The Stark County Democrat. [volume] (Canton, Ohio) 1833-1912, 1881-11-10
rhe Fighting Indians of New Mexico.


In the course of conversation with
Capt. @. d. Boyer, of the Ninth United
States Cavalry, some interesting facts,
relative to the Apaohes and pending In
dian disturbances in New Mexico, were
learned. Capt. Boyer is an old Indian
fighter, having seen about ten years.
service in the West. The dispatches
from the scene of the Indian outrages
conflict to such an extent and contain
so many errors in the designation of 10
calities that it Is difficult to describe the
movement of the troops or of the In
dians, and without a first-rate map of
the country it would be impossible to
understand such a description. The In
dams of New Mexico are mostly classed
under the generic appellation of
Apaches, of whom the principal tribes
are the Navajos and Mescalleros. Capt.
Boyer estimates the aggregate fighting
force of these tribes at fully 5000 men,
the Navajos tribe numbering, counting
women and children, upward of $4,000
souls. There are also the remnants of
the Warm Spring Indians, who, by ac-
tual count In April, 1877, numbered
only 467. This was Victoria's band,
and Mana Is a chief in the same tribe.
Capt. Boyer has never believed that Vic
toria was slain. He is personally ac-
quainted with Mana and the principal
leaders of the Navajos. There are in
New Mexico all the companies of the
Ninth Cavalry, which average forty
eight men to the company, and the
Thirteenth and Fifteenth Infantry.
Capt. Beyer's company has been Or
| dered to Fort Craig, on the Rio Grande,
and though on leave of absence, and
with his family in this city, he has ap-
piled for permission to join his COM
mand, and will probably set out for
that point In few days. From the ac-
count which he gives of the Indian
method of skirmishing, the difficulty
| which the troops experience in their
contests with such willy adversaries is
easily apprehended. In the first place,
| the troops rarely hear of the commits
sion of an outrage inside of twenty-foul
hours or more after it has occurred. A
predatory band of Apaches swooI
down on q ranch or settlement, kill al
the whites to be found, and retreat rap,
idly to the mountains with the stock ano
other plumber they may have captured
They usually have at least one hundred
miles the start of the troops, and are
even better mounted, having at theil
command two or more stolen horses
|
oughly armed, generally with Winches
ter rifles. AS a rule, the Apaches are
cunning, treacherous and cowardly
The ambuscade is their most approved
method of fighting-a plan for which
the character of the country, with it
mountains, rocks, ravines and canyons
is peculiarly adapted. They will neve
risk an encounter on open ground
They are so adroit at concealment tina
even when the troops arrive in clos
proximity to the band not an Indian
to be discovered, their presence beinl
made known by puffs of smoke from
their rifles, as the marksmen open fir
from behind boulders or from dens
thickets. The Apaches generally ar
small in stature, and resemble the Dig
ger Indians. The Navajos, however
are large and well made. They ar
more civilized than the other tribes, I'll
the soil, make their blankets and iro
implements, and own numerous herds
-Nea0 Orleans PicGyaIge.