The New York herald., 1867-02-21
NE w M ExIcO.
Ous NEW MEXICO CORRESPONDENCE.

Our new MEXICO CORRESPONDENCE.
Prospects or an Indian War-The Presen
status of New Mexican Indan ns-Their Mum
oers-What Their Warriors viii DOWN
ter travelling on the Plains Intervening In
cidents-Thc Weather-Tbe Legislature.
SANTA Fx N. NJ, Jan. %, 1867
In a previous letter intmated the likelihood Of
general Indian in the spring, as soon As the nc'
grass is sufficiently advanced for grazing purposes From
all parts of the Indian country rumos regarding
the threatened outbreak II to be confirmed tina
north and east OF alliances have been made. offensive
and defensive, between different bands and tribes TIL
Cheyennes ostensbly peace have been guilty laery
| OF several murders and other outragea Within the
limits Of New Mexico o' tthe poor lndian) is gcner
ally his good behavior. though killing settler nov
and then, or running on herds OF cattle or hocks o
| sheep and goats The Comanches and Apaches south
and or Fort Stanton have within the past few days
killed several travellers Notwithstanding "Lo's" pres
ent status here any one doubt what his course VIII
be learning that his brethren has taken the path
against their enemy the pale facet II seems
to me that the Utes and Apaches would HE from the
Cimmaron where they receive 'muchee -four" and
smuchee meat" and that the Navajoes, tho Bosquc
Redondo reservation would 'run their guards (which
many Of them DO now, at will and the fun TO
grow still more "fast and furious"
There will be lively times for Uncle Sans boys in blue
but II strong force takes the field strikes often and
sturdy the troubles be ended. What the In.
dians need is thorough hrashing there should be
chd's play and they show mercy to prisoners fall
ing into their hands, mercy should be shown them in
fact few prisoners should be taken as possible The
curse attending Indian expeditions generally has been
that the forces sent against them have been too small
To this might bo added these three suvgcstions:-Too
much leniy has been shown Indians after cap'ure too
many have been captured; and, after battle in which
the troops have been the vctor the retreatng Indians
have not been followed mp with vigor.
Within the limits OF New Mexico there probably
2 Oo0 Comanches 1000 Mimbrcs, Mogollcn and Mcsca
lero Apaches, $500 U.cs and Apaches at Cimmaron,
$500 Capote and wameunche Utes at Abiquiu 1000
Navajoes at the Bosque and 1000 at largc-making
total Of say, II 900 souls; among whom may safely
calculate there 900 warriors who would be great
acquisition any body OF Indians that might open the
ball There also large number of lighting Apacnes
in tho eastern part OF Arizona who could be relied upon
fight against the whites They constantly commit
ting depredations on travellers and settlers
It is fact known to those familiar with life on the
plains, that almost every tribe has mode OF building
its lodges different from that of any other tribe and
each tribe also has style peculiar to itself for building
fires in the lodges. Tho Comanche lodges are bnit Of
poles the shape OF come covered with buffalo hides
The poles are fastened with withcs at the top.
The Wichita lodges are built the same ns the
Comanche save that hole Ia left at the top for the
frustrum of q
The Kickapoos plsce the poles in circle, like the
Comanches but instead Of bringing them to point at
the top bend them to unite In arch with those
OF tho opposite side.
