Savannah morning news. [volume] (Savannah) 1868-1887, 1885-06-11
THE APACHE FIGHTERS.
The Soldiers of Little Use in Chasing
Up the SaYages.

first American settlement in the lower
part OF New Mexico was made here. The
discovery of gold by an adventurous
prOspector at the foot of the Pinos Altos
Mountains, when the country was the
hunting-grOund of the Apaches, brought
in few hardy miners; but it was not I'M
til the discovery of the rich quartz mines
in the vicinity of Silver City that an emf
with bitter and relentless persistency
against the encroachments of the settlers.
Several OF the tribal families of the
Apache nation have been nearly eXter-
minated, many have been driven into
Mexico, where they have taken shelter in
the wild and gloomy passes of the Sierra
Madre, and, owing to the mistaken policy
of the government, others have been COM
fOrtably Quartered at the st. Carlos or
White Mountain agency, from which they
have from time to time deserted, to muir
der and rob the defenseless ranchmen and
miners.
About 1885 Indians have been absent
from the reservation for the last three
weeks under the lead of one OF the
shire widest and ablest OF King Victories
old ilieutenants, the merciless and blood
thirsty Geronimo. The telegraph has
kept you informed daily of the atrocities
Of these renegades. A deal too much in
nOcent blood has already been split. A
recapitulation of Geronimo's raVages
would take more newspaper space than
can possibly be given this letter. Men
have been butchered, women outraged,
horribly mutilated and left to die ling
ering death, children have been torn from
the arms of their fearful mothers and
cruelty murdered, stock has been stolen
and killed ranches destroyed by fire and
manV valuable horses driven away. The
renegades are heading,toward the plateau
of the Sierra Mad Q, and unless the Terri
torial troops and citizens succeed in head
ing them Oft will ultimately escape into
Mexico with their plumber.
THE HALF NOT TOLD.
1t is not the purpose of this letter, how
ever, to give "a history of GerOnimO's raid.
The telegraphic reports you have received
only in part tell the sad story. When its
true history is written it will be found
that the damage done and the lives lost is
much in excess of what has already been
reported. Information has been sup.
pressed, and the military authorities, to
shield their bungling management Of the
campaign, have so "dOctOred the returns
that you in the States can form from the
published reports no adequate idea of the
magnlture of the raid and the terrible
amount of damage that has been done by
the saVages. Affairs at st. Carlos are
very badly managed and it is a notorious
fact. Gen. Crook, who commands the de-
partmentis known to be deficient in ablli-
ty to cope with the enemy, and the citi'
Zens and Territorial press boldly charge
him with disregard of his duty and the
appeals OF the citizens.
The only real hunting that has been
81 Iafr a IN
was by the citizens, and the only real
fighters have been the Territorial Ran
gers. The Indians attacked some of Capt
Smiths command while the men were
bathing in Devil Creek and wounded two
"a trooper and an Indian scout. They
killed several horses and retreated finally
after capturing everything that the sol
dlers had except a little jerked beef. The
soldiers, as rule, know very little about
Indian fighting. The officers are incapa'
bic, aud many of them are too cOwardly
to follow the Indians into their strong
holds. If you would fight Indians sue
cessfully you must adopt Indian tactics
Gen. Crook has several times attempted
campaign against the hOstlles with com
mand composed almost exclusively o
s'friendly' Indians. These friendly In
dams are very little better for the purpOs
than the regular troops. They failed sig
nally when Cook pursued JUS band int
Sonora two years ago, although thu
"Gray Wolf" as Crook arrogantly calli
himself, was lauded to the skies and ieted
and lionized as the great Apache pacif-
Gator.
THE RANGERS DID THE FIGHTING.
The citizens-cOwboys, ranchmen, min
ers prospectors and gamblers, in New
Mexico and Arizona have ''pacited" more
Indians since 1867 than the whole regular
army in all parts of the West. For years
the frOntiersmen in Texas impOrtuned the
National Government to protect them
and their families from the bloody incur.
sions of the Lipan, TOnkawa, COmanche
and Apache Indians, who rOamed at will
over the then Territory of Texas. The
government built forts and sent large
quantities Of troops to garrison them. The
Indians still raided, still murdered, still
stole. Finally in 1874 when it was moth.
ing unusual to hear Of an Indian murder
being committed within 80 miles OF the
State capital, Gov. Coke organized the
Frontier Battalion of State Rangers. Tn.
der the command Of that gallant fighter,
Mai. John B. Jones, the Rangers in six
years did what the National Government
had been attempting for twenty-they
drove out the Indians, eXtermnated
whole tribes, and made it possible for q
white man to live in peace and security on
its most distant frontier.
Not since $780, when Chief Victoria
raided along the frontier, has any consld'
cradle party Of Indians entered Texas
The state Rangers, under Capts. Baylor
and Nevill, drove them out then, and in
Oct. 1880, in the Sierra DiablO wiped out
the fleeing remnant OF Victories superb
band. Wewant an organization similar
to the ranger service in Arizona and New
Mexico, composed Of men Of practical ex.
perience on the plains, who can meet the
Indians on their own ground, fight them
In their own fashion, and opacity" them
so effectualiy that they will murder nc
more If the government will organize
and arm a battalion of rangers in each
Territory and give them license TO settle
the Indian question in the only way that
has been found satisfactory we will have
no need for regular troops. The cost will
be trifling compared with the enormous
yearly expenditure now necessary 10 KEEP
up that portion Of the army quartered
here. In two years time they will either
drive out the bloodthirsty wretches or TO.
tally extermlnate them. This may seem
harsh procedure 70 those sentimental
phlanthropists who think that the
Apaohes can be civilized and humanized,
but IL they will come out here aud live
for few months and study the question
carefully they will unhesitatingly decide
that 10 is the only correct solution ot the
matter.
DIDN'T ASK THE PRICE.