Mohave County miner., 1888-12-08
ARIZONA TWENTY YEARS AGO.
Early Trssbles wttk IsAiass -
Related by Capt. w. %. HARDY.
sse sf the oldest SeisleSs or Me-
have Cemnty.

A
Epuoa Monayg CoosrY Misss:
You ask me 10 write some OF my early
experiences In Arizona. What wnts
may not be worth The space IL takes in
your valuable paper. Again, II printed
il may not be worth reading. However,
al have little leisure time to-day viii
put in couple of hours in telling. m /
remember, what happened over twenty
years since. distinctly remember, be-
| cause trials and incidents which happened
In shac days were frequently stained in
blood
crossed the Colorado River near Fort
Mojavc January Goth. 1864. Atthat time
there was no real settler IN Mohave
couniy. A company Of California volun.
teers under Capt. Charles Atchison wa.
stationed at Fort Mojave, as = road had
been partly worked from Santa Fe, New
Mexico, to Ios Angeles, California, via
Fort Mojave, and The Indians were found
TO le hostile and required the presence oi
U. =. troops 10 keep them in check, as
when pevmanen, settlers began to settle
upon land the Indians soon broke out in
general welfare.
Icame to Arizona seeking adventure.
l brought with me some money and
stock Of merchandise, including mining
tools, etc will give short history of
what happened in the summer Of 1866.
The Indians Of Arizona were different
In their warfare from those in many other
States and Territories; it vas more like
bushwhacking. Small bands u Indians
would watch the roads and trails and
surprise and attack small parties or indi-
vidusls, kill and mutilate their bodies,
and hide away in the rocks. They
were rarely ever caagh. or punished by
the U. 8. troops, yet after bloody war
OF ten years General Crook managed TO
enlist Indians las all Indians were then
at war With their neighboring tribes and
succeeded in conquering and making
peace, except with part Of the Apaches
located at San Carlos. Il seems that
line was run around this tribe and estah-
lished as a reservation These indians
were not first conquered and put on a
reservation as they should have been !;
hence the consequences that have fol-
lowed. " -
In June, 1866, four men came to my
pl,ce on the Colorado River. They were
mounted on good horses, had three pack
animals, and were going east Of Prescott
to look up some mines they claimed to
have heard Of through soldier scout. In
talking with them learned that not one
OF the party had ever had any experience
in an Indian country. They had read OF
d the noble red man In Cooper's novels,
but admired rather than feared the noble
red man OF the mountains OF Arizona. /
told the party that il they would rest at
my place about three days / would &C
com paDy them az far as Prescott. They
consented. The real fact was was salts
fed they would not reach Prescott unless
did see them through. So tied my
lankets to my saddle, packed few
ounds of dried beef ("jerkey''), a little
,ffee, sugar, crackers, ETC., to last four
iys, as the distance TO travel was 1e5
lies, without house or inhabitaBt. The
,ird day out we reached the summit OF
re Aztec range, since called Juniper
ass. 1t was about 10 a. m. The grass
az good, so we campcd for rest, as
eiore us lay ri1e Of ten miles through
rocky, bushy canyon. advised that
e let our stock rest till dusk, as It would
much safer 10 ride through this canyon
the night. We had hardly got oar
took unsaddled and picketed when We
,eard what appeared TO be wild turkey
.obble not quarter Of mile away. The
urkey appeared to be in a small, rocky,
oushy canyon leading up low mountain
10 the south Of us. Ny travelling COM
panions now declared that nothing would
aste 30 good as a fine, fat wild turkey. /
old them that il was not turkey they
heard, but Indians initiating turkey to
lead them into the rocks and brush 80
they could till our backs with arrows, as
our breech-loading rifles were too formid-
able weapons for open warfare against the
bow and arrow. But my comrades did
not believe me. Such was their appetite
for wild turkey that they were ready to
.isk their lives. reasoned with them
and said: "You see II is now 10 in the
morning. Wild turkeys 10 their gobbling
on the roost, never az late as this in the
morning. Again, If we have frightened
flock OF turkeys they would cry quit,
quit and skulk off into the brush out OF
our reach, for 1t Is the time Of year they
have their young My reasoning they
did not heed, but turkey they must have,
so took my rife in hand and went with
them toward the canyon. The turkey
seemed to travel an fast 40 We did and
kept up its gobble. As We reached the
mouth Of the bushy canyon called their
attention to footprints in the sand, made
by bare feet, and some with moccasins
This took away their appetite for turkey.
We returned to camp and when il was
dark we packed up and rode near 20
miles that night to open country. was
then and have since been satisfied that
saved the lives Of this party. However,