Arizona weekly citizen., 1886-09-11
The Indian Question in Arizona.

By Robert K. Evars.
 After learning hls lesson from books.
 the young officer passes hIs examination,
 receives his appointment, and is assigned
 to regiment ID the west. Let us sup
 pose that, m the course of time, be Is or
 dered tO take part n an expedition
 against hostile Indians In following
 the traIllof theiwar-psrty he sees ranches
 burned. and the mutIlated ccrpses Of
 men, women and children. Durug th.
 Campaign there IS a brush with the enc
 my. The advance guard comes upon
 them strongly posted among the rocks
 A skirmish hne Is depl0Yed, and their position attacked. During the encounter several soldiers are Nounded. and that p Tt Of the line, being hOtly pressed. ! gives way before endorsements can
 come up- The Indians rush down and l carry of the wounded men. Meanwhile. the whole command has come up and been deployed for action. The Indians
 beat hasty retreat, and night stops the pursuit. The next day the young heu- ! tenant comes upon the remains of shs | captured men. They have been stAked
 out Gp1n theIr backs, and hundreds of
 small pieces of wood, sharpened at one
 end, have been stuck into their flesh
 the bits of wood have been lighted. and
 allowed to burn until they have eXtir- g1ished themselves ID the victim s blood The charred bodies are buried. and the command moves on. At last. after hun- dreds Of miles of marching. some If ths Indians are captured. They are brought into camp. and turned over tO the com mRnding officer.
 Now. tnInEs the young officer, fl ever there was Rn occasion that Iastlded the prompt application of the lex ;aliOnls. and Articles numbers 27. @. ard 62 of General orders number lOJ, 1t IS here In breathless interest be approaches the commanding officer, who sends for the officer of the day, who comes up and salutes. The commander says: "Sir. you will take charge of these prisoners. and place over them a strong guard m che center of tine camp. First, yOI will take every precaution to prevent theIr escape; second. yOu Eill see tnas none ot the guides, scouts. or fronCersmen with the command approach within bur- dred paces of them, for some uf tbese men have had friends and relations kill ed by these very Indians, and l fear that the sight of the murderers Of thelr people may SO indame their grief and
  them while in my keeping. This am to prevent You will notify the command that any person offering to the prisoners will be prompt " and severely punished. That Is sD, SIT"
 The young officer IS immensely surprIs- sd at these instructions. He had ex- pected to hear the order of the execu- lion of tbe prisoners. He had even gone so far as to make surmIses on the pro osbIlity of bis having command of the firing party. But. when he hears careful directions gwen for their safe preserys- ion. his astonishment is SO great that le even ventures to interrogate his com handing officer on the subject "Sir, le says, will not these prisoners be either hanged or shot in retaliation for the atrocities which they have committed )n citizens and prisonersg
 The commanding officer turns and, re- yBrds, in silence, his interrogator for some seconds, while his surprise al the question, and the earnest manner Ot nm who puts 1t, gives way to an appre- ,iatiDn of the fact that this IS the young sst heutenant m the regiment; that it s ihls first campaign. that he IS fresh rom theorles, books ard orders, and hat he knows little of the practical methods of handling the Indian ques- ion on the frontier. and that he does not as yet appreciate the difference that ,iten exists between the national stat ltes and the national practice. Then le says gravely and kindly. Young nan, 1 would rather go through a dc zen milan fights than kill one oi those ,risoners."
 "But sir" says the heutenant. "of Vhat force, then, sFe the leI talionls, and Articles"
 Il Enow all that" interrupts the con naDdlng officer. "They are ID the ,ooks. but the sentiment of the east wiu lot stand 1t. If I should retRliste on hese prisoners, I should expect Co be relieved from ny com nand, and, perhaps never get another should, in all probability, be either or investigated oy committee of Congress. The Eastern press would denOuDce me a. an nssasslh md a monster of cruelty. am now uajor, after twenty-five years of hard ,eryice ID tbe late war Hnd Cn the Iron .ier. In short time I expect my pro notion as heutenGnt-col0ue.. But II followed your very just and natuIN suggestion. | should be so reNied DJ be press that my confirmation y Inc senate would probably be contested and iefeated, and my career would De oiast- sl ID the profession to which have ue- voted my life. An officer must regard he dominant preIudIces oi the dsy, as well as the laws ot war md General .rsI Orders. We serve m ihe peoples army. and we must be careful of their kafI me incident in the lives of officers whom [ have known, who have acted in the manner indicated by the International Code and the Orders you quote, with inst such a resuls-Rn interrupted career, popular indignation, obloquy.
 After vouchssfing this explanation, the older officer turned away, leaving the lsutenant to reflect on the iDtrica1les Of .he profession of arms and the cOmph- ,ated nature of the Indian problem. both lf which be had considered ss vrry ,Iuple, and entirely mastered by nm .elf. when he joined hIs regiment st months ago. .,-- .o,
 The man body of tho hOstiies soon iissolves into small parties, Shleh, sc ,sripg in the mountains, leave oeAind such slight trails that pursuit ls in- The command or s'Idlers hen breaks up, asd the various com ao,ias retnrn 10 their Rarrisons. Our .o-,-e .,,---,r, ,ffcer watches with interest the ,s,s o, The prisoners. They are sent to ,Ss nearest post. where they are kept 1nder m guari, each receiving the daily -a,ion of s soldIsr. Finally, they are ,ormaIly turned over to thelr agent Tns+ what he does with thec, IS Q mys- tsTy Probably be administers severe lecture. Possibly be grants them par Ion and absolution, A. all events, they re soon st liberty on the reservation; enjoying the pleasures of camp lie and rations, and receiving the same treatment ss the Indians Eoo nave spent the summer peacefully A' nope.-August Atlantic.