Mangus Colorado three really beau- tiful daughters, and through his diplomatic ability, exercising that statesmanship which pre- vailed in Europe during the 16th and 17th centuries, he married one to the chief of the Navajoes, another to the leading man of the Mescalero Apaches, and the third to the war chief of the Coyoteros, and, by so doing, ac-
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quired influence in those tribes, to such an extent that he could have their assistance in his raids whenever it was desired. He is described as a man of about six feet in height, with an enor- mously large head, broad and bold forehead, an aquiline nose, capacious mouth and broad heavy chin; his eyes rather small, flashing with great brilliancy under any excitement, although his outside demeanor was inexpressible as brass. He held Arizona and New Mexico under his dominion; he ravaged cities and towns in north- ern Chihuahua and Sonora, and destroyed large ranches teaming with cattle, horses and mules. Over a country three times as large as Cali- fornia, he held absolute dominion. Cruel, treacherous and revengeful, the record of his barbarities upon Mexicans and Americans would fill a volume. Not a man of extraordinary cour- age, yet he was so subtle in all his machinations as to compel admiration from his worst enemies. Had he lived under different environments; been an educated American; there is hardly a doubt but what he would have attained eminence among another race as he did among his own.
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CHAPTER XIV. EARLY AMERICAN OCCUPATION.
TUCSON-INDIAN RAIDS-POPULATION OF TUCSON AND TUBAC - ROUTE OF GOLD SEEKERS - FIRST AMERICAN CHILD BORN IN ARIZONA- FERRY ACROSS COLORADO - MASSACRE OF GLANTON PARTY-FERRY RE-ESTABLISHED BY JAEGER AND HARTSHORNE-MAJOR HEINTZ- ELMAN - DR. WEBB'S ENCOUNTER WITH INDIANS-FORT YUMA-ADVENTURE OF L. J. F. JAEGER-SCHOONER "INVINCIBLE" WITH TROOPS AND SUPPLIES REACHES MOUTH OF COLORADO - NAVIGATION OF COLORADO ---- SCHOONER SIERRA NEVADA-FIRST STEAMER "UNCLE SAM" - COLORADO CITY, AFTER- WARDS ARIZONA CITY, THEN YUMA, ESTAB- LISHED-YUMA INDIANS.
At the time of which we are writing, 1849, Tucson was a part of Sonora, and the Govern- ment maintained only a precarious possession of that town. Continued raiding of the Apaches, driving off their livestock, made life in the Old Pueblo one of constant annoyance and danger. Retaliatory raids by the soldiers became less fre- quent, and although the Papago allies were somewhat more successful in repelling and pursuing the savages, there was a constant dim- inution of population. The census report of September, 1848, gave Tucson 760 inhabitants and Tubac 249. In December of that year after an attack in which 9 persons were killed, Tubac and Tumacacori were abandoned, the people
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transferring their residence to Tucson. "Be- tween this presidio and that of Santa Cruz south of the line" says Bancroft, "it does not clearly appear that a single Mexican establishment of any kind remained, though before 1852, a small garrison had reoccupied Tubac."
After the discovery of gold in California in 1848, immigrants began to flock through Arizona from Sonora and other Mexican states, and from the eastern United States. The route usually followed was by the Santa Cruz and Gila Val- levs, and the Americans reached Tucson from the Rio Grande, for the most part by Cooke's wagon route of 1846. It was a journey of much hard- ship and dangerous on account of drought and lack of water and grass for the stock. For this reason, it was not recommended by Kit Carson and other frontiersmen. The Maricopa villages were the last friendly shelter to the emigrants before reaching the Colorado River, where, in the fall of 1849, Lieut. Cave J. Coutts, in com- mand of an escort to the Boundary Surveyors under Whipple, established Camp Calhoun on the California side, and for two months aided the hungry gold seekers, whose arrival was noted almost every day.
On the first of November, 1849, a flatboat, which had made the voyage down the Gila from the Pima villages, with Mr. Howard and family, and two men, a doctor and a clergyman, on board, arrived at the camp. During this voyage a son was born to Mrs. Howard, said to have been the first child born in Arizona of American parent- age. The Lieutenant, it is said, purchased the craft, which was used as a ferryboat during the
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remainder of his stay, and was transported to San Diego where it was used on the bay. "This," says Bancroft, "was the history of the first Colorado ferry."
