Arizona citizen., 1874-12-12
CACHISE INDIANS.
Agent Jeff0rd's Annual Report.
CHIRICAHUA INDIAN AGENCY,

PINERY CANoN, ARIZONA, Sept. l, 1874.
 SIR: l have the honor to submit the fol- lowing as my second annual report upon the condition of affairs at this agency:
 | On September l, 1873, in compliance with | instructions from your office, 1 moved the
 agency from Sulphur Springs to the San 1 simon Cienega, a location admirably ad- | apted for agricultural purposes, with good | grazing and plenty or water; but, unfOr- | tunaLely, before two months had elapsed l the Indians became so unhealthy 1t was l impossible to remain and l therefore, in | November, removed them by the author | fly or Gen. w. FandeVere, United States | Indian Inspector to the present location
 of the agency: valley on the west side | oi the Cnlricahua Mountains, and favOr- | lte resort Of the ApacheS. It Is supplied with good water, plenty of grass and | timber, and IS very healthy.
 1 was sorry to leave the San Simon, it | being the only part or the reservation where farming can be carried on, but, having had five deaths among the chil- dren and almost universal sickness, the Indians begged to he brought here. Since then the general health has been very good, the diseases being merely local, and the average number Oi patients treated during the year but 145.
 During last Fall considerable dissatis- faction existed among the Indians on ac- count o1 the want of clothing, as, although they had been promised that their wants should be supplied by the government, nothing had been furnished them. The cold weather was setting in, and, a great many being almost naked, promises were
 Of no avail; the young men saying that if
 they were not supplied they would have 10 provide themselves with blankets and
 clothing from other sources. This, of
 course, was the cause or great trouble and
 anxiety, and, if l had uOt been so ably
 supported by Cachise, would have resulted
 in many leaving the reservation. l sin cerely trust that the annultleS for this
 Winter will be forwarded in time, as, if delayed until December or January, they are com mparatiVely ValueleSS.
 In the Winter of last year number of Indians from the more northern reServa- tiOnS came to this agency and desired to remain, giving as their reasons that they
 had been eltherdriVen from, or were afraid to remain upon, their own reserves. They were, iii every case, advised to go back, and, in accordance with my instructions, given merely sufficient ratiOns to prevent them starving. Being very reluctant to return, a number of them commenced d series of raids, on their return from which they crossed this reservation, making direct trail and causing the raids to be attributed to the Chiricahua Apaches in many instances, when l am certain that the stolen stock was driven to Tulerosa and the White Mountains. At the time of the San Carlos outbreak, in Fehruary, l can state positively that the Indians were neither harbored nor permitted to come upon this reservation, these Apaches having no sympathy with the outlaws.
 On tue 2lst of May, Colonel Dudley, Superintendent Of Indian Affairs [for] New Mexico, visited this agency, for the pur- pose Of consulting with Cachise relative to the removal of his Indians to the Hot Springs, New Mexico. Cachise, at that time, was dangerously i'll, although able to talk with Colonel Dudley. Regarding the removal, CachiSe said that personally it was a matter of indifference to him, as he should die before he could be moved, but the majority of his tribe declared that, although the agency was moved, they would not be; that the government had not enough troops to move them, as they would rather die here than live there.
 On the Sth of June, Cachlse, the head chief Of the ApacheS, died, in the Dragon Mountains, Of general debility, and his death retarded the civilization Of the tribe at least two years. He was the most re- liable and honorable Indian it has ever been my fortune to meet. Since he made the treaty he never infringed 1t in any particular. He gave me more assistance than l thought 1t possible for any man to do, and compelled the other Indians to recognize me as their agent in every instance. After his death his eldest son, Yaya, was chosen chief of his band, who is d trustworthy young Indian; but, until he gains the experience, cannot have the influence Of his father.
 After the death of Cachise was called
 
 bonds as special agent. At the time was very reluctant to do so, the duties being too arduOuS for the amount Of pay; but, as ill council the head men of the tribe declared that they would only keep the treaty and promises made by CachiSe to the government on condition that l re- mained and took care of them as had done, l renewed the bonds, know ing at the time that any outbreak | would make this country more unsafe, as to life and property, than It was two years l ago. I now firmly believe that l have these Indians as completely under control i as any ill the country. There has not been l a single depreciation committed by them | in this country during the past year, nor, with few exceptions, have any of them l been off the reservation.
 There are now 930 A pacheS at this agency, | who are all becoming recCnciled and con | tented with this, to them, Sendentary life | A great many of their traits of character | will compare favorably with any class of people. Theft is unknown among them | selves; their virtue is irreproachable; and | To lie, in their opinion, is to incur punish | ment hereafter from the Creator; gambling | and drinking are, of course, as natural to ] an Indian as eating and sleeping; but, even | at their feaStS, they seldom quarrel, the | violent deaths that have occurred being | generally the result of sudden alterations | when the opponents were perfectly sober.
 The prospects for agricultural operations 1 are not very promising. There is no part of | the reservation adapted to farming, with | the exception of the San Simon Cienega, and which is too unhealthy until properly | drained. Again, these are the only Apa- cheS who have never raised any grain, | The successive generations have been born, raised, and have died in the mountains,