, 1885-12-29
GEN. CROOK AND THE ApAoHEs.

Some Of our contemporaries put the
responsibility for the Apache outrages on
Gen. Crook. on the ground that he had
sole control over these Indians at the time
they went on the warpath last spring.
This is an error. The facts are us follows:
When Crook went to Arizona there had
not been absolute exemption from Indian
alarms and attacks for fifteen years. He
agreed that if given full control of the In
dians there should be no more outbreaks.
This was granted. and while it was ad-
hered TO there was not q break 10 the uni
versal peace. He found when be assumed
control in 1882 that the Indians were
huddled around the agency with little or
no land Of their W To cultivate. He
started them to farming with the idea of
making them self supporting; then went
to Mexico to punish the Chiricahuas. The
result Of the expedition WAS an agreement
with the savages that they should return
in peace. This raised a storm; the agent
fought the arrangement; the interior de-
partment opposed it, but it was finally
agreed to upon Gen. Crook becoming per
sonally responsible for the good behavior
of the Indians, whereupon the secretary
Of the interior and the secretary Of war
made a compact, giving the war depart
ment 'the entire police control of all the
idians on the San Carlos reservation"
In a little while Agent Wilcox complained
that his authority was reduced by this
agreement and nsked to have it abroga.
ted. Then the Indian commissioner inter
fered and interpreted hat ''the military
was to have police control under the di-,
rection and with the approval of the In
dian agent" Then trouble began, but
the savages were held in check until a new
Rgent-a Mr., Ford-was appointed. This
man protested against the digging OF an
irrigating ditch which had been laid out
by Lieut.. Dugan of the 3rd cavalry, and
took from the Indians their picks and
shovels. Crook knew that the Indians
even in this matter, would see that there
was a higher power than the military, and
he ut once wired to Washington that he
must be sustained or relieved of his res
possibility for the good conduct of the
savages. He was not sustained, but
was requested mot to interfere with the
farming operations of the Indians, who
ar not considered as prisoners. This was
in december, 1884. In February, 1885.
he notified the adjutant general that his
assumption Of authority had been based
on an agreement which had been violated;
that his influence was being destroyed,
and an injustice to him and the service
which he represented was being done by
the war department, and added his pro-
test in these words.
"As this right Of control has now been
withdrawn from me, | must respectfully
decline to be any longer held responsible
for the behavior Of any Of the Indians on
that reservation"
In May following the outbreaks came
and murders have been continuous since.
In that story we see clearly enough that
after n magnificent soldier had reduced a
territory long in chaos to order, when at
last progress had begun and the promise
Of future peace was secure, by the COM
plants Of one petty agent and the inter-
ference Of a presumptuous Indian COM
missioner, all was undone. The penalty
thus far has been the horrible slaughter
of probably one hundred men and women
and children, and the heart aches are so
sore that the men Of Arizona and New
Mexico are wrought up q a pitch where
they ere almost ready to commit whole
sale murder upon the Indians at the
atency, the guilty and innocent alike.
One would think hat even with all the
jealousy and stupidity which rules in
Washington, the fact of what Gen. Crook
had accomplished, would have obtained
for his statements the courtesy Of respect
iul attention to his demands, especially
when the desperate character of the
savares under his control was known
and the certainty that an outbreak would
mean tie destruction Of innocent and
helpless irontiersmen As it ia, a great
soldier feels that he has been sighted and
d%ishonored, many people have been muir
dered, the government has been put 10
grat expense, business has been disar-
ranged in two great territories, and the
old trouble is all back to be arranged