The New York herald., 1870-12-29


first Infantry, commanding the Department OF Ari.
zona, received too late ut the War Depa rtment
for publication with the report OF the Secretary of
War; Colonel Stoncman says he made thorough
inspection OF the whole Department OF Arizona and
careful examination OF all the points of importance
within ITS limits as far as time and circumstances
would allow. He assumed command on the Sd OF
May, 1870, at which time there were eighteen posts
lii the department. and since then three Of these have
been discontinued. He now recommends the con-
cenration of troops at eight poss that the Quarter
masters depots, except Yuma, be broken up
and the civil employees discharged. This he says,
Will increase the efficiency OF the command and aid
the department commander very much In his efforts
to reduce the current expenses Of the department.
The posts thus reduced in number, there would
remain camps Verde, Thomas, Grant, Bowie Hual.
pal, Date Greek, Mojavc ana Yuma, and their i'm
portancc would, IN his opinion, be in the order in
which they are named. The first three are located
in the heart OF hostile Indians. The next three are
located on three OF the great mail routes and high.
ways through the territory ana the last two are
infantry posts and are located on the Colorado
river and have control over the River In.
dians. colonei stoneman says:-"The posts
and depots recommended to be discop-
timed are expensive and can be dispensed with
adyantageousiy TO the government, and without
other detriment than pecunlary one to the people
oil The Territory In their immediate vicinity, who OF
course, will object. as they VIA be unable, as here
tolore, to dispose OF their hay, grain &C.. to the
government at the usual exorbltant pricesn
Speaking OF the reasons given for the discontinue
ance OF several posts he says that in one instance
site was selected so d1sadvantageous that the
amount Of labor expended In providing comfortable
quarters for one company would have, under
comfortably established a two company post The
same is true OF the selection of Fort Whppe, orlgi-
na located as for The residence OF tue
that The establishment and maintenance OF this post
has cntalled upon the government Is scarcely cred
bic II na what Is stated Is true After alludng 10
the cost OF Keeping up several posts, Tue use OF
which has long since ceased to be u necessity he
says that the most rigid economy has been prac-
tised; the purchase or forage limited, ana the pnr-
chase OF lime, coal and fuel stopped at all points
not depots aud the current expenses OF posts con-
fined to the pay OF the authorized number OF civil
employees ana men on extra duty, and in some cases
this reduction has been from thousands to as many
hundreds. Colonel StOneman next alluded TO the
efforts OF the contractors to take advantage Of the
situation OF troops and ueman1 the most eXorbilant
prices for iuel forage and beef The order requiring
all transactions throughout the department
TO be carried on upon currency basis
will be hereafter enforced. The class OF quar-
termastcrs stores furnished the government Tor
the use Of troops IN this department appears to be
ON par with the supplies furnished the poor IN
dian take for example oak lumber, sent out for
the purpose OF repairing wagons, &c. In some
observation authorizes me 70 state that. instead OF
good tough white oak having been furnished, the
poorest kind Of red oak, fit only for trewood, has
been supplied. The sequence Is breakaEes are fire.
quent, repairs constant, consumption consequent
ana expenditures resultant. Complaints, 100. are
very general IN regard to the quality OF nails fur
nished. The glass Is bllstercd, warped ana dis
colored 10 such an extent as TO become ft only for
use IN Arizona. stationery, With the condemnation
mark starlng one In the lace, Is considered good
enough Tor in this far on region. Water buckets
invoiced 'gutta percha' turn out upon nspectiO
10 have been maze OF paper. Blankets marked
,.woollen' prove 10 have e b5en manufactured 1rom
buaio nar gathered on the Plans, aud so to the
cad OF the llSt.n
me troops composing the garrisons of Camps
Grant aud Mcdowell III their operations against In
dams during The months Vi June and July last were
unusually successinl and as result, the number of
indians killed during the period was unexpectedly
large, and the number Of depredaons committed by
Indians during the same PERIOD and since has been
Unusually snail. He recommends the establishnent
OF three postal routes and that they be 50 organized
as run with regularity and despatch, there being
at present no certain means Of communication with
the various important points. seml-weekly mali
over each is al that would be required for the pres
ent, and branch routes can be established when
warranted ny population. In coneluslon Colonel
Stoneman speaks o the condition OF Indian affairs
lOhoWS.-
'The all-abscrblng topic IN Arizona the irrepress.
BILE Indian Is approached with no little reluctance
earing tnat the authorities at headquarters san
Francisco. well Us Washington, may have already
become surieited and wearled with It's considera-
tion It WILL however be proper to state that since
the organization vi the department the Hualpais
Apaches, Mohaves, or Yavapais, and the Ceyotero
Apacbes have become quiet and are fast becoming
dOmesticated. Cachus, with his band, which dur
ing the past eight years has caused great trouble
Ii AS expressed wish to 60 on a reservation, become
quiet and be let alone. There remain now but two
branches Of the great Apache nation IN Arizona
tfaL are III open HOsLHLtcs anu IuedSuTcS are
being taken to bring them to terms These two are
the Tontos and the Pnals. No treaties promises
have been made except to assure them all that as
long they behave themselves they will not be mo-
lested but II they nisbehave they Will be pursued
and punished. Tne Apache nation In this region
as compared with what knew II more than
twenty years ago, Is nearly harmless and their des-
rtutI0n Is great IN the extreme. They must either
starve, steal or be ied and as they are unwilling
do the former IL becomes simply a question as 10
which Is the best policy, feed them or continue the
endeavor to prevent them from stealing. The
Chi-me-hue hiros ana that portion OF the Mo-
haves not on reservation, though we'll
disposed toward the whites, are at war with each
other and few weeks since had a battle In which
quite number were killed and wounded on each
SIDE. The Yunas and Pa Utes are also pe8ceabe
anu wen disposed. The Piuras and Marcopas, both
seml-cvilized tribes and a fraction of The MChaves,
are on reservations under the control Of Indian
agents. Besides those above named there are a few
strugglers. belonging To ne particular tribe, who
proWl about In small partes stealing as opportunity
offers and necessity dictates. In conclusion II gives
me pleasure be able TO express the opinion that
Indian as wei as other affairs in the department
arc In rs satisfactory condition as can reasonably
be expected
The report VIII be referred to Congress for It's con-
slderation after the Holidays