There is some doubt as to the exact year in which Dr. Langdon established his ferry across the Colorado, whether it was late in the year 1849, or early in the year 1850. Bancroft says it is the latter date, but other authorities claim that it was in the previous year, 1849. The money for the establishment of this ferry was furnished by J. P. Brodie, an American gentle- man then a resident of Hermosillo, who retained an interest in it. Prior to its establishment the Indians aided the emigrants in crossing with their livestock and other property, having, in some way, secured a scow for this purpose. In disregard of their rights, the Americans occu- pied the field. They established a stockade on the California side, which they called Fort De- fiance, and which became the scene of a mas- sacre by the Yumas the following year. Dr. Langdon, who seems to have had charge of this ferry, associated with himself one John Glanton, or Gallantin, who seems to have been the head of a band of outlaws who had been employed by the Mexican Government to gather Apache scalps at one hundred dollars for each brave, fifty dollars for each woman, and twenty-five dollars for each child. The business seems to have been lucrative, so far as they were con- cerned, for the Glanton party did not confine itself to gathering the scalps of the Apaches, but took those of the Opatas and Pimas, and some- times of the Mexicans. This being discovered
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by the authorities, they were compelled to leave the country.
There seems at this time to have been an oppo- sition ferry. Glanton killed its manager and in this way controlled the business of transporta- tion across the Colorado. He exacted heavy tribute from all immigrants, amounting to ex- tortion, and disregarded in every particular the rights of the Indians, who rose in rebellion and killed all his party, some twenty-five in number, excepting C. O. Brown, who afterwards became prominent as one of the early settlers of Tucson, one Anderson and another whose name is not mentioned. According to Bartlett, the money which the Glanton party had accumulated, some- where from fifteen thousand to thirty thousand dollars in gold, was taken by the Indians, who used it in purchasing supplies from the immi- grants, and, not knowing its value, frequently gave four or five doubloons for a wornout blanket, and a gold eagle for a tattered shirt.
There is much confusion in regard to the Glan- ton affair. Cremony and some other authors claim that he and his party were in charge of a large flock of sheep which they had purchased in New Mexico and were driving to California, and were murdered by the Yumas upon their arrival at the Colorado River. All the evidence in ref- erence to the Glanton party is hearsay, but the weight of evidence seems to be that Glanton and his party were not incumbered with any great amount of livestock, and that he engaged with Dr. Langdon in ferrying emigrants across the Colorado as I have stated above.
Shortly thereafter, in July, 1850, Jaeger and Hartshorne headed a party who re-established
L. J. F. JAEGER.
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the ferry, and built their boat on the ground from wood secured from the cottonwood trees growing there. Major Heintzelman, then in charge of the army post at San Diego, estab- lished a military post there and left ten men under Lieutenant Sweeney, and the soldiers and ferrymen all occupied the stockade which had been erected by the Glanton party. Jaeger and Hartshorne did a profitable business for several months. Supplies becoming short, however, Jaeger went to San Diego, and, returning with one Mexican with several mule loads of provi- sions, was attacked by the Indians within sight of the stockade. The Mexican deserted him and Jaeger applied his spurs to his horse, which dashed into the stockade carrying its rider, who was badly wounded by spears and arrows, re- maining unconscious for several days. That night the party deserted the post and carried Jaeger with them into San Diego, where the arrow points were extracted and he, under proper medical treatment, was restored to health.
Within a few days after this occurrence, Dr. Webb, in charge of an exploring party belong- ing to the Boundary Survey, encountered some Indians, the story of which encounter and the events following are told by Captain Cremony in the following language :
"Early next morning, we resumed our journey down the Gila, and prosecuted it for several days until we reached the Colorado near its junction with the Gila. At that period the whole coun- try was a wilderness, and the place now occupied by large houses and well-filled stores, with an American population of six or seven hundred
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souls, was waste and desolate. The approach to the river was hidden by a dense mass of young willow trees, through which we had to pass in order to reach water, of which ourselves and animals were greatly in need. The thermometer stood at 118 degrees Fahrenheit, in the shade, and we had marched twenty-four miles that day without water. On emerging from the willows on the banks of the broad, red, swift and turbid stream which met our gaze, we discovered, on the opposite side, within easy rifle reach, a large number of Yuma men, women and children, a fact which assured us that our approach had not been known by that tribe. They instantly fled in all directions, thereby proving their fear and suspicions, which would not have been enter- tained if the two people had been at peace with each other. Having watered our suffering ani- mals, we pursued our way down the Colorado, and encamped upon an open sand beach, with three hundred yards of clear ground in the rear and the river in front. No weapon in posses- sion of the Yumas could reach anything like that distance, while our rifles commanded the whole area. Our animals were drawn up in line on the river side with a careful guard, and were fed with an abundance of young willow tops, which they ate greedily.
Our fires were well supplied, and kept blazing brightly, so as to shed light on the surrounding shore and disclose the approach of any enemy. In this manner we passed an anxious night.
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