Great Falls tribune. [volume] (Great Falls, Mont.) 1885-1890, 1885-10-24
THE INDIAN QUESTION.

IL 1o6a 4 otilS Nv" tIAt
City, to Tucson, then the capital of Ari-
iona, was not a very safe one to travel
over, some fifteen years ago. The num-
Der of moundsto be seen in all directions
are the written records of that period.
The smigrants who settled along the ella
river in many cases disappeared, and the
small boards placed at the heads of the
mounds are an index of their fate
Names Unknown; Killed by Indians"
At one of the stations on the ella river
(Stanwix) Colonel Woolsey located. Many
| stories were in circulation concerning
him, and the early settlers; now they
banded together, made a barricade of their
wagons, roasted the fatted calf (ox), and
invited the prodigal sons of Uncle Sam
to come and partake. The Apaches from
the elevated mountain ranges could see
all that was going. on in the valley-and
who ever knew ~anIndian, Apache Or
Maricopa, DENY themselves the gratifca-
ton of Teasing q tpe white mans board,
if net npon LIS bones Ii twos and threes
slaey came IN md ssaainuafted down, and at
d aIvsaaIaaHa f "a Ml1ligrasits commenced
A1dsfsV II any of the muir
sl4sIazapaaehes returned to tell how they
eSsoa@la5nch a picnic. Occasions were
mo- Wanting when the settlers, %maddened
by their losses in life and property, pur-
sued the Indians to their reservations and
inflicted signal and summary punishment,
if not revenge. 1t became a battle for
life, the right to exist, or whether barba-
rianism would destroy incoming c~iyiliZa-
ton. A great deal of censure fell at the
time on the people of the Territory, the
| Governor included; but the h%umanitari-
ans on the outside knew nothing of the
terrible state of things prevalent at the
time. Murders, torturingS, raplne, rob
berry, pillage and plumber, were the pas
times the Apaches INDUCED in, and self
preservation, that great first natural law,
welded the settlers together in defence Of
wife, child and sacred home.
Philanthropy is good enough in its way,
and when not mischievously applied. Had
the defenders of the Indians been there
and had an opportunity of having their
hair "riz,",of being scalped and killed
afterward, their humane explosions would
have found ven in a somewhat different
channel. A visit to the graveyardS in
Arizona will afford food for reflection.
| kkNor,o &C mil NOUN Et1IaI Inv To2;apcS
meet the inquisitive eye in every direc-
ton. A tragic story was told the writer
by a soldier at Camp Bowie,-viz:
A white flag was seen waving on the
mountain side in proximity to the post,
and two soldiers, without any instruc
tons so to do, proceeded to the spot to
see what was meant. In a moment they
were pounced upon by the savages, bound
hand and foot, a fire started, and the men
burned alive and their charred remains
cast down the hill side. A similar fate
awaited the m%ail-driver, who was captur-
ed by the Apaches, bound to the "buck-
board" and both destroyed.
General Crooke, q most able and expe-
rienced leader, during his campaign in
Arizona, made use of all available means
to subdue, if not entirely destroy the
Apaches. He even went so far as to en-
list Indians, arm and equip them, giving
them rank, grade, uniforms and pay, and
led them forth to battle one tribe against
the other, on the principle to destroy each
other, thus leaving to civilization and the
Territory of Arizona fewer enemies.
ANY success gained in that way may well
be questioned. The knowledge derived
by the Indians of warfare, of the use of
the breechloaaer, of military tactics, and
discipline, modes of attack and defense,
has turned against US; and from this
cause alone may be attributed the success
full raids and marches of the marauding
bands roaming at will through southern
Arizona and in the Sonorita and Sonora
valleys. Gen. Crooke no doubt believed
the Apaches subdued. No such thing;
they rested at times, feasting on plumber
captured from Aexicans and settlers along
the border. The Mexican people haye
suffered fearfully in loss Of life and prop
erty from incursions of predatory and
marauding bands from Arizona.
The Governor of Sonora and some lead
ing military officers of the Mexican army
came to Tucson to confer with the Gov
ernor Of Arizona and military authorities
=. "
in the hope Of devising some plan or
measures sufficient to prevent these in
curslons and capture or annihilate the
whole band. It was considered that a
union of the two forces-American and
hexican-would be effective to such an
end. Should the Apaches escape our
troops into Mexico it would be permissa-
BILE to pursue them and receive the aid
OF the Mexicans, or in the event of incur
sions OF plumber across the line the Mex
leans be permitted to enter Arizona in
pursuit and receive friendly aid and sup
plies, it needed, from our side. It was
considered in this way: the Apaches
would be entirely destroyed. Measures
of any such nature require the sanction
of International law, wanting in this re-
quirement, the matter remained as before.