The spirit of democracy. [volume] (Woodsfield, Ohio) 1844-1994, 1881-10-04
MANA, TILE APACHE CHIEF.
Rcc0llectiO4s of This Savage Ma
rauder Of che Southwestern From
finr
st. Paul Pioneer Press

rauder Of Che Southwestern From
tier
St Paul Pioneer Press.
Colonel Guido Ilges is perfect mine
OF information to the newspaper ,repor-
ter fortunate enough to have his ac
quaintance, and thought he never yolun-
teers supplies from the knowledge near
" a score OF years of active life on the
plains has given him, he is always cour-
teeusly ready to answer questions. Yes
terday Honeer Press attache, meeting
him, bethonght 30 ask if he knew aught
Of Mana, the Apache chief, who is just
now making the South western frontier
so daneetSnsss Following is, in brief.
the information obtained:
"Of course I know Mana; / ought to.
l came very near exterminating him and
his band once, and at smother time had
rather sharp skirmish with a lot oil
thieves of whom he was the head He
is not heredtarily chief, hut has proba-
bly, more influence with the Mezcalleros,
tribe of Apaches called for their
fondness for mezcal, the American aloe
than any other man. He really tried
to be good once believe that he is
as good as an Apache can ever hope to
be, but with all his influence. that of the
bucks under him was stronger, and he
had to obey their behests or lose bis
power.
"Like all bis nation, Mana is short ot
stature, wears short hair, has full
round face. eyes that dart fiendish ligh,
whenever he looks at you, slight body
thin arms and well developed calves, the
latter popularity coming from the habits
of running, early inculcated among al
those Indians. / first saw him at Fort
Grant, post at the junction OF the San
Pedro and Arizona rivers, in Arizona, in
1855, and / should have judged him to
have been 80 years old at that time. He
and his Mezcalleros, with lot of Ton.
tos-Spanish for fools-another tribe oi
Apaohes, came TO the fort and camped
saying they wanted to be helped and
taught to farm. There must have beer
200 of them in all, and my men dug Q
ditch to irrlgate land for them, but they
only staid while Some night they
would kill ranchman or two, steal 8
lot OF cattle or horses and flee to the
mountains on the other side of the Gila,
in the businesses of which they were safe
from pursuit. A month or two would
pass, and some morning l would see q
smoke way off on come hill. A little
later another smoke, nearer the fort
would ascend, then another, and another,
until finally an old sqaaw would come
toward the stockade. carrying aloft a
rag on pole, and would open negoti
atons leading to return / stood this
thing until one night they killed couple
of my soldiers and then decamped with
q lot OF cattle. Isthen said Iuwoald gel
even with them, and / would have done
so on their next return, but just when
was ready to open on them the ambu.
lance of the Inspector General Of the
Department hove in sight from the can
yon road, and he seeing my prepara.
lions and learning my object, said il
would never do, and ordered me to de.
sist
"Another time l went after Mana or
an order from General Crittenden, who
informed me that the Apaches had sto
len 100 head of cattle from the vicinity
of Prescott, and as he reported only
eighteen or twenty bucks IN the party,
started out with all the mounted men
could get together-only twelve besides
myself, as didn't have any cavalry al
that time The Apaches are, or were
then, foo,men, and 80 We easily caugh
up with them, but to my surprise, in.
stead of twenty there we're mora thar
leo men, and thought at 6rst sigh
they had several thousand head ofcaisle
hut it afterward appeared they had only
800. tried skirlnish with them, bu
my men had the old muzzle leaders, anc
the Indians surrounding US partially
was compelled to retreat. Calhoun, ,wht
was killed with Custer, was with me, ,ant
be had Ballard rife, which l firmly be
lieve captured this winter from th'
Sioux at Popular Creek During th'
ride back to the fort on that occasion
my knee was broken by kick from {
mule, and was laid up for more thar
two months"
To some further questions relative t.
the Apaches the Colonel replied that il
1866 they were not on reservations, an
we're armed for the most part with bow
and arrows, which are not effective at
distance greater than thirty yards; bu
since they have secured the best kind O
Winchester or other magazine guns, ant
seem to have no difficulty in procurin,
cartridges ad libitum. They are pun,
race, filthy as the Diggers in habits an,
appearance, and wear shirt. and bel
and moccasins made OF antelope @
coyote hides, and are utterly destitute o
fnery OF any description. They wi
steal or kill anything possible, and don
know the meaning of the word faitf
The Navajoes, some Of whom are sal
to have joined the Mexcalleros, are jus
1.-THE reverse Of the Apaches, so far o
Iphysique and appearance are concerned
and are tall, well formed, muscular an
handsome.