Brownlow's Knoxville Whig. [volume] (Knoxville, Tenn.) 1866-1869, 1868-03-11
FoRT MoHAvs, ARIZONA, I
January 2eth, 1853. I

Our campaign in the mountains hss been very
successful We have forced the Pintes TO make
peace, and havs almost exterminated the w aha
pals. 1t only remains TO conquer the APpscnes,
when mining and farming viii be continued IS De-
fore the war.
There is no doubt but Arizona contains more
mineral wealth than any Stste or Territory OF the
Union and the northern portion cannot DC exeelleG
for its fine stock raising prairies This portion Oh
Arizona, must say, is the most detestable country
on earth, and this the most unenViable post TO be
stationed az IN tho Department Of the Pacific,
with the exception, perhaps, Of Eitka in our Rus
sian- American possession. At this post It seldom
rains while at 5itks it rains most all the time In
the summer the heat is almost insuferable. Last
summer in the coolest shade TO be found, the Their
mometsr stood il9o, and at midnight lloo. Two
DAYS in each week during the year the wind blows
a perfect hurricane, and the air Is 50 hot windows
and doors have to be kept closed, and II you step
out doors much comfort is had by placing blanket
over your head In fact it is 30 hot that nes dle,
and even the fattle-snake, tarrantula and horned-
frog ind great comfort IN the shade II hso me
cover would give this portion OF the Territory to
the Indians, and furnish them with ammunition TO
kill any white man who would be fool enough to
settle here
The Mohave Indians, who live here, are said to
be the finest specimen Of the red man IN North
America The men are tall, straight and power
fully built The squaws are more symmetT1cslly
formed, probably, than the females Of any nation.
Their hands and feet are exceedingly small, their
arms tapering almost imperceptibly to the tips OF
their fingers. can call to mind several OF my fe-
male acquaintance who would probably not De SO
extravsesn as to the length Of their dress, if they
could only exchange feet and ankles with some Of
these maids Of the Colorado. They seldom wear
their hair shorter than three feet, and consequently
suffer no unessiness on account OF waterfalls
while dancing. Neither men or women wear any
thing but small breaeh-elout made Of willow-bark
all hair ar of form
and beautiful hair and eyes they are sapqge and but
little above tho brutes which surround them.
/ was amused, on Sunday last, to see with what
Interest they were watching one Of our old cavalry
horses, who was making use Of the little strength
left him, after hard campaign, to "kick the
bucket and with what energy they attacked the
carcass of the poor old warrior after he had breathed
his last. They will eat almost any kind of flesh.
1 have seen them cat horse, even 70 bis head,
which was shot because of having CHAMBERS in its
worst form. These Indians are, however, civilized
in comparison to the savage Wallapais and APP
paches whom we have been fighting all fall and
winter and assure you it has bean no easy matter
to conquer Indians who have successfully fought
and expelled from the Territory the Aztecs, Span
ards and Mexicans
1t was through this portion Of the country that
the Aztecs marched to the conquest OF Mexico, and
many Of their old forts are yet standing on the
highest peaks which they were compelled to build
for protection against the sres Of the same men we
are now fighting.
/ think have become pretty well acquainted
with that "pOor Indian generally known as "Lo.'
think if j. Fennimore Cooper could spend two or
three weeks with me in the Sacramento Mountains
he would cease writing the life Of Lo in the
shape Of cheap novels, or if he could only see his
" lovely Indian maid waiding into the entrails of
Coyote or Lizard as long as ones arm, and
winding up with glandered horse-head for desert,
he would come TO the conclusion that there was
more hyena than romance In her nature. If
should ever teach school and one Of the boys, on
defamation day should get up to repeat the speech
of Legsn or commence q Lo ! the poor Indian,
would take him down and give him just one hun
bred and fifty. But enough OF this. Adde'S Lo /;
adios Sie-a-hoo-te farewell Cooper / am hugely
disguised with your noble red man.