The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1850-02-13
The Indian Tribes or New Mexico.

. correspondent OF the ST. Louis, ono RepH6-
| hcan writing tram Los Vegas, New Mexico, under
date of December lst gives the following history
OF the various Indian tribes who Inhabt that
| ton Of the country-The NavaJos, who inhabit the
country west OF the Rio Grande, number about Sc
! ven thousand They have been hostile for the last
fifteen years, but their hostility has occasionally
been interrupted by short and treacherous peace.
The Inhabitants OF New Mexico have annually
been laid under heavy contributions to repenlsh
their hocks and haTds. They are more indus
ious ana are further advanced in civilization than
any other Indians bordering on the country. They
nave no permanent habtations, but cultivate corn
largely and wheat 10 a small extent; make blankets
from the wool OF their herds OF sheep, some OF
winch are valuable and of rare beauty. Some OF
the fIuIts common TO this climate also cutlva-
ted by ,htm. But the great source of their wealth
consists IN their horses, goats and sheep OF which
they have immense numbers, and which, to con.
siderable extent, have been stolen from the New
Mtxicans and Pueblo Indians. A single Navajo
will frequently have fifteen or twenty thousand
head Of sheep and goats and five SIX hundred
horses. These horses small, but OF superior
quality, end will for many hours without tiung
Col Washington made movement against them
last summer, and, In sklrmlsh, KILLED the prnci-
pal chef, but afterwards made treaty of peace
with them, with which they have failed TO comply
IN every particular, and have since committed more
Expectations than all the rest Of the Indians com
blbtd Their chiefs have but llttle influence aud
authority over them, and II will be dtiilcut mat
ter ever TO make lasting treaty with them, until
they have been soundly whipped
The Eutaws inhabt the north and northwestern
froDtieT, and number between four aud hive thou.
sand. They are brave, athletic, and warlike, sub
slstiDg tntrely upon plumber and the game OF The
country Their only articles for traffic are their
horses, and dressed skins Of buffaloes, bear. and
deer Their hostility is OF but recent dale. They
have been pretty roughly dealt with once or twice
by our troops. During the summer, they stay IN
their mountain retreats and Businesses, and it's I'M
possible to wage war against them with any degree
Of success but durlng the winter they are driven
f.lalp Inv fbsss nd can Fad.
~ be overhaulee Large parties at them go INTO
The buffalo country every fall, when the buffalo
lat, and kill and dry their meat, which furnishes
most of their winters sub sistence. Tney have
b EN- comparatively quiet for the last two months,
and they forced by the snow To
abandon the mountains, they will again be suing
Tor peace, and tins amcabIe sl-positioB Will last
Just as long as the snow hes on the mountains.
The Al aches ifhabu the country east of the Rio
Grande, and north Of I'll Paso del Norte, hut make
frequent lncursions wet Of the RIO Grinde. TDey
are always on the look out for small parties on the
famous '.Jornada del Muerto," or journey OF the
lead man. They are not very brave, but have a
| lust appreciation Of Mexican valor, and will attack
u Mexican party with much less disproporuon OF
numbers than they will party OF Americans
| MAJOR Steen, IL, dragons, commanding at Dona
| Anna, has had several skirmIshes with them, IN
on. OF which he was dar g.rously wounded, but he
| has mtasursby recovered. They raise no gram
| whatever. The ma9uey root, which has sweet
lsh and rather pl, ssant taste when roasted forms
an important item Al their Diet. Wild game Is very
abundant IN the mountains they inbabt:
The Apaches bordering on New Mexico do not
| member over live thousand.
The Jicorillss, a tribe Of Apaches, Inhsbt the
northwestern frontier. Though numbering not
| over five hundred, they have very much annoyed
the Inhabitants OF that frontier, AS well as small
parties on the route from Fou Leavenworth TO
santa Fe. But nine or ten OF the entire party
escaped. They are efiemInate and cowsrdly men,
never attacking or fighting unless they have the
advantage. They make rough earthenwdre, and
a h. rcd f.tr
| blankets aud ammunition, with which they are
supplied by the Mexican traders VINO 90 among
them. These lpeIans have had several severe
blows durng the past summer and Tall.
