Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1862-11-22
From the Wisconsin State journal.
Our New Mexico Correspondence.
Military AGsnonagement- inherited Promo
tions-Indian Depredations

most of the regulars have left for the
States, a new activity has been infused
into the military movements of the Terri.
tory. Probably no portion of the Union
needed it more than this. It is useless to
repeat what is matter of history to again
expose the imbecility of the Army of New
Mexico, which without doubt invited the
Texans to undertake its conquest: or to
state that while Gen. Candy was living
within adobe walls, waiting for an enemy
to attack him, Gen. Carleton marched his
volunteers across the desert from Califor-
MIA, and drove them from the Territory
and retook the forts, which the regulars
had surrendered and dared not retake.-
But it is to be hoped that those DAYS are
passed away, and New Mexico is to have
new and better regime.
During the past two weeks Dol. " Kit
Carson" has been moving five companies
OF the First New Mexican Volunteers to
Fort Stanton, on the Pecos river, with the
necessary military stores, to rebuild and
make it an outpost and defence against
Indian depredations. That post, which at
the time of the surrender of Fort Fillmore
by Major Lynde, was occupied by about
the same number of troops as are now
ordered there, was destroyed, with all the
military stores amounting to about mil.
lion of dollars, by order of Gen. Candy.
under the pretext of preventing their fall.
ing into the hands Of the Texans. who at
that time were nowhere near there, and
for six months afterwards were not in
sufficient force in the Territory to have
taken the post against one hundred de-
terrnined men in the garrison. For this
act, and the destruction Of some three
million OF other stores in other places,
and for keeping the Government forces
penned up in Forts Craig and Union, at
the extremes of the Territory, while the
enemy overran the whole OF the middle
portions, two men have been awarded
stars in the volunteer service. The reason
assigned for their promotion is honorable
ard meritOrlGus Conduct in eXpelling the
enemy from New Mexico. How "hon-
orabl9 and meritoriOusn will be manifest
when it is understood that one of them
opened the road for the enemy, broken
down and without ammunition, to pass
South, and the other never got within
sight ot tie rear guard, when both sat
down and waited tor them to recruit and
return il they would. But long before
either Of them was aware of tbs fact, Or
even suspected it, Gen. Carleton with bis
Californians had driven the enemy not
only out of New Mexico, but halt way to
San Antonio in Texas, where taking the
last REMAND of Sibley's army, he fur
nished it an escort of protection from the
Indians and wagons for the sick, and sent
it to San Antonio. And after Cartoons
express notified them of the fact, these
embryo "ssars" breathed freer and slept
more soundly at night
But if the destruction of Fort Stanton
did no good in keeping away the rebels,
it was attended with the most diretul
consequences to the people Of New Mexi-
CO, in letting into it the Wislte Mountain
Apaches-a tribe of Indians in no respect
behind the Comanches in committing dep
relations and numbering the people,
These Indians reside in the south. east
portion Of this Territory and in Texas,
and keep up a constant intercourse with
the Tillicorre Apaches who reside around
Taos, in the northeast, and with the ella
Apaches in the southwest. The Pecos
river formed their line of communication
with the TiIlicorres, and consequently
they must pass by or near Fort Stanton.
These three tribes of Apaches are never
at war with the whites at the same time.
On the contrary, when one is at war the
other two are at peace, or pretend to be
friendly at the same time they invariably
act SIS guides to lead the warriors upon
the tiocks, and undefended points of the
country.
The Muscoleros white Mountain)
ApacheS are now at war, and the Illll-
CORES are at peace, yet month has not
elapsed since tour MeXicans have been
killed in travelling the trail from Taos to
Mora, in the country of the latter Indians.
Over this trail the mail is carried weekly,
and men are passing nearly every day
The great road from Union to Santa Fe,
and all the trails across the mountains are
equally dangerous. Tie herders have
been killed, until they dare not keep their
focks beyond the sight of the settlements.
With all these facts before them, the par
ties in command here during the past
summer have taken no steps TO protect
the people or preserve their lives. Mill
tary officers who ought to have personal
courage, dare not move ten miles from
their posts without being attended by an
escort of soldiers, and yet nothing was
done during all the past summer to render
the country more safe, until Ger. Candy
left for the States, escorted by a whole
company, over road where the mail is
carried weekly, ard private citizens are
obliged to travel alone upon their own
business If what we used to hear said
when a boy, that lone old equaw with a
broom stick could put whole company
of militia to route" were true of them,
how much more is it true of the regulars
who have been stationed in New Mexico,
not to defend the people, but to establish
slavery here; and having failed in the
last, they have been withdrawn to lie still
on the banks of the Potomac. We trust
the volunteers, and their new commanders
are here for another purpose, and will pro-
tect the people and their rights, according
to the treaty of Hidalgo Guadalupe.
Even if the lives of the people had been
safe, not so their property. One tribe OF
Apaches steal horses and cattle, and drive
them to the other tribes, where they are
exchanged for other stolen horses and cat
tie, thus rendering it nearly impossible Tor
the owner ever to find his own. This
horse stealing receives no attention from
the military or from the Indian depart
ment OF the government, while the noun
tains above the region where human in
dustry can reach, afford hiding places
where stolen stock can be kept waiting Tor
an opportunity to run it off. Horse steal
ing is not confined to the Indians alone,
but bands of organized thieves exist from
Colorado to Texas and chihuahua. and
horses are dri 'en from point to point over
every part of New Mexico by the thieves.
In addition to the Indians of the plains,
mo hove +ha Na- ainoe ovt.p1;nr 81 lonc r, -