Arizona citizen., 1876-02-05


 2 of the agent for assistance, but wOul' l retain their troops within their camp E and only protect Government propert . and the lives of citizens. The Indian l were aware of thIS order, and 1 hay no doubt as to the source from whicl . they obtained their information Thu ] it will appear that when the officers Il - command found they could not longe - usurp the power and infringe ol
 the rights and duties of the civi agent, they determined to defeat tn
 Interior Department by neglecting thei F own duties, and then attempted t , cover such ugly tracks by a most un worthy order. 1 was thus left alone t' control four thousand two hundred [, Indians as best as I could, while tht troops stationed here to assist became inSugatOrs of nsubOrdination anC
 hostility. Notwithstanding all this .' my opposers were again doomed to dis J appointment. l appointed temporary police, constructed my own guard houses, and I have since enforced order
 and discipline with much less trouble
 and annoyance than when the troops cpndescended to guard my prisoners. ! While I am called to state much ! that iS unpleasant concerning sever officers, tits due to Major BabcOck, who commanded San Carlos on my arrival,
 to say that when he ceded to me the entire supervision of Indian affairs at San Carlos, on September 3, 1874, 1 never after had an unpleasant word with him. He prOffered his assistance and acquitted himself in every particular as an able officer and true gentleman. And Lieutenant Ward, who succeeded Major Babcock in command, did, dur ing the last six months of his stay at San Carlos, all in his power to insure 1 the success of my administration and the prosperity of these Indians. I can
 bear the same testimony regarding Lieutenant Anderson, who succeeded Lieutenant Ward, and still remains in command of the troops stationed here. Our relations are most harmonious and pleasant.
 REMOVAL OF WHITE MOUNTAIN INDIANS.
 In accordance with instructions from
 honorable Commissioner of Indie
 Affairs, as per telegram, dated Wash ington, D. C., May If, 1875, proceed ed without delay to Washington, D. C. Having completed my business in that city, l returned with orders to remove the Indians from Camp Apache agency to some portion of the San Carlos res ervation. arrived at my agency about the middle of July and lost no time in returning to Camp Apache to carry out the above instructions Some of the reasons for removing were as fol- lows: The scarcity of farminglands about Camp Apache, the long and severe winters there, and the location being almost inaccessible except from the Rio Grande, and that route is closed for months at time by snow. Some of the advantages to be secured by the removal were much better and far more exten- sivc farming-landS, q mild climate, where two crops are raised annually on the same ground; excellent roads lead ing south, west, and east, consolidating and so relieving the Department of the expense of an agency, and last, but not least to the people of the Territory, it would avert the trade with these Ind ians from New Mexico to Arizona, where it properly belongs
 I arrived at Camp Apache July q for the purpose of removing the Ind ians. About half were anxious to go, their old home and planting ground 1tiHg on the Gila, near Camp Good
 m. The others argued in the prover' ,al Indian style, This is where our fathers lived and died, J5c But with in four days after my first talk all had consented 10 the nove except Patone and DiablO, who, being Indian scouts, could not be removed from the post On July 26, 1 started for the Gila with fifteen chiefs of the White Mountain Indians, who took with them sach of their bands as did not have permission to stay and gather the corn, those of Patone, Diablo, and Penal, Ia petty chief,) being the only bands remaining behind. Mr. George II. Stevens, who rendered very valuable assistance in removing these Indians, came with eight bands over the wagon-road, and I brought seven bands over the trail. We had no escort except Indians, MT Stevens and myself being the only white persons who accompanied the Indians to the Gila. They arrived safe ly. and July 3l were all rationcd from the San Carlos agency.
 With a knowledge of the facts have already reported your Department and the pubic will not be much surprised when I say that l met with bitter opposition in my efforts to remove these Indians. Many evil rumors were sent among the Indians. They were told that l was lying that had no orders Co remove them: that if they did % tlr-y would be sent to a strange and distant country and they would all dIe or be killed, and many other re- ports of similar nature intended to