Arizona citizen., 1876-04-08
The TucsO,, Irwin Meteorite.

WEST PoNT, N. Y., March 16, 1876
 EDITOR CITIzEN:-I have read witt pleasure, in your edition of Januar, 15, last, a resume of the history of tn, above named meteorite, but regret tC perceive by your editorial comment thereon that yol have been mIsled into confOunding this specimen with anoth CT that was taken from your city some years later When 1 first visited Tue son, in 1857, tn re were two meteorite. there. One, the great ueteorite, "wa. unclaimed ara was found in one o. the by-streets hslt buned in the earth. , n sh.l -, fIe as-gnG' ring, weigh ed then some fifteen hundred pounds and has a diameter equal to that of the small wheel of q carriage. It remain ed in Tucson, awaiting transportation to the coast from that time until the autumn of 1SG1-mOre than three years without any one questioning my claim and publicly announced in tention to present il as my property to the Smithsonian Institution.
 The other was smaller specimen, a block of irregular shape, estimated at from four to five hundred pounds, less than one third the weight of the large or my specimen. The small spec imen was at that time claimed and used as an anvil by a Mexican black smith, who, doubtless, is the claimant, Senor Pacheco referred to in your re marks When Arizona was re-Occupi- ed by the United States forces from Cal. ifornia, in 1862, the late Major General James II. Carlton, United States army, got possession of the second or smaller and soon afterwards sent it to San Francisco for presentation to, one of the scientific institutions III thatI city, where it remains and is known asI he "CarltOn Meteorite." That took place two years after I had sent the great meteorite with which my namei $ connected. What arrangements OrI promises may have been entered intoi by General Carlton or his agents toi ,atisfy the claim of SeflOr Pacheco, | know not, as left the Territory in Jul Y, 1861; but it is only fair to as-' 'ume that, owing to the Onerous and pressing duties incident to an active md military campaign, ending n the subsequent transfer of General Carlton md the larger portion of his troopsI rom Arizona to &-c' sfey9Aico, the pro orIety Of recompenshg Mr. Pachecol vas unIntentionally overlooked orI 'orgotten.
 But few of the citizens who entered with the troops who took pos session of the "Gadsden Purchase n 1851, are now in Tucson to verify his statement, but amongst the few who are still to be found in Tucson are he Messrs. William and Grant OuryI md NIT. Esteyan OchDa, who can doubt ess corroborate the above facts.
 From the foregoing 1t will be readily perceived that MT. Pacheco was in pos ession of his meteolie-anvil two years fter the specimen which presented o the Smithsonian Institution had ,een removed from Tucson, and that, { he has any unsatistied claim for that used by him, he should state is grievances in a manner that will prevent people confounding the me aorite obtained from him by General ,arlton with that presented by me to he Smithsonian Institution.
 In justice to all concerned I trust ou will give this statement a place in our interesting and spicy journal, and blige,
 Yours, very respectfully,
 B. J. D. IRWIN, Col. L. s. A.
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