Smyrna times., 1871-08-02
MiSceII0 II e o IL S.
The Butchery Of Friendly Indians at
Camp Grant.

The board OF Indian commissioners at w ash
ingtoD have lust received the report of Lieut..
Royal E. Whitman, Of the Third United
States cavalry, dated Camp Grant Arizona,
May l3, 1871, in relation to the late massacre
of friendly Indians at that post by citizens of
Tucson and vicinity. From this report the
following facts are taken:
In February five old women came to the
eutenant's $ camp famishing and nearly naked
He fed them, and they asked permission to re-
turn with some orders and young warrior who
desired to be at peace. The latter came, and
after some negotiations brought in with him
his whole band, and was assured of protection
and aid. All were placed in designated
camp, and the facts reported to General Stone
man, and Instructions as to feeding and treat
| ing them asked for. All the reply received
from StOneman's headquarters, after long
delay, was to return the report without com
mcnt, except so call attention to the fact that
it had not been briefed exactly according to
regulations.
After two or three months the number of
Indians who had come in and were living
peaceably, constantly aiding in the work about
the fort and gathering hay and wood for them
selves, as far as possible, was about $40. The
officer in charge gives a most satisfactory ac-
count of the behavior Of the Indians Of their
desire to keep the peace, and to contribute, as
far as possible, to their own support. They
were also active in exerting good influence
upon the Indians in the vicinity.
From first to last they acted in good faith
and exhibited great content and happiness.
f They were given to understand that they were
under the protection Of TIE government
Lieutenant Whitman bad moved their CAM
to higher ground, little distance from tn
fort, for purposes of health, and because waite
was more abundant, anG as he supposed, he ha
> the Indians satisfactorily established. On tn
). morning of the Both of April a band of citizen
from Tucson, Arizona, without warning or prov
ocation of any kind, surprised the peaceful ali
unarmed camp and began an indscrlmlnat
4 butchery. OF l25 killed or missing only eigh
were men, Many were wounded, and tn
camp was entirely burned. Lieutenant Wh
man had succeeded since in getting some {
the band in again, and was again trying t
protect them.
20 The following is Lieut. Whitmans accour
= of his visit to the scene and the survivors
. the massacre:
!, "Many of the men whose families had Q
been killed, whenI spoke to them and expires
ed sympathy for them, were obliged to tul
away unable to speak. and too proud to shO
their grief. The women whose children h;
N. been killed or stolen were convulsed with grl(
er and looked to me appealingly as though W;
or their last hope on EARTH Children who, ty
days before. ndu Deeu Iul OI luH duu lTOl
~ ~ kept at a distance, expressing wondering hC
m ror. | did what | could. l fed them, al
nd talked to them, ard listened patiently to the
er accounts. ] sent horses into the mountains
'e' bring in two badly wounded women, one sh
rs' through the left lung, and one with an al
ali shattered. These were attended to, and q
We doing WELL and will recover. Their camp "
d a surrounded and attacked at daybreak. So
for den and unexpected was it that no one "
fO tba aI nd |
number of women shot while asleep besi
=, their bundle of hay they had collected to bri
~ in on that morning. The wounded who W.
ere unable to get away had their brains beaten
dy, with clubs or stones, while some were shot
. or of arrows after having been mortaly wOunC
lrk, by gunshot. The bodies were all stripp
ana ana Of the whole number buried one was an
and and man, and one well-grown boy all tho rest
men and children.
OF the whole number killed and missi
about one hundred and twenty five, eight 0
!, were men. 1t has been said that the n
nm were not there. They were all there.
n the 28.h we counted one hundred and twer
the eight men, a small number being absent
'ous mcscal-all of whom have since been in.
hG1' Tn have spent good deal OF time with tt
nnn since the affair, and have been astonlshed
fleet their continued mistaken faith in me- and Il
, no perfectly clear understanding of their mis-
tune They say, We know there are a gl
from many white. men and Mexicans who do
Hood want u INe az PeaTI t Nno" e slat
cart Papagoes Woulo hoI nave come ouC aICei u u
the this time if they had not been persuaded t.
ng at So What they do not understand is, "
they are at peace and conscious of no VIZ
sys: n: intent, that they should be murdered by
&c % ernment arms in the hands of the Papa
tamp and Mexlcans. One OF the cnlels salo ,
York longer want to live; my women and chill
have been killed before my face and |
been unable to defend them. Most Indiar
-, nv place would take aknife and cut his tn
}; ); oO@ but / ,oM HUe to show these people tina
o C sen thew have done and all they can do shall
oos- make me break faith with you so long as
'Uua "uoS stand by us and defend US, in language
Ger know Bothlhg ol' 10 gTGaI oV'einJl We