Arizona weekly citizen., 1882-03-26
Letter tn General Hillror.

Mir. ?. J. Bolsn, District Attorney or | Graham county, publishes the following open letter tO General O. B. WillcoX. dated March 2eth-
 On the 11th O, the present month | three companies of Indian scouts on their way from Fort Cummings, New Mexico, 70 the San Carlos Indian resery- stiOn, when passing through the stock
 ranges on the upper Gila vantouly killed several head of cattle. some of which they did not use any part of; portions of others they took to Ash Springs, their next camping place. They also set fire
 to the grass on the same ranges in two
 or three places. thereby doing great
 damage to the stock raisers.
 It Is generally supposed that these In-
 dian scouts are employed by, and in the
 service of the government for the pur-
 pose of assisting m the protection of the
 citizen and his property; but 1t seems
 that in this instance they were ln the
 service to give vent to their destructive
 propensities. l do not know who the
 officer was that commanded the scouts-
 If thero was any. it did not look like 1t,
 when they passed thIs place, as they
 were strung along the rosd in a go-as-
 you-please-do-as-you- please fashion; the
 column if it could be called such, cover
 ing with its pack train, st least two miles
 in length. There were several white
 men with the scouts who were srvelOped
 ln web of buckslin strings anO who
 wore long hair, some of whom it Is pre-
 sumed can exercise some authority over
 The scouts; but 1t can only be occasion
 ally they do so. 1t Is said that these
 scouts are gUing back to New Mexico ss
 e. to the Government and get a little rest after their arduouS campaign in New
 Mexico. If such IS the case, and they l attempt to commit any other, or further depredations on the upper Gila, the citi- ! zens there are determined to protect ] 'heir property, notwithstanding bat they | very much dislike to be forced into 6 conflict with what are supposed to be l United States troops To prevent the | occurrence of such conflict, is my excuse | for addressing myself to the Department | Commander; believing that he has the | power to prevent 2 repetition of any | such outrages; although the scouts men tloned were l think, enlisted Tor service I in New Mexico.
 l would also respectfully call the at- tentiOn of the General to the fact, that shortly after the Hon. Geo. R. York was killed by Indians last fall, there was a small squad of cavalry stationed at fork's ranch and that before they were recalled to what was called their proper stations, at Fort Grant, the citlzsls on the upper Giis sent petition Co the com handing officer of Fort Grant. explaining their isolated position and the likelihood Of raids being made by small bands of hostile Indians from New Mexico and Chihuahua, and requesting that the squad of soldiers be ordered to remain; but the soldiers were ordered back to Fort Grant, where no doubt their ser wees were of more importance. A thort time after the withdrawal of the sol diers, a widow woman (ars. Carr and a Mexican were killed by Indians on the San Francisco river, not great distance from 1orks ranch; and on last Thursday morning, Michael COnnel, an industrious and highly esteemed citizen of this county, was brutally murdered outside of hl5 own door at his ranch on the up- per Gila, near York's, by Indians. All of hls horses were taken out of his stable and driven of in the directiGr, of Doubt ul canyon, On tne way to New MeIico ? ,r Chihuahua. MT. COnnels young brother is now in my office telling me f his loss. I can do little to cofmort needs no incentive to revenge. The evening previous to the killing of . ir. Connel, a party of miners in camp l ear Ash Springs were attacked by h. : ians. They escaped, however, with the s Oss of some stOck.
 Citizens in the section of country re- erred to think it very curious that % U nany companies of troops are stationed { such posts as Grant, Bowie and others . this Territory where there are but ew citizens to protect, when in other nore liable to Indian raids, and with many more citizens, a corporsrs guard ven cannot be posted. They do not sp- reciAte the magnitude of the interests T equiring protection at such posts, per T T aps.