Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1885-12-04
WASHINGTON NEWS.
Appointments by President Cleveland
Annual Report Of Brig. Gen. Crook in
Relation to the Indians.

WASHINGTON. Dec. 3.
The President this afternoon made the fol.
lowing appointments:
Lafayette Dawson of Missouri, to be
United States Judge for Alaska.
VIM. G. Langberd of Washington Terri
tory, to be Associate Justice of the Supreme
Court of Washington Territory.
Charles X. Pollard of Indiana, to be As
soiate Justice of the Supreme Court of
Montana.
John A. Sullivan OF New York CITY, to be
Collector of Internal Revenue of the Second
District of New York.
Brig. Gen. Crook. commanding the depart-
ment of Arizona, in his annual report, de-
scrlbes the circumstances which attended the
outbreak of the Chicicahurs, under Germino
Mangus and other chiefs, last spring, and
declares substantially that the want of bar-
mony between agents of the interior DEPART
ment and military makes such an outbreak
possible. He says upon returning TO the de.
partment of Arizona in 1882, he found the
Apaches huddled about the agency where
there was no land to cultivate. The Indians
complained of this to Agent Wilcox, who &C.
knowledged the justice of the complaints, but
SAID he was acting in strict compliance with
his orders in keeping them there. He said,
however, that if Gen. Crook would take the
""oie AcePousiuiiity Vi tHelr management, he
would make no objection to their removal to
other Localities within the reservation. Will
cox told Gen. Crook frankly that he knew
nothing of the management of Indians. He
asked Gen. Crook to manage them in his own
way, promising to give his hearty coopera-
tlon. The Chicicahurs were then out and it
was agreed Dy all hands that it was best to
bring IN all that could not be killed Imagine
my surprise when l reached the border from
Sierra Madre, with portion of the captives,
to learn that the agent had telegraphed to
Washington. protesting against their
being brought on the reservation.
Gen. Crook details the matter in which the
transfer of the Apaches to the war depart
ment was carried out and states that the
scope OF his power in Arizona was fully
understood at the time the transfer was made
AT this time he made himself responsible for
the peace and quiet of the Indians. For more
than two years there was not a single depre-
datlon committed by the Apaches, the first
time within the memory of white men that so
long an interval of peace had been enjoyed in
Arizona and New Mexico. Months after
ward it appeared that on the very day that
the agreement between the interior and war
departments was entered into, the secretary
or the interior wrote to agent Wilcox in
terms which must have convinced him that
neither he nor the commissioner of Indian
affairs were in accord with Gen. Crooks
views in reference to Indian management,
and at the same time saying the agreement
was make-shift to relieve them from respon-
sibility and transfer it to his shou lders, and
also limiting that the expression of views ad-
verse to the method of settlement would be
agreeable to the department. The result was
inevitable, and on the 18th of September he
found agent Wilcox was complaining to the
interior department with reference to the
agreement that it deprived him of his power
in his government of the Indians, and left
little to sustain his authority and influence,
and recommending its termination
as requested. find in December following
that the Commissioner of Indian Affairs takes
the ground that the agreement was with the
express understanding that the military Off
GERS were to have supervision of the police
regulations of the reservation, under the di-
rectlon and with the approval of the Indian
agent. With this action of the interior de-
partment officials at Washington, its not to
be wondered at that the dangers of control
and want OF cooperation should become mani
fest. In Dec. 1884, Agent Wilcox was re-
lieved and Mr.. Ford appointed in his place.
The new agent worked in harmony, but the
middle of January he took another course
Gen. Crook reported the matter and asked
that his administration be sustained or he be
relieved. He was informed that the ques-
tion of relieving him must be held in abey-
ance for the present. Thereupon Gen. Crook
wrote the adjutant general letter, the con-
cluding paragraphs of which are as follows
As this right of control has now been with
drawn from me must respectfully decline
to be any longor held responsible for the
behavior of any of the Indians on that reser-
vaton. Further regret being compelled to
say that in refusing to relieve me from this
responsibility (as requested in my letter of
Jan. 7th) and at the same time taking from
me the power by which dangerous Indians
have been controlled and managed and COM
PEELED to engage in instructive pursuits the
war department destroys my influence and do
injustice to the service which represent.