The Sunday herald. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1866-1887, 1886-02-28
THE APACHE QUESTION.

OF self-sacrince that be too much commended.
THE APACHE QUESTION.
Some OF tho Side Issues OF Indian warfare-flcti-
tious Clsmor for Volunteers TO Fight the Red.
skins-FaithfalneM OF Apache Scouts-Crook and
His Enemies.
tCor. st. Louis Republican,
SAN BERNARpINo SPRINGS. ARIz;, ARIZONA and
MsxSo Line Feb Mss GYSaI SoGs sac
late last night coming in "buck. k.board," drawn by
two "broncon ponies, from Tombstone, by way Of
sketch Of the antiquated ratie-trap which did duty
as q trumphal chariot on this journey, OF the
which Which he provided himself at the SPaiace" saloon
before starting, OF the scenery, the camps, the sol
ders and people met On the trip would ~ several @
exclusively treat Of all that refers to the state of
affairs between Mexico and our own country, which
has been accented with such mournful emphasis
by the murder OF the distinguished Capt. Crawford,
OF tho Federal service.
given to q bleak, desolaie spot, Immediately upon
the national boundary, and at the extreme head Of
the most valuable watercourse In Western Mexico
the Yaqui. The monument marking the separation
Of llteracy and civilization is within stones throw
Of the point where this letter is written. There s
an abandoned stone ranch-house, an expanse OF
nne grazing land, protruson or two Of lava called
"malpais" In this region, and good ncw Of water,
places into unhealthy, impossible marshes.
Here is TO be found the command OF the late Cant.
Crawford, whose sad fate has aroused 80 much IN.
dignation and sorrow throughout the country. 1t Is
almost entirely composed of Apache scouts who are
in truth noble looking body Of men in a physical
est intelligence by the oficers In charge Of them.
Lieut.. Maus, the commandant, belongs TO the First
oTsna GsEnaT from in re
ceved me with the greatest courtesy and offered me
every assistance during my say, but asked to be ex
cent campaign, on the ground that his full report
was already in the hands Of his military supe-
might posslby be ordered to testify. He alluded in
terms OF affection and admiration to his fallen chief,
and expressed the opinion that there would be no
dissent from his Views among the soldiers or civil
answered that had been deeply impressed with
the uniformly warm compliments paid to Capt. Craw
ford as man and soldier, and that believed his
death to be of the most unfortunate things that
had happened on the frontier since the Mexican
lost no time in going about among the scouts
| know. My Judgment was that II my connection
with Journalism were determined I'd be less likely
to get at the facts In the case than otherwise; for
| eyes and ears open.
The lrst point wished to bring out was as to the
have heard from those fully competent to Judge,
from all that.I have seen Of the scouts themselves,
and from what know Of the Sierra Madre country
| from trips made to and from the mining camps of
| Sabinal, Batopilas, Temoschi, Alamos, Promonto-
| rio, San Clemente, and San Ynacio in Chihuahua
and sonora-there can be no ambiguity at all in the
matter. The Sierra Madre is such an Internally
rough country and the Chrlcahuas such willy abo-
riglnes that no method has been successful until
| scouts OF the same tribe and blood have heen in.
duced to take the field against the renegades. The
officers present spoke sioquently In behalf Of the
hold at all II 1t had not been that of the scouts
| himself Chircahua aApache.yolunteered to Capt.
Crawford to take the command in"
| One of the packmasers, very intelligent man,
who claimed to have been with Gen. Crook In his
M .ne s ar
strongly. He instanced the numerous occasions
when the Apache scouts had led the troops
they never had failed to lead the troops faithfully
or to follow any trail to the end.
The causes OF the hostility to them and OF the
clamor for volunteer troops may have an origin or
stimulus In the present general business stagnation
Sew MeSo Which mas left great people
OF thes, would no doubt be great help to the little
communities which now suffer from the burden OF
their support The bill Introduced In Congress by
Delegate Joseph, of New Mexico, is generally crlti-
clsed most nniayorably. It provides, as you know,
be Mexcans, ten Pueblo Indians, and Americans,
the pay for each man to be $50 per month, with two
horses and the privilege Of seizns others from c
Objections TO this scheme may be given in very
few words. II Congress in its wisdom sees proper
to enlarge the Regular Army, because this Is what
the present scheme Is bound to result In, let II order
| the increment to he drawn from the respectable
white or colored element of the country and not
from among the black-and-tan greasers OF the Rio
Grande VINO are stu wrapped up In the same dirty.
