Arizona weekly citizen., 1896-01-18
"REMINISCENCES.
Personal Experiences in Arizona
During the Past Thirty
Three Years.
The Establishment of Camp Ord, and
Other Matters Connected
Herewith.
BY A. F. Banta in Holbrook, Arizona.
CHAPTER ".

first and second days Of August, 1869.
During the Navajo war of go and V
which was mainly carried on by XII
Carson, the Nsvbjos were finally sui
dued and were placed upon the Peco
reservation, in Southe astern New Mex
co. The Coyotero Apaches 80 frequent
ly mentioned in these papers, live
CONTINUOUSLY to the Ma, ajos and wer
conversant at all times of government
conduct toward that tribe-a trib
thought to be invincible by the hpa
ches-and seeing them completed
whipped by the troops, they too mad
voluntary overtures to the military au
thorities to be allowed reservation
and were in 1864 put on the Pecos reser
walton along with the Nsvalos; her
they remained until the summer of 1S6'
when for good and sufficient cause wer,
given permission by Gen. James III
Carleton, then commanding the Distric
of New Mexico, to return to their owl
country on the Carlo, which is thirty
five miles west OF the present For
Apache. However when it came dowr
to the noble science of thieving, the
Apaches were not in it along with the
Navajos and as consequence the Nava
jos simply "stole the Apaches blind
1t was for this social popularity OF the
Navaios that General Carleton allowed
the Apaches to return to their noun
tain homes, the General giving them
papers reciting these facts, which were
to serve the Coyotero Apaches as "pro'
lection" papers.
| will now resume the thread OF my
narrative. The motive and object OF
this military movement was to us St this
time wholly unknown. 1t was on the
night of the 23d of July, 1869. that the
first report reached our camp that
soldiers were advancing into the Apa-
cherin. The evening Of the oath an
other Apache runner came into camp
and reported that the soldiers were
coming and that "they covered the
whole country" On the evening OF the
25th another rumor came in and report
ed, "there were so many soldiers that
whilst part of them we're yet in camp
the head of the column would reach to
the top of the mountain" The evening
of the 10Th another runner came in and
reported ''the troops still advancing and
as near as he could count ths 10, thought
there were about four hundred men. "
E,rly the evening of the 9th. still an
other runner came, who said, "the
soldiers are encsmped at the Junction
of the two streams; that they had dis
played white flag to MIN; and that he
had talked with the interpreter of the
who said his party wished
to Gee the Indians and have a peace
talk with them All this is given in detail
ia order to demonstrate how easy it
would have been for our party, had we
been so inclined, or in fact any other
party, to have made good their escape
for we knew of Colonel Green's daily
five consecutive days prior
to his going into camp eft the junction OF
The east and west forks of the White
river, CD the evening of the 9th day OF
July, 1869. This may appear incredible
10 many. nevertheless it is true, and for
further proof of how far an Indian can
travel on foot in one day, / will cite the
readers to the custom, in the early days
OF the Colorado Steam Navigation COM
nany at Yuma. The Company would
start one OF their steamers down the
Colorado river for Port ISABEL, at the
head of the Gulf of California, distant
rom Yuma by the river one hundred
i H. b. IL
after the steamer bad left, the
agent at Yuma would make up dis
D ,tch for the agent at Port Yssbel, give
t to a Yuma Indian, who, on foot, would
arrive at Port ISABEL before sun down
If the same day, and report the steamer
Tue there that evening. The distance
across the country from Yuma to Port
Ysabel Is a little over ninety miles. This
statement can be readily verified by
any one of the old-timers now living in
Yuma city.
To resume: Chief Es-cah- pah, on re-
eeiving the last report, came TO our
xickiup and requested Cooley and my
self to accompany him to the soldiers
lamp, thirty five miles distant. to have
4 peace talk" with the commander OF
he expedition. To this proposition we
agreed but Dodd objected to being left
alone with the ApRches, for the reason
as he stated, "the soldiers have been
Killing all Indians possible and destroy
ng their grain crops, and the Indians
night retaliate by killing me-" To solve
his difficulty | agreed TO remain at the
camp with the Apaches, to look after
,ur mutual plumber, and Cooley and
Oodd to go with the chiefs party, con-
,istlng of himself, his brother Ell Dia bio
md the chiefs interpreter, the Indian
captive, Miguel.
This being arranged the peace party"
,ulled out, reaching Colonel Green's
lamp early in the afternoon; but instead
# being received with open arms and
,rowned with peace offerings, they were
urrounded by the troops, disarmed and
placed under strong guard, who had
,rders to shoot down either one or all
hould an attempt be made TO escape.
Here again was another "pretty kettle
If fish," but 1 In the Indian camp was
otally ignorant OF thie mishap to our
peace party" Huelo, the sub-chief
however who was left in charge of our
amp on the Carlo sent out spies to
tote all movements in the camp OF the
oldiers. These spies would return at
intervals and some of them reported all
,ur "peace party had been killed by the
roops as they could nowhere be seen in
IT about the military encsmpment, and
hat the soldiers continued to shoot
It every Apache that came into view.
This situation of affairs placed me in q
omewhst precarlous position, but the
Suh-chief HuerO had ALWAYS heratofore
Exhibited particular friendship for me,
md this fact had tendency to inspire
ne with confidence. ] reasoned with
he Indlsns and told them it was not
that the troops had murdered
he "peace party" and that all would be
veil in the end. A little before sunset
If the third day after the departure of
,ur peace party" Huero came to me
md said "a large party Of soldiers and
anne Apaches were then about two miles
,h but bis eyesight was not sufficiently
Keen to recognize either Cooley, Dodd,
)r any of his people among the troops."