Staunton spectator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1849-1896, 1870-09-06
fa1eo :, For the Spectator. I
DATE CREEK, ARIZONA TERRIToRY, r

|
when some Mexicans who were engaged by the
suter to cut hay for the post, awoke one fine
morning to find all their pitchforks, rakes and
| hoes (the hay in this country is all cut with
| hoes) stolen. They commenced a search, and
soon found them all in pile on hill close by.
| One OF the forks was stuck In the ground with
piece of white cloth flying from it, and beside
it stood two Indians making signs with their
hands to show that they desired to speak to
the Mexicans. One of the Indians could speak
Spanish, and he told the Mexicans that if they
would lay down their arms, he and his compan-
ion would do the same, and meet two of them
half way and have talk. This being
agreed upon, both advanced, one of the Mexi-
cans offering both hands to the Indian to shake,
which he accepted, and then the Mexican held
them securely while his companions ''gobbled
up the gun and bow and arrow which the In
dians had brought with them, and they were
informed that they were prisoners. Word was
then sent to camp, and Lieut.. Ebstein, Serg't
Collins and private Mcclure went out to bring
them in They proved to be two young warrl-
ors belonging to the Apache Mojave tribe.
One of them was very intelligent, and could
speak Spanish like native Mexican. He told
them, through an interpreter, that the tribe
was willing to make peace with the Americans,
and would fight for US against other hostile
tribes, e., J zoe a1ould feed and clot1ae them
soeH. Lieut. Ebstein, thinking further parley
useless, told them to go with his men to camp,
which they at first refused to do, but the gen
tie click OF Spencer carbine warned them that
If they did not want to be sent to the happy
hunting ground of their fathers they had bet
ter go, which they concluded to do. When
they arrived at camp, they told the same story
to Col. u Belrne, who informed them that he
was quite willing to be friendly, and sent them
to tell their Chief to come in to make the trea-
ty Of peace, which the Chief refused to do un-
less the message was sent by an American.
Accordingly two citizens who could speak
Spanish, with an escort Of eleven Indians, went
out with the message to lie Grande Captaine
Oachacoeme, of the Apache Mojaves."
p For five days before the Chief came into
camp he kept runners out announcing his ap-
proach. The messenger would come into camp,
get something to eat and hasten back again to
Oachacoeme with the glad tidings that lie
Grande Captaine O Beirne" was waiting impa-
tiently to clasp his red brother with open arms.
On Sunday, July 3lst, the Chief came in.
escorted by about one hundred and fifty warri-
ors, followed by pack train of squaws, boys,
girls, dogs, &c. Imagine how it would have
looked In Virginia. had a regiment been seen
marching with lot Of women in the rear, all
with well filled knapsacks on their backs, while
the men, like these Indians, carried nothing
but their guns and bows and arrows. About
seventy of the warriors brought guns Of all 81
zes and kinds except breecb- leaders ,
At 7 A. NJ, the big talk" took place,
which commenced by shaking hands ali around.
Then circle was formed, Oachacoeme standing
on one side fanked by eight Chiefs Colonel
O. Beirne on the other fanked BY two infantry
and two cavalry officers, and all surrounded by
soldiers, civilians, Indians, etc. Oachacoeme
steps into the centre and makes speech
which, interpreted, means want peace; crops
failed; Indian very much hungry; no game
where they live trade with US; fight our en-
emies, the Tonic, Sierra, Blanca, Cayotes, etc.,
ifsoldiers are sent a0ith as every time Col.
O'Beirne then steps into the centre and makes
his speech. He told them they must make
peace with the Americans, not the Americans
with them. They could hunt and trade and
would not be molested but as for their fight
ing other Indians, we did not want them to do
it, as the Big Chief Stonelnan, had plenty
of soldiers and would do his own fighting.
So the big talk" ended, and peace was de-
clared, it may be for week, perhaps forever,
just as these Indians see fit about keeping it
Another ''shake hands all around" then the
presents were distributed The Indians re-
ceiced an old beef that vas bitten on the lower
jaw by rattlesnake over a year ago, which
jaw was still swollen as large as a half bushel
measure and one mass OF corruptlon-two hun
dred and fifty pounds of -four, damaged six
months ago by FIVE gallons of Kerosene oil-al
the old clothes and rags they could pick up
and what tobacco they could beg As the In
dians had nothing they presented nothing.
Oachacoeme was dressed in the cast off uni
form of an American soldier. He is good
looking man, and seems when In conversation,
to be quite sincere. The Indians belonging to
h;o tr;ho ba % r,roat r.itb in him Tho otbor
warriors were dressed for the occasion in their
feathers, BRASS paiot &c
The little Indian boys amused themselves by
catching crows and turkey -buzzards They
would get bunch of willows, creep up near
the birds and let fly an arrow at them: if they
missed they were we'll laughed at, and got a
pounding if any of the squaws caught them.
1t was considered just as good strategy to get
away from a squaw as to kill bird.
The girls were gathering Mesquite beans, soak
ing them In water and chewing them for the
juice. When any of the young warriors went
near to one she would appear very shy and CO.
quettish, covering her face closely with her
hands. After little talk, she would condes-
cend to look at him through her fingers lit
tie more talk, and she takes away one hand,
looking full at him with one eye, and through
her fingers with the other more talk, looks
with both eyes, sits down-invites him to dine
off the beans-a great chewing match-much
laughing and talking-a big pod is found-you
put one end in your mouth. [ will put the 9th
er in mine, chew away, see who will get the
most-chewing gets exclting-pod gets smaller
and smaller-coser and closer the lips are get
ting-a collision The courtship is ended, and
who got the most Of the bean will always re-
main mystery to me. p.
Very Respectfully,
atn1 X X