National Republican., 1881-08-02
ARNY'S APACHES.
EX-SENATOR. VESTS REMARKS.
Mangus Colorado-The True Story OF His Capture
and Shooting While Attempting to Es-
cape-The Preservation Of His
Huge Skull.
Ex-senator ]. r. West. of Louisiana. for

Ex-senator J. Il. West, of Louisiana, for
mcrly OF California, sends the following: Ex.Gov-
ernor Arny's romance in TnE REPUBLICAN, of Mon
day of the death of the most noted OF all the
Apaches, Mangis Colorado, would not call for
correction at any hands did he not remotely assign
to that event the recent calamity the killing Of
young Pugh, In the interview with Governor
Army which you publish, he Is reported to have
said:
Tho killing of Mangus Colorado when he
placed himself In the hands of the troops to sue
ior peace and offer TO return all the white cap
tives then In the hands Of his braves was the
prime cause Of long years Of Indian troubles the
end OF which is not yet.
And again;
Mnngus Colorado finally came into Fort McCan.
non and the military authorities that he wanted
to make peace. lie was placed in confinement in
one of the adobe buildings. his wife and children
t9IGGnpyins tINn The adiSining room A6ter consuIts-
prisoned chieftain must die, and In order to exns-
perate him Into attacking his guards bar of iron
heated red hot was thrust through q crack IN the
wall of his cell to stir him up. The scheme worked
successfully, and as he made n rush upon the
guards MARCUS was killed, every sound attending
his uehth being plainly audible TO his wife and
childrcn IN the adjoining room. Dr. Sturgeon. of
Ilttsburg, Pa, then surgeon in tho army, took
the Skull of the dead chief and sent Il to washing.
ton In the confusion attending the killing of
Mangus Colorado his wife managed to escape from
the building, leaving her children behind her
sent east to the States and educated. Al his
/ knoW Of my oOn knoNiefgs, for J iCds there al
me time The wife Of tho dead chief succeeded in
making her way to the hostile band under Cochise,
who was her brother. She told him how her hus-
band had met his DEATH aud demanded that In
iutute al white captiyes shoild be given into
have italicized the assertion of the ex- Governor
that he was present and knew of this outrage by
the troops, which, ii true, would be equal in
atroclly to any ever pcrpetrated by the numbering
Apachcs.
GOVERNOR ARSY WAS NOT PRESENT
on the occasion, and was probably not within
three hundred miles Of Fort Mclean mot Nc.
Cannon) at the time Mnngus Colorado was cap
turcd III running fight between his band and
Captain shIrland's company, c, First California
Cavalry. He was taken red handed In q fight; his
capture, not DEATH at that moment was due to the
positive instructions had given to Captain Shir-
land to bring him in alive If possible It being the
purpose of General Carleton, commanding the De.
partment of New Mexico, to endeavor TO use his
commanding influence with the various tribes OF
Apaches to bring his people upon reservations.
Mangus was delivered to me within half an hour
of his capture He was Il gigantic savage, prob
ably six feet six inches in height, his head of
extraordinary size. He was told, through an in.
terpfeter what the intentions of the United States
military authorities were In regard to
HIS DETENTION AS \ CAPTIVE,
and had Governor Army been there he would
hardly speak of his demeanor Just then as of one
"suing for peace" Mangus Colorado was killed
that same night by the guard having him in
chargc-a sergeant aud nine men. Tho sound of
firing awakened me- and an investigation imme.
dintcly held satisfied me that the barbnrOus
savage was shot down by the guard while at.
tempting to escape. My official report of the event
is no doubt ON file in the War Department. have
no recollection Of Mangus' wife having come into
camp, although she possibly did Mangus was
captured about three p m, and met his death
about the midnight following. On again visiting
Fort Mclean, some six months ubsequcntly, DR..
J. b. Sturgeon (now of Toledo, surgeon-in chiefof
my command, asked permission to exhume the
remains of Mangus, he having heard of tho ex-
traordinary physical conformation OF the great
savage, who had been for twenty. five years the
scourge Of the emigrant and the settler believe
that his huge skull was preserved, and Is now de-
posted in some public medical collection. The
young officer of New Mexican volunteers, cit-
zen of the District of Columbia, was killed under
much the
SAME CIRCUMSTANCES
rs Governor Army relates. had sent him in com.
mand Of an escort to a small supply train, and,
within six hours OF my parting injunctions to him
TO be exceedingly cautious, news was brought to
me OF his murder, attended by all the atrocities now
recOuned. Governor Army would have been
more just to the officers and men In tho thankess
and highly perilous task In which they were en-
gagged had he stated the fact that the Indian band
who murdered this young officer were extermi.
mated in hnnd.to-hand fight the next day. He
has not added to the truth of history by the "Ro.
nance OF Mangus Colorado" and, while the friends
of young Pugh, sorrowing for their loss, may find
but little consolation In q fiction, the effect OF
which is felt in cruel blow occurring nineteen
years subsequent to the groundwork Of the story,
the men who were there and know of their own
knn uln1Y p,aN l,aI ~,
are not disposed to be placed in light still more
barbarous than the Apaches themselves.