Arizona citizen., 1874-01-10

PRESCOTT, January 6, 1874. - News has been received from Lieutenant Babcocll's scout which started from Camp Mcdowell, December 26, that when near old Camp Reno, on the TOntO creek, he struck a fresh Indian trail and followed 1t for two days and nights. Early on the morning of January ], the command caught up with the hostile Apaches and surrounded and attacked their camp, kill ling five men and capturing ten women and children. Lieutenant BabcOck is now moving towards Camp Apache, securing the country on his way.
 Captain James Burns and Lieut.. BiSh- op, 5th Cavalry, left Fort Whipple on the 4th instant, to scout the country around San Francisco mountain, and the northern and western boundaries of the Verde res ervatiOn. The command IS provided with ratiOns for twenty days.
 Lieutenant Schuyler'S command is to move through the Four Peaks; then into the northern end of the Pinal and Mescal mountains; thence back across the Sierra Ancha through TOntO BaSln to Camp Verde.
 Lieutenant Rice's command was to have left Camp Verde yesterday to traverse the TontO Basin from north to south and across the country from Black River to the San Carlos reservation.
 All these detachmentS are accompanied by friendly Apaches (traitOrS to their bands) whose service has been invaluable.
 Lieutenant Ross arrived at department headquarters on January ,.
 A board of survey has been ordered by Gen. Crook to convene at Whipple depot tomorrow. Detail: Captains small and Rockwell, and Lieutenant GoOdRle.
 Three experienced telegraph operators are now on their way out from san Diego to take charge of the repair stations on the line. The telegraph wire and other ma terial to connect Prescott with the Verde reservation have arrived at Whipple depot.
 Mr. H. Ott, formerly of Tucson, has re- ceived a clerkship in the office of the chief quartermaSter of the department.
 Colonel Sprague, Paymaster, will arrive at Fort Yuma this evening, by stage from San Diego.
 Workmen are busily engaged laying the water pipes at Fort Whipple, and it is in- tended after the works shall be fully in operation, to plant shade trees about the parade ground as well as to lay out grounds for a vegetable garden. For: Whipple will then be one of the hand somest military stations on the Pacific slope.
 Colonel Bird and sister will be at head quarters, Department of Arizona, this evening, from the Colorado river. The young lady has just arrived from the At lantic States.
 PRESCOTT, January 9.-Mr. Curtiss of Ewing X CurtiSS, beef contractors for this department, arrived at Prescott on Jan uary 6.
 Mr. Snider otSnider & Buck, post traders at Camp Grant, was in Prescott early this week, and left by sage the 7th.
 The weather during the present week has been very fine with heavy frosts at night, but balmy during the day.
 All the little creeks and gulcbes about here are full of water, and the prospects for mining and farming during the com ing season are excellent.
 Col. C. J. Sprague, paymaSter, and clerk are to leave Fort Yuma by this evenings stage for San Diego on their way back to san Francisco.
 Capt. George F. Price, 5th Cavalry, has completed the inspection of the military telegraph line to the vicinity of StanWiX station. While near Blackwater, he found that some miSchievOuS Pima Indians had been tampering with the wire by throwing lariats across it. The new stations at Wickenburg, StanwiX and Mountain Springs are now open.
 Nothing has yet been heard from the commands of Burns, BabcOck, Rice and Schuyler, but something may be looked for within week.
 Trains laden with government supplies have arrived at Fort Whipple from Ehren- burg during the past week.
 Col. COppinger, 23d Infantry, is to arrive at headquarters to-day.
 The Hitchcock family recently showed in on the MogOllOn mountains while en- route from New Mexico to this place, ar rived safely at Camp Verde last week, and will be in Prescott within a few days. Mr. Hitchcock is visiting Arizona to supervise the working of some mining claims he owns to the southeast of Prescott.