The semi-weekly miner. [volume] (Butte, Mont.) 1882-1886, 1885-12-05
THE INDIANS HOME.
A Couple Of Exhaustive Re.
ports on Them.
CONFLICTING CASE.
The Interior Department and thu
Military Cannot Agree on
Their Management.

ASNCluUCT Os-hr1OQH I0N
General Crook, commanding the nenart
ment OF Arizona. in his annual report do.
scrlbes at considerable length the circum.
stances which attended the outbreak M tha
Chiricahuns under Geronimo, Manpus and
other chiefs last spring, and declares snh.
stantlally that a want o%fharmony between
the agents OF the Interior Department and
the military makes such outbreaks po.si.
BILE. he says that upon returning to the
department OF Arizona in 1882 he found
the Apaches huddled about the AGENCY
There was no land for them to cultivate
The Indians complained of this, and the
agent, Mr.. Wilcox, acknowledged the
justice OF the complaint, but said he
was acting in strict compliance with h;s
orders in keeping them there. He said
however, that if General Crook would take
the whole responsibility of their manage
ment, he lWilcox) would make no Oh
lection TO their removal to other localities
within the reservation. The Chiricahuas
were then out, and it was agreed hat f.
was best to bring in all that
COULD NOT BE L
This whole matter writes General Crook.
was fully understood before l started for
the Sierra Maires Imagine my surprise
when | reached the border on my return
from the Sierra Madres with a portion of
the Chlrlcahuas as captives, to learn that
the agent had telsgraphed to Washing
ton protesting against their being brought
on the reservation" Soon afterwards
General Crook was ordered to Washington
for consultation, and in his presence, after
full discussion, the memorandum was
signed by the Secretaries OF War and the In
terror, by which police control of the entire
reservation was vested in the War Depart
ment. The scope of this control, he SAYS,
was thoroughly discussed and as thor
oughly understood, not only by myself but
by the other persons present, viz: the Sec
rotary OF War, and the Secretary OF the In
terror, and which l had exercised on the
reservation, simply as a matter OF necessity,
was not to have been a degree lessened or
limited. 1t was never even limited at. On
the contrary my duties and powers were
by agreement expressly recognized, and
were made Of record and were exercised
and enforced without any objection for
nearly two years. Upon the express under
standing made myself responsible for the
PEACE n QUIET OF THE INDIANS.
For more than two years there was not
a single depreciation by the Apaches, for the
first time in the memory of a white man
had SO long an interval of peace been en-
joyed in Arizona and New Mexi, O. As I
have said before, up to this time the In
dian Department seemed only too willing
to have ne manage the entire Indian bust
ness, giving me a hearty cooperation, and
l certainly could not conceive that with the
added danger of the Chiracuahuas there
would be any less degree Of cooperation.
Months afterwards it appears that on the
very day the O agreement was entered
into the Secretary Of the Interior wrote
Agent Wilcox, in terms which must have
him that neither he northe Com
missioner OF Indian Affairs were in accord
ance with my views as to the Indian man.
agement, and at the same time saying the
agreement was a makeshift to relieve them
from the responsibility and transfer it to
my shoulders;
ALSO LIMITING THAT AN EXPRESSION
of views adverse to that method OF SETTLE
ment would be agreeable to the Depart
ment. The result was inevitable, and on
the 18th of September l lind that Agent
Wilcox is complaining to the Interior De-
partment with reference to the agreement;
that it deprived him OF his power OF gov
eminent OF the Indians and left little to
sustain his authority, and recommending
it's termination. 1 nave no knowledge of
the contents of the confidential communi-
cations between the Indian Department
and it's agent; but as a sequel, | find early
in December following-in less than fifteen
months-the Commissioner OF Indian
Affairs, in a letter to the Secretary OF the
Interior, takes the ground that the agree
ment was with the understanding that the
military officers were to have
the supervision OF the police regulations
on the reservation under the direction
and with the approval OF the Indian Agent.
With this action OF the Interior Depart
ment officials at Washington it is MOTTO be
wondered hat the dangers OF a divided
control and want of cooperation should
become manifest. In December, 1884,
Agent Wilcox was relieved and Ford was
appointed in his place. The new agent
WORKED IN HARMONY,
but bv the middle OF January he took an
other course. General Crook reported the
matter and asked that his administration
be SUSTAINED or he be relieved OF all re-
sponsibiIity. He was instructed, pending
a conference between the two departments
at Washington. not to interfere with the
farming operations OF the Indians, who are
not considered as prisoners, and informed
that the question OF relieving him must In
the public interest, be held in allegiance for
present. Thereupon General Crook wrote
the Adjutant General a letter, the conclnd-
ing paragraphs of which are as follows:
As this right OF. control has now been
withdrawn from me, l must respectfully de-
cline to be any longer held responsible Tor
the behabior of any Indians on that reser,
walton, Further. I regret being compelled
to saw that in refusing to relieve me OF this
responsibility las requested in my letter OF
January 2Oth) and at the same time tax
ing from me the power by which these IN,
dams hav been controlled and compelIed
to engage in industrial pursuits the Wa5
Department destroys my influence, and
does an injustice to me and the servlce
which I REPRESENT The outcome OF the
matter was the appointment OF Captain +.
p. PIERCE. OF the First Infantry, as Indian
agent at San Carlos, and the dangers from
a divided responsibility were at an end.