The Valley Virginian. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1865-1895, 1881-09-08
Another Indian Massacre.


Dispatches received at the War Depart
ment, Washington, on the Sd inst from
Gen. Mcdowell, commanding the Depart
ment of the Pacific, dated at San Francis
co, report a terrible Indian Massacre at
Fort Apache, Arizona Territory, in which
Gen. Carr, commanding the Fort, AID six
other officers and 40 soldiers, it was be-
leved, were massacred. Fort Apache is To-
Gated in the White Mountains, and was
garrisoned by two companies of cav
airy and one of infantry. Indications
had lead to the belief that the Musca-
lerO Apaches were contemplating a re-
| volt A medicine man" had informed
| them that after their crops were gathered,
all OF their warriors would return to life,
| and that the whites would be expelled from
the country. In attempting to arrest this
''medicine man" for melting the Indians to
| hostilites, lieutenant was killed by
brother OF the doctor" The soldiers
| at once shot the medicine man." aud this
was followed by general assault by the In
dian scouts upon the soldiers; and finally
the capture and massacre of the garrison.
after a desperate fight. 1t is not known
whether single white man escaped. Ac-
counts differ as to this, one stating that all
were killed, and another that few of the
soldiers escaped into the mountains and
may turn up. 1t is also stated that the Ma
vajoe Indians, warlike tribe, located some
fifty miles from the Muscaleros, had Joined
the latter, and that the massacre was pre-
arranged affair.
A statement in the Baltimore american
OF the 9Th. expresses the fear that Leuten-
ant Chas. Chas. B. Gatewood, a native of
Woodstock. Va, was among the killed. He
had recently been to the States on a two
weeks leave of absence to get married, and
had started on his return to his command at
Fort Apache in time to have reached there.
But we do not see his name in the list of Of
ticers reported to have been killed.
There Is but one way to put stop to the
repeated massacres of white settlers, emf
grants and soldiers, and that is to wage 9
war of determination. We know enough
of Indian character. from a three years res
idence among them, and especially of the
Muscalero Apaches and Navajoes to know
that the only way to eivilize them is tt
bury them. 1t looks rather hard to the mere
sentimentalist and the dreamer oyer the ro
mantle stories OF the red man, to suggest
such harsh method of solvi ing this Indian
problem and its religious aspect we will
not attempt to discuss, except to say there
is imore humbuggery and jugglery about
Indian missions than there is about the darl
ways and vain tricks of the Hea then Chi
nee. The Apache is essentially a compound
OF cruelty. He knows nothing else ant
will learn nothing else. The Navajoe il
probably mider type OF the savage, from
the fact that the tribe has some indistinct no
tioa of property rights and slight knowl
edge OF primitive agriculture, coupled
l. with large possessions of horses and sheep
But to attempt to cvilize them or max,
anything out of them but cruel, blood
thirsty savages, is time and effort wasted
For the purpose of civilization one white
man is worth the whole Indian pop ulation
and to make it possible that scores of usefu
citizens may fall victims to the cruel in.
stincts of these fiendish creatures, is one oil
the things civilization ought not to tolerate
For the past few years, almost every day
has furnished the intelligence of the muir
der, of Il number of white people on TIL,
frortiers, and especially in Arizona an(
New Mexico, by ln,ians. Enterprsing ant
adventurous Americans. who press out tt
The limits of our possessions, to open ny
the country and plant the lines of civiliza
tion.are cruelty butchered by these swarth,
devils, who are of no possible use tt
amy interest here or hereafter, that ordinar,
men can understand.
A policy of determination should be a
\ once inaugurated, and The sentimental
= croakers and winners sent to the front tC
e receive the first lesson of sangunary pol
. . icy.