poles standing wherever they encamp These Indians:
in lodge Gre place each stick pointing to the centre or
the nre aiating thercrom like the rpokes Of wheel
from the hub The ChsrQkees place the wood on the
FIRE. with the sticks parallel and burn from one end
pushing the sticks into the blaze as they burn away
Such facts these Of great benefit TO tho traveller
in an Indian country, - they enable him of times to
TO give your readers an idea Of the hardships or a
winter trip the plains in by. will
late few Incidents They are the more interesting
when is known that tho stage from this pon. 70 Fort
Riley, the terminus Of the route, makes the trip this
winter in days As far as Il known the rst trip
across the plains the winter from the Missouri river o
party Messr Faulkner and Anderson Of ST. Louis
They reached point on the Arkansas river near
snow in which nearly all their horses and mules per-
ished The rary were compelled to winter on Al island
in the Arkansas since known as clog Island from the
quantity timber cut for the purpose OF warmth and
shelter for themselves and the few animals remaining
Since tho period above mentioned therc have been
other instances Of great suffering and loss OF life In
making these winter journeya Don Manuel Alvarez,
experienced and enterprsng traveller. in December
Is41 with small party, encountered snow storm on
Cottonwood creek near Council Grove, and In q few
hours had OF his men and all OF his mules frozen
10 s S Or So. Of the whc
survived badly frozen, and their lives were only
saved BY senor Avarez who actually beat them TO keep
period party, under Don Antonio Roubidonx, met
storm near the same place. and had two mon and four
hundred horses and mules frozen TO death In one night
Iu 1874 Messrs Connolly and Spyre encountered =
storm near the Arkansas and lost number OF animals
by the cold only saving the remainder by running them
into the timber about nfteen miles away. A few days
subsequently the same party met second storm on the
Cimmaror, In which they lost IN . single night over
the cf their disaster until mules could be sent
from Santa rc to their relief.
Ia 1s4S Mcssrs. Waldo Mccoy 4 Co. government
freighter. on their return trip TO Missouri lost n6ay
all their CATTLE amounting 10 about nno hundred head,
and we're forced their wagons the plains until
Swing. Messrs Brown Russell h Co, the following win
ter while crossing the Jornada from the Arkansas to ne
Cimmsron with tram OF twenty wagons were
by terrific ri wind snow and seet The WAGONS
were corraed and the retrcaed to thcm for shelter
Tho snow found It's way through every crevce until
the wagons wore filled 10 the tops OF the bows thus
were the men beneath sheltered from the bitter cold
without After spending fearful night two OF the
about daylight venturea out 2. sner or
benubed with cold had TO be assisted 70 their original
shelter The party thsn wisely remained quiet IN TIER
wagons until the following day, when the storm abaied
All the animals frozen to death. and they hun
drcds OF miles from q civilized habtatfon, without
stick OF timber for miles around, and In the midstm
upcn the provisions with which they had been oaden,
the psrty subsisted until spring brought succo. Ine 70
came corrany 1850 lost over one Thousand nead OF
cattle In storm between Santa Fe and san
MIGUEL.
b.cn started from the States by Colonel +. Sumner,
was overtaken at the Cottonwood creek, that nave
mentioned by OF tho storm pecular w nht fckon
and In single night lost and about three hun
dred mules by cold. In the Same siorm q party IN
charge OF the mall lost all their animals near Fort Akn-
son. but picked up by train more fortunate than
their and taken TO the fort
There can be but little danger from the weather IN
crossing the plains In sage as the stations are
quite numerous and the relays Of animals quito ire
quent
An order has been received here by General Carlton
commanding this district 10 turn over the seven tbous
sand Navsjoes now held as prisoners ef war ~ ,ne
Bosque T,edondo the Indian DEPARTMENT The order
provides also the subsistence OF thes Indians by me
Indian agents. the supplies 70 be furnished BY the mill
ary authorities This considered In New Mexico as
sort Of triumph Of the Indian Bureau over Cen Carlton
Now that these Indians are be placed under hc care
Of the Superintendent Of Indian Affairs for this Terri
tory II d 20 be hoped that the appropriation asked or
them by the Superintendent, Colonel A b. Norton, may
be granted. HIS estimate for them Is as foows:-Pur
chase and transportation Of subsistence for six thousand
Indians $780, 70 purchase and transportation OF cloth
inE, $4,000; purchase and transportation Of eishs
thousand head OF sheep s24 000 purchase and trans
portaton Of agricultural implements and seed, $50 oOO
blacksmith shop, Including TOOLS irou, &c, s4,00O
portable grist m s. 000 erection and support OF hes
pitfalls, and medical supplies 81 o0o establishment and