Weekly national intelligencer. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1841-1869, 1853-01-29
CONFESSIONS OF AN APACHE CHIEF.

Dtapco alu Jul OF tLo uccp Iol
the acts of blood perpetratcd by of the Indians
Of New Mexico The two most prominent cases were
the massacre Of a party conducting train of wa
CONS owgcd and accompanied by Mr.. WHITE, 3
Santa Fe merchant, and his wife and child. The
second was the destruction Of the entire party in
charge Of the United States mail from Indepcn.
dencc to Santa Fe, in May 1885, consisting of
eleven persons all males Until now, though sus-
pcions were PLENTIFUL certainty has not been attain
ed, At recent talk had with C2aacoa, the chief
Of band Of Apaches (Jicarillas, we belieye,) at
Albiqui, in New Mexico, by Major GREINER,
Secretary Of State of New Mexico, employed by the
Governor, as we suppose, in Indian service, the
probable truth has come out, which we think of in
terest enough to publish, find it in the Santa
Re Gazette
Chacon said " His people went to Las Vegas for the
purpose Of making peace They there attacked by
an armed force, and fourteen of their number killed
Chacon himself not in with his people, but near
the town. and heard the firing The reason assigned for
this massacre OF the Indians was, that il said
Apache had killed two Mexcans and driven off the stock
at Casa Colorado This report Ohacon says not true
After this event, the Apaches under Chino attacked
two Americans and one Mexican the Wagon-mound
capturing two children-girls Chino himself was killed
in this fight.
The event course Chacon had no dates in order
was the massacre Of Whites party This deed per-
petrated by the Utahs and Apachcs jointly They had
gone into the camp Of the whites in the morning which,
Chacon said Red river. But this could have
been for the party were massacred nearly midway
between the Point of Rocks and MILESTONE Creek From
the spot where the party murdered to the crossing
Of Red river is very good days travel If the party
encamped upon any stream when the Indians visited
them in the morning. it must have been the MILESTONE
few miles from where the took place. the
Rabbitear twenty miles further back and few miles
Of the Round Mound But Chacon's saying that the
camp on Red river most probably from the fact
that 1t was in sight OF Red river the place of
Is and in n ftrant lima rot l,ptan
from it.
The party of Indians, he says were driven from the
camp, and this was the Of their attacking them
afterwards We think most likely this is true state
We know such the treatment the Indians usually
receive from the trains Indeed it is usually found
cessay to resort to such in order to get
rid OF their most annoying opportunities
After this repuse from the camp, probably at Whet-
stone the fight commenced White and negro woman
were killed, and the Mrs White) and child were
captured and carried off prisoners Red river where
they were kept until the Indians attacked by the
American troops under Major Gricr. They had taken
good of them and had the Americans them
peaceaby instead of fighting they would have been given
up unframed. Mrs White killed when the fight
commenced and Chacon says he has always been told
that the child killed with the mother He has never
seen heard Of it since We have doubt and have
had that this the fate of Mrs Whites child
which has been the subject Of much speculation and
vague rumors.
The fight with Flournoys company commenced early in
the morning and continued Tin flying skirmshes we sup
pose till shutdown. Five Apaches and four Utahs
killed, and buried back Of the Wagonmo
near lake of water The Apaehes and whites at
war at that time in consequence of the affair at Las Vegas
already alluded to- lie says there must have been great
many Indians in this last fight they could not have
killed eight Americans.
Preceding this fight there is another incident related
by Chacon, of which heard before An Apache
woman, daughter Of chief, Lobos in prison at Las
Vegas. She taken out of prison and conveyed by
the American troops to the Wagon-rnound point them
where the ADaclcs A few with her
the top Of the mound where she seized knife and
tackled them, making desperate fight that they were
obliged to shoot her.
From Chacons statement taken in connection with our
observations last spring have doubt that the
fight with the small party commenced in the morning at
Red River, and terminated at the Wagon mound,
shutdown, the distance between the places being twenty
miles. We examined last spring just this side of Red
River and the road several pits Cor rather COM
menccment of pits) sunk in the ground now partially
filled up Ii s said by the Indians fas were then to
that these excavations commenced at that time and
for that purpose. As there timber in which to
conceal and bluffs the road at this point las at
the place where Whites party attacked behind which
they might form ambush they resorted to this exped-
en Of digging pits in which to conceal themselves From
the number Of pits thus commenced have doubt
Chacon says, that there must have been great many.
The mail party probably came upon them before they
had time to complete their work and the fight commenced
eontnued flying fight through the day, till arriving at
the pass of the Wagon-mouud the Indians closed
in upon the little band and overwhelmed them by
beers.
We have often thought that little band must have given
the Indians desperate fight from the fact that the mail
has scarcely ever been moesed by the Indians that
route from that day to the present Chacons statement
confirms preconceiyed notions Of this fight We think
it altogether likely there more killed Of the Indians
than Chacon is willing to admit; certainly enough to have
made them little shy Of the mail But poor fellows, it
was sad price they paid for the benefit of others who
should travel the road in future. That Wagon mound
pass ought to be crstened Termopylae for IL there
be any virtue glory crimson laures there lie at that
spot, in scarcelynoced graves few as brave men as
ever formed subjects for pGn.
The damages done at Greenhorn Chacou says were
mited by his people in state Of actual starvation and
they had to have something to eat die They
war partytook some green corn three horses and
mule. The horses returned, the mule was taken
away by Tabbawat, and could be returned but they
would account for it.
The mules they had taken from Jemes some time since,
they had returned by Waqun, joaquin, who then
present.
The wagons stopped by his people some time since he
sad stopped by three Of his band one of whom
present. The blankets, &c. taken were given by the
drivers Of their own accord.
Such briefly the statements Of Chacon Doubtless
he has made them favorable his people he well
could but taken in connexion with the ocn facts, we
think them about the most reliable Of any We have yet
seen or heard in regard to the massacre Of Whites and
the mail parties He is satisfied that Chicoyclasques was
in both those fights ..4
Amongst the yisitcrs at present in the city We
have been happy to see in excellent health, our dis
tinguished countrymcn, WASHINGTON IRVING and
the Hon THOMAS BUTLER KING. MIR. Irving is