Arizona citizen., 1873-07-26
PIMA INDIAN DIFFICULTIES
Troops Called for and Gen. Crooks Response--SOme Observations on the Subject.

the subject.
 From time to time for many years
 some difficulty occurs with the Pim'
 Indians which leads to demand fo
 troops on or near the reserve. Afte
 the Pimas forcibly took Domingo Gar
 cia from the Sheriff custody and bea
 him to death on June %, Major Stou applied to Gen. Crook for military at Florence, and he received the fol lowing reply from Adjutant- Genera Nickerson:
 HEADQUARTERS DEPARTMENT OF ARIZONA. l
 PRESCOTT, July 10, 1873.
 J. H. Stout, Special Agent, Gila Reserva. tion, A. T. Sir: Referring to your com. munication of the 1st instant, the Depart ment Commander directs me to sa !; thai whenever you are desirous of troops to aid you in controlling the Indians under youl charge or protecting them from unlawful incursions, he is ready to use the force al his command for that purpose. Your at tention is respectfully invited to the en- dorsement of similar purport returned to you under date of Nov vember z, 1872.
 The endorsement referred to in the foregoing reads thus:
 Troops cannot be stationed at every place where these Indians are liable to depredate. If necessary to enforce the civil law in relation to these Indians, a sufficient force will be sent to the Agency for that purpose.
 The above endorsement was on an application of Agent Stout to have a company of troops stationed at Flor ence, which application was recom- mended by Gen. Howard, Delegate and Superintendent Ben dell. It will be seen that the De- partment Commander was and is ready to furnish troops at the Agency to enforce the civil law and to assist the Agent in controlling the Indians.
 Gen. Crook no doubt views the matter about as follows, and is de- termined to act accordingly: One company stationed on the reservation where the Indians live, will accomplish more than dozen would, stationed at points where they may depredate. Indians are not liable to depredate where troops are stationed but would commit their outrages elsewhere, and then demand would at once be made for troops at the new place or places of mischief, and so on without end. Then suppose the troops off the Pima reserve were to follow the depredators to and upon it, they would be power less to ascertain or punish the guilty ones, and the old farce would continue to be reenacted. The General offers Agent Stout sufficient troops to compel an obedience of his orders, which seems to be the only right way to control those Indians while in charge of civil agent.
 To control the Pimas seems to be a perplexing if not impossible task. Place troops at Florence, and the Ind ans would most likely depredate lpon the Salt River settlements re- move the troops to the latter place, | md depredations would be renewed tt Florence. Owing to the scarcity | # troops in the department and the ,recarious condition of the Apache hind, and the hostile Apaches still sbroad, it is not to be wondered that | he General declines to station troops 'ff the Pima reservation to compel hose Indians to behave themselves, put insists upon each application that le stands ready to put sufficient orce at the Agency to enforce obedi- ,nce to the orders of the Agent re- ,arding the conduct and control of he Pimas.