New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1872-07-12
GEN. GRANT IN ARIZONA.

"If you could visit Arizona" writes an old
and prominent resident of that Territory, 81
would ask you to make the following expert
"ment: seek out the survivors among the
"early settlers. Ask each, when you find him,
" to write down the names of all he remem-
" bers who came into the Territory about the
"same time with him. When he has done
&" that, ask him to put a cross to every name
"whose pOssessor, to his knowledge, was slain
"by the Apaches. You will find in every case
cat least thirds of the list thus crossed
"off; and in some cases every name will bear
ga crOss.n 81 have made list of the lives
lost and the value of property destroyed by
the great Inyo earthquake this Spring, IN
California" writes the same person, land
"assure you sOlemnly that in three counties
"only of Arizona we could better stand two
"such earthquakes every year, than to have
"the Apaches go on as they have done for
the last three or four years. If Englishmen,
"Mexicans, or Frenchmen killed off our people
Gas these Indians do, you would have de
"manded war, and got it, long ago. Why is
"the Apache a licensed and tolerated as
"sassin2n
Ii is true that the story of Arizona, during
the last three years, is a story of wretched
laundering and trihing with human life.
First Gen. StOneman was sent out to the Ter
rtory. He did nothing, and was superseded
in the Summer of 1871, by Gen. Crook, al
able and active man, who had already quieteC
the Indians of Oregon. Gen. Crook had orders
to subdue the Apaches. But before he could
get to work, he received orders to let Mr.
Vincent Colyer have chance with the "peac,
"and humane policy" of which Gen. Grants
adherents have boosted so much.
Colyer failed miserably with the Apache;.
who are not common Indians, but brutes
treacherOus, inexorably hostile to the whites
and, as long experience has shown. untamabl,
and Enthusiastically. However, after various
attempts to persuade these savages to peaceful
lives, and when it was no longer deniable
that the "peace policy in this instance was
q failure, Colyer was authorized from Wash
ington to make final proclamation, by which
the Apaches were allowed until the 18th OF
February, 1872, to come into the Government
reservations and it was announced that all
| who, after that long day of grace, did not so
come in would be regarded as public enemies,
| and promptly pursued and killed by Gen.
| Crooks forces. This programme, announced
|
| people they saw as they fondly thought, a
| limit at last put to their sufferings. Such of
them as should escape Apache assassination
until the 10Th of February, might hope to live
| a few years in peace for they all had conf
dence in Crook.
| Crook meantime, knowing the Apache, hav-
ing his orders to go ahead when the time
expired, and knowing the absolute necessity,
in dealing with Indians, of promptness, began
vigorously to make his preparations for !,
campaign. He contracted for supplies and
transportation, as was necessary, and as hi,
orders authorized him to do and would hav.
been ready to take the field on the very day
when Colyer's grace expired, when-in Decem.
ber-suddenly came orders from Washington,
to send most of his troops away, as they were
to be replaced by fresh regiments
Crook saw himself suddenly and fatally dis
armed. A change of troops, in 80 far off q
region, takes a long time. In fact it took
about five months in this case. During this
time the old troops were removing, at very
great cost, and new ones were brought
in new horses were bought in California,
brought out and trained, and the new men
| drilled in their work in country unfamiliar
TO them During this long time the General
and the people he was sent to defend were
helpless against the Apaches.
These savages of course saw what was doing
They saw Crook helpless they saw the sol
diers moving not toward them but toward
the coast. They became saucer than ever