Lieutenant Burnside, with a detachment OF
BrHRg's battery, tell upon party OF them last
August, and cut down some thirty with the rabrr,
aud took seven prisoners. Ihey were Afterwards
| oyefhauled by Captain Papin's company 81 vOlun-
t.ers. Major Grier has Just return from an *
\ EDITION against them. Ia October, Mr. White. u
merchant II III Paso. who was bringing out ms
family, left HE train. Ms the weather wss becoming
| cold and dissgreesbl~ for Mrs White and enid I.
and came ON IN advance, with party OF eight
psrsons.
The Ins,sns prepared an ambuscade some sixty
| miles from Los Vegas, the first settlement, and
killed Mr. White and all the men III the party, ts-
kine Mrs White, chilo, and negro servant. prison.
ere. A. soon this was reported 10 the command
log officer Of the department, Mayor Grer was or
dereo with he own company, and Captain Vaid.hs
company oi volunteers. to- proceed To rescue Mrs.
White, II possible Taking Kat Carson and Wat
ain Lereux as guides, he proceeded NJ once to the
scene II the outrage thence To follow the trail.
The Indians had taken every precaulon to avoid
JursUit, They travelled IN every directI0a-one
DAY gong east, and the next going west, encamp-
my near where they had been the previous night.
On leaving camp, they had moved OIL IA small par
tee, diyeieng IN many directions. and came toge-
ihsr alter getting some miles distant Though
seventeen days had elapsed, the interchangeable
Kit Canon and Lerieox followed the trsli with The
precision and certainty of bioodhounos, coming on
the camps night after night, notw outstanding their
precsution. MAJOR Gner nDally came upon one OF
the csmps, the fires OF which still burning, and
imagining that they had got news 81 MS approach
and were flying, he gave chase, ana after running
about sixteen miles, he came upon them They
had again .pcamped, and were only apprlsed OF
his presence by some Of their hunters lew NM
utes before he was ON inem. They had tine,
however, TO mount then heetest horses, aud MAJOR
Gner's were 20 much fstigued that the Indians
could readily outrun them. Five or -iH were killed
sno thrss taken prisoners. In their iiignt they
abandoned everything. and even threw ibsir chiid-
rtna~sy as they ran. 20 much we're ihet pressed.
| Their lodges, horse, saddles. brides. blankets,
firearms, ammunition, provisions, dressed ssin-, "a
word, everything except their o~s dcnuded
persons, and the horses on whicb tfley rode, was
| captured. Fifty animals were packed With the
nost valuable ihings--the RESI- were burnt =
When MAJOR Cner got 90 the ground which mad
| been occupied by the Indians. he found tn BODY
| OF Mrs. White trsnsfixsd with an arrow --fsless.
4 but still warm. She had evidently been put to
death, and thus freed from her suilenngs a the
| time the alarm was gwen. She still had her
| bible and prayer book, which had been her COM
| panions during her captivity. They were marked
A. ysrons places where she had been reading
| The child and negro girl wsre not seen on heard
| or and they are doubtless with the Indians.
MAJOR Crier had Alrs. White buried IS de-
Gently az circumstances would admit; and that iae
IDsians mIeht not discover her resting place. and
that her bones night lie unds,urbed. he burnt grass
over her grave end se hre 70 the praine around IL
| Teeidrs the Indians above commented. there are
| the CaIrsnches, Arapahoes, and Cheyenncs, al
| bordering On New MEXICO, and who may 81 al,
time become hostile, for our peace with them hs.
| been purchased by few thousand dollars worti
| OF presents. Had fiizp,trick-Iadian ageni--no
arrived last tall with these presents. there 10 no
| the shadow oi doubt but hostihtiss weuld hav,
ensured; and how long cas- we expect pesce, thu
purchased. 10 lastl
From the beat data that can be had Of the tribe,
above mentioned, there are tbiry-sx thousand
many ~ whom are now, and ali ~ whom there n
srrobsblhty of becoming, hostie at any moment