Savannah morning news. [volume] (Savannah) 1868-1887, 1881-08-05
Washington Republican.

view with an Ex-Governor OF New
Mexico.
Washington Republican.
A representative of the Republican
called upon Ex-Governor w. F. NJ. Army,
of New Mexico, to ask his views in re-
gard to the recent murder of young
Fugh by band of rowing Apache In.
dlans. Governor Army said: II am
pretty familiar with that portion of the
territory where young Pugh was muir
dered; have travelled all over it on horse
back. Ten years ago | took the census
OF the Southern Apaches when Cochise
was the chief OF these tribes. Previous
to Cochise, Mangus Colorado was chief,
but he was killed by the troops and his
skull sent to Washington. l am
perfectly satisfied Pugh was tortured
to death by these Apaches, and it
is my opinion that the murder will
eventually be traced to the intrigues of
certain parties who are interested in
mining claims in that section of New
Mexico. | believe that these parties
wanted Pugh out of the way, and put
the Indians up to numbering him. The
original cause of the trouble with the
Apaches dates way back in the past, and
originated when DR.. Teck, of Virginia,
was their agent At that time Mangus
Colorado, their chief, was driven from
his rancho, and period of active hostili-
ties followed. Cochise. the brother.in-
law of Mangus Colorado, took the war
path and went into Cooks Canyon,
where he stopped everybody, robbed the
mail coaches, and one hundred and fifty
skeletons of his victims were afterwards
found there. Mangus Colorado finally
came into Fort McCannOn, and told the
military authorities that he wanted to
make peace. He was placed in confine-
ment in one of the adobe buildings his
wife and children occupying the adioin-
ing room. After consultation among the
officers it was decided that the impris-
oned chieftain must die, and, in order to
exasperate him into attacking his guards,
a bar of iron heated red hot was thrust
through crack in the wall of his cell to
stir him up. The scheme worked sue
cessfully, and, as he made O. rush upon
the guards, Mangus was killed, every
sound attending his death being plainly
audible to his wife and children in the
adjoining room. DR.. Sturgeon, of Pitts
burg, Pa, then a surgeon in the army,
took the skull of the dead Chief and
attending the killing of Mangus Colo
RADIO, his wife managed to escape from
the building, leaving her children behind
her. She never saw them again, as they
were sent East to the States and edu-
Gated. All this l know of my own
knowledge, for | was there at the time.
The wife of the dead Chief succeeded in
making her way to the hostile band
under COchise, who was her brother.
She told him how her husband had met
his DEATH and demanded that in future
all white captives should be given into
her hands. She gathered around her a
band of some forty squaws, and when
any hapless whites fell into the hands of
her kinsman, the unfortunates were
turned over to these furies and tortured
to death at the stake.
''This reminds me of a case in point.
A young man named Barjea came from
Washington to New Mexico. He was a
gallant young fellow, had formerly been
private secretary to Gen. Quitman, and,
as acting Governor of New Mexico. |
appointed him Lieutenant of volunteers.
In the course of time his duties took him
to Fort Craig and Southern New Mexi-
co, where he was under the orders of
Kit Carson, then Colonel of a regiment.
Shortly afterward young Barjea started
with a detachment of men from La
Mersila to Fort Craig. At Donna Anna
he dropped behind his column with two
soldiers, and stopped for a few minutes
to get drink of wine. Before they
overlook the column, at Point of Rocks.
the three men were assailed by Cochise
and his band. The Lieutenant and his
escort fought hard, Bariea killing three
of the Indians with his own
hand; but the Indians killed
all three of the whites There
is superstition among the Apaches that
the heart of brave man will make a
great warrior of him who eats it. Ac-
cordingly Barjea's heart was torn from
his body and devoured on the spot.
His head was also stricken off and stuck
on pole in revenge for the mutilation
of Mangus Colorado's corpse. Bariea's
body was afterward recovered and car
ried to Fort Craig. Subsequently it was
brought to Washington, and his bones
now lie in Oak Hill Cemetery. The
killing of Mangus Colorado, when he
placed himself in the hands of the troops
to sue for peace, and offered to return all
the white captives then in the hands of
his braves, was the prime cause of long
years of Indian troubles, the end Of
which is not yet. l have had many
years experience with the Indians. 1
succeeded Kit Carson as the agent for
the Utes in Kansas, and as long as they
were fed, given tobacco, and whisky kept
away from them, had no trouble what
ever with them Afterward / brought
deputation of Navajos to Washington. "