Butler citizen. [volume] (Butler, Pa.) 1877-1922, 1883-07-18
CROOKS INDIAN STORIES.
Some Incidents Of the Late Cam
paign Related by the Great
Fighter.
From New York Herald.

|
There is q great difference between
fighting Indians and fighting white
men. The savages always get in {
position where they will be shielded
and only fight when they want to, and
our soldiers are forced to fight whether
they want to or not, and these scout:
know better how to surprise them than
our soldiers, for they are intelligent
warriors and take advantage Of every
little circumstance. Every Indian is 6
general and knows exactly what to dc
under any circumstances. He knows
which is the best position for him and
how to take the enemy at disadvant
age He is always under all conditions
perfectly self-possessed, and there is an
individuality about him at all times.
The soldier is mechanical and part of a
great machine and thereby loses his in
dividuality. If there is a weak spot in
our line and lot of Indian boys in
| front of us they will drop on that point
and make as much out of it as Caesar,
Napoleon or Hannibal could do, for
they will do exactly right, and that is
all the best generals in the world could
do.
The Apaches are the shrewest and
best fighters in the world. They will
strip themselves and ascend precipice
like cat, and they will do all this af-
ter making days march. During this
expedition they danced through one
night-to the discomfort of the sol
diers who were trying to sleep-march-
ed all next day and climbed places
where coyote would have trouble in
getting. | Lave known them to run
suddenly on quail and kill it with q
stone, and run down a wounded ante
lope. They are just as much smarter
than other Indian as anybody could be.
They have wonderfully good eyesight,
being able to follow trail on star
light night as well as | could in day
light. Evidences of their prowess are
visible all through that country and
they and the Mexicans have been fight
ing for hundreds of years, and upon
every hand are to be seen the remains
of Pueblo settlements which have evil
dently been wiped out by these In
dians, and it is tradition among the
people of that section that the Apache
is unconquerable. Yet they have wip-
ed out every band of Pueblo Indians,
except the Moquis and Zunis, whom, L
am satisfied, are the same class of peo-
pie. l have seen these fellows ambus-
cade in place as level as floor.
There was wagon tain in 1871 60
ing out of Arizona into California, with
an escort in advance. The Indians
saw them coming and ambuscaded in
the road, which was perfectly level,
with here and there clump of grass.
The Apaches lay upon their stomachs,
threw dust over themselves and tied
grass in their hair and were passed by
the escort unnoticed. After the escort
was some distance off the Indians jump
ed up and captured the wagons in the
rear and killed the teamsters. These
fellows take all the chances. whereas
other Indians seek place where they
will be safe and shoot the enemy.
Peaches, our principal Apache guide,
knows that whole country and We left
everything to him. / was not afraid
to trust him and believe | am the on
ly man who has used these Indians
against each other. | do not know
how to describe the way it is done, but
/ have never met case % treachery
| have these same Indians in q battle
who were in open arms against me and
have had them to turn around immed
lately against their own people.
] never disarm Indians under the
present circumstances, because it has
been my experience that. in order to
govern the Indians, you must not al
low them to think you are afraid o.
them. To take their guns from them
while the whites about them are allow
ed to carry arms would have the effect
to impress the Indian at once that you
were afraid of him. Another thing is
that when these Indians surrendered
they only brought in lances or indiifer'
ent arms, expecting to give them up
Where the Indians contemplate sur.
render they always take the precaution
to hide their good weapons. Now, il
| had demanded these arms that they
brought with them they would have
credited me with fear, while would get
only those weapons which they did not
attach any value to. This is always
the case where the attempt is made to
disarm them Since the introduction
OF the breech-loading gun the Indian
pr oblem has undergone a change. A
breech. loader in the hands Of an Indian
makes him very formidable enemy,
for every rock affords fortification for
him, and he can keep us at bay while
| he deals death and destruction to the
pursuing party. without the latter gain
ing anything in return. They handle
the breech-loader with remarkable
| o,i.Lpooo ard ora oood ,narkamen