Arizona citizen., 1876-11-11
Occasional Correspondence.
TrcsoN. A T November 6 1S76

1CLl Ol tlC ICIlllbAl Abi tuiS ODJCCl myself and party have traversed and examined a considerable portion of southern Arizona, with view of talk
 ing up land for agriculture and stock raising. Hearing favorable reports of the San Pedro country we found our selves in that valley early in October, and wended our way from Tres Ala mos up it, some twenty-five or thirty miles, making short drives, close and critical examination of the land, qual- ity of the soil, facilities for irrigation, until we became satisfied and conclud- ed to drive our stake, take of coats and go to work in earnest, and carve out home for ourselves and families. On the threshold of this determination, in stalks the everlasting Indian with his needle gun and scalping knife to shake us from our resolve and drive us from our purpose. Taking counsel from the experience ofothers who have tried the venture, we "lit OGt," to use a western phrase, and here we are near ly broke, waiting Mscawber like for to turn up. Reading in your last issue, the protest and communica- ton Of Dr. King n regard to Indian troubles and raids, suggested some ideas and thoughts by which in my opinion, the remedy sought for can be found. Your Governor is an active, energetic and enterprising man, fully alive to the wants and necessities O. the situation. but IS crippled for want of means to afford that protection which is due to every good citizen. His Cnly resource is the military to hunt down and wipe out these thieving and mpr- dering bands of Indians and others who periodically make incursion5 through the sparsely settled portions of the Territory, driving out. the men whO would be source of wealth by their industry. The remedy for this is ir the Territorial Legislature. Let it make an appropriation of money suf- ficient to arm and equip and pay g company of volunteers of not less thar sixty nor more than one hundred nen to be Officered and selected by the Governor for their fitEesS for InG.Gl campaigning, and to be called Ou: in such numbers as the eXigency n8y in his judgment require, with autEcrit 7 10 draw his warrant against tLis fund in payment ofthe eIpenses incurred for actual service. The arms aud -uuiD
 ments to belong to the Territory. Pro vide Sy enactment 10 legeliZc tle acts of the Governor, his GrdCrs ard in- struct;Ols to the officer ID cCIlman6 Oi this force while sR dusy, or al6a.. O.
 derS, as he should have large discre..OL- ary pOwe-;. Your volunteers (r-UCi l.
 ed oLce Cn ILe trail of raiders sncClG
 follow it to the end, and intiict sum.
 mary punishment. Two or three les
 sons of this kind will be enough to
 make the savages wary how they 7.s.t
 the Territory, Indians fcGLd of .heiI should be sumn.a-ily dealt
 with. To gain their respect yO must
 be as relentless as are .heT. Might and the will o execute 1t vii. bring
 them to terms. Any Othef policy j,
 waste of tune. Murder and devasta
 tion follow; your rich valleys will re
 main untitled, emigration sop and 5hC resources of the Territory remain un
 developed. SelfpreservatiOn is the first law of nature. If the War De
 partment fails to protect you, you nus
 per force protect yourselves. As tO-sht
 military, they have the means at theil disposal, if they choose to exercise it.
 of gaining early and correct infOrna ton of the movements O. unfriendly Indians, that too in time to prevent the killing of the ranchmen ard running of of their stock. The commanding officer of this, as well as those of othel military departments, can employ scouts and pay them for such duty. Il is simply farce, the manner in which
 company of cavalry hunt Indians
 Leaving their headquarters from two weeks to q month after the depreda tions have been committed, they marcl in column with an ambulance and two
 six-mule teams to haul rations anC comforts for the officers, over the mos lcOnSpicuous part of the country, where their movements can be observed for {
 distance anywhere from ten to twenty
 miles. No attempt is made to covel
 them from the hostiles. Arrived at some Iconvenient place within fifteen or twen
 ty miles of where the Indians are sup posed to be, the officer in command
 goes into camp, pitches his tents, dis plays his ambulance and army wagons to the best advantage for warning tn,
 enemy of his close proximity, and theI lsolemnly moves out in the broad sun | light of day, with two thirds of hi
 men, end proceeds to hunt MT To , I by passing over the highest ridges tC
 the nelghboring hills, striking terrO | into the hearts of the willy foe who sit lon a convenient crag or rock. watching the approach os the daring invader | lTwenty-tOur hours, sometimes forty eight, under some more daring anC enduring commander, do these sons O
 Mars hunt for the war1s of the nation Then with the same show of military discipline, they march back again tC their camp to report no Indians found
 or signs of them, or that the depreda tiOns were committed by superstition. white men. Is it any wonder, aftel SuCn lutlIC hillAlill J plotCCNlph, iAiAui
 grants already here are deterred from settling in your valleys and those in tending to come are discouraged from
 the attempt? To such an extent is this
 untoward opinion of your section o
 Arizona gaining, that the bulk of in
 tending immigrants are turning theil
 faces to the northern part of the Ter
 ritory. We can't venture into south
 eastern Arizona under the Indian man
 agement of the present military re
 gime of this department While com
 panies of cavalry and infantry are safe
 ly guarding officers quarters and sut
 tiers supplies in your numerous mili
 tary posts, one hundred renegade Tn 'dians are making the garden of Ari
 zOna a sealed book to settlers. s.
 FROM the vote as known in thi
 county, it appears that the following tiket is elected Council. F. G. Hughe,