100 years ago, who have not made tho feebest ad-
vance toward Amercanzation and who never
viii. Fifty dollars month to such creatures is
| twice as much as they have ever honestly made in
the same PERIOD and Is there not some danger that,
in the event OF complications with the Mexican re-
public, more OF them would be lighting against our
nag than for III The question Is worthy OF thought
Would 1t not be better TO provide for the enlistment
OF out-and-ont American citizens instead Of for the
| enrichment Il use the word advsedly) OF horde of
| Rio Grande greasers?
The charges brought at this last moment by the
| Mexcans against Crawford's scouts-insInuating
| that they burned and plundered on the way down
| into Mexlco-are not believed by a single trust
worthy person whom l have met. Mexican or
They have, beyond doubt. originated In the desire
OF the Mexlcans to ind some loop-hole Of escape,
but they are not so much as limited at In the letter
OF proflse apology which Maj. Maus holds In his
possession from the Mexican commandant. Another
lie well stuck to Will probably result In the American
zen PAYING 1r mythical M cattle whose value
by the longhorned bulls which the railroads now and
then run over In Texas.
The oflcers commanding the regular forces Of
year asked leave to have Apache scouts detailed to
lead their troops. This one Item Will quash any &C.
ousations either OF inefclency or misconduct made
The CaIricahIa i hostages now in this camp main
and generally worthless brothers-the Pueblos-on
the Rio Grsnde. learn that they are looking daily
ronimo and his gang Had Capt. Crawford not been
murdered there Is the best of reasons for believing
tuht MI Woulu uhNo " um uuCOn0ltlOn-
ally. They knew him, respected and admired him,
Sa ~ Se Ssyen sar1a ae%
So1 Some Of the are raising the question:
nifty get at the exact state Of matters the solution
Of this question may safely be left In the hands Of
When Crook went down into the Sierra Madre In
1888, he got hold OF Geronimo and some 4OU OF his
people nearly, but not quite all Of the Chricshua
Before he had reached the boundary a dozen or
more Incorporate and iD1udcious editors voiced the
cry that every Chricahua should be hanged, drawn,
and quartered, or something of that kind
The result might have been foreseen. Interested
OF the Indians, men who pront by Indian disturb
anSes Tas rs principal warriors skipped out The
secure them and did not number Quite one-hsf i Of Of
the ChIrlcahuas they were bringing along. 1t was
fully year before the last OF the band came In to
deporabie wrangle between War and Interior De,
partments, Army ofncers say and circumstances
concur to prove The correctness Of their views that
Crook would In less than no time disntegrated the
Chricahuas separated inc incorriglhles from those
sd on Aesas sa Of Put ,ns
other choice spot where the dogs couldn't bark at
them.
intractable and sent them of Ia Irons, when the
conflict Of Jurisdiction already alluded to caused
ther control OF the Apaches. Not one shot was
nred, not one COW Killed or stolen by an Apache In
ulan uuflnR tue TWO years that no possessed such
control man OF ordinary intelligence may here
| draw his own differences.
have made II part OF my business to inquire into
| tile complaints 80 recklessly made against Gen.
Crook, and ind TO my SURPRISE that they do not em-
anate from the old pioneers on the contrary, the
old old settlers for him TO man. They say that
there Is no one In the United States to-day who can
80 intellgenily and ably oil the position now held
by Gen. Crook, and that the malignant assaults upon
him spring from military rivals, from political DEM
agogues, and from the Indian ring and all that class
OF people who expect TO make living OF an army.
On the other hand, the new arrlvas-pe0ple who
have been In the country from three months 10 three
years-are largely against him. They are interested
In cattle ranches and mines and naturally become
irritable at the long continuance Of hostiites which
| imperil their Investments. ] can sympathize with
this feeling. but every allowance should be made for
the obstacles against which Crook has had TO contend
In the roughness Of the country, the craftiness Of
the Chiricahuas, and the unfrendliness OF 30 many
| OF the Mexcans.
ale has never paid the slightest attention TO the
attacks made upon him In the newspapers" said
| the gentleman, "And he never will. He knows In-
dlaus, y any man on earth does, as he has been
| has ha In ND m and tba