Arizona weekly citizen., 1896-02-29
BIOGRAPHICAL.
A Brief Sketch of Hon. Sam Hughes
as Related to a Citizen Reporter.

A Brief Sketch of Hon. Sam Hughes
as Related to a Citizen Reporter.
The following brief biography of Hon
Sam Hughes prior to his advent into
Arizona will be read with interest by
his numerous friends.
In 1852 be was 10 Oregon, at Foote
diggings on Cow Creek These dig
ging were discovered by Foot and
named after him. They passed up the
Rogue River and discovered the Big
Bar. Capt James, who by the way was
g woman, Tom Bartlett and three others
whose names be does not now recall
were Of the party. Shortly after reach
ing the place the Rogue River Indians
became ugly and threatened war. The
cauee leading thereto was the refusal OF
an Indian agent named Abrosio to trade
two of his children for two of an Indian
chief named Sam, who threatened war 10
less q swap was made. While the contfo-
versY was sfoot party of miners arrived
under command Of Seizure Field, from
Scratch valley. On the appearance Of
these men q council of war was called
and seventeen Indians killed. One
white man was shot through the hand
next day. General Joe Lane, of Oregon,
then came up and took command. On
learning this the Indians announced
their readiness to treat for peace and an
agreement o. that character was soon
made. Shortly afterwards he returned
to Yroka, California, with Novel;, Gar
land and others.
Early in the spring of 1853 news came
from Rogue river that the Isdians had
again broken out. In company with
twenty others, said he, / went to the
scene OF conflict and renamed to the
end. 1t cost the government about
81, C00,000. In the same year Chief
John, a noted Clsmath, also went CD
the war path. 1t wss in this campaign
l first meet General Crook. He wae
then q econd-iieutenant, fresh from
West Point. A bout this time the
Modoc INDIANS took q turn at the
Ratchet and murdered everybody who
crossed Siskiyou mountains ard joined
party organized to punish Them. In
1856 l bought the Mountain house at
Yreka. but later the same year, because
Of failing health, 1 sold it to William
Rockfeliow, who, by the wsN was an
uncle of Olive Oatman, whose tragic
death is familiar to all early Anzonane,
and went to San Francisco. At the
latter place / was advised to try q warm
or and dryer climate and as Arizona Was
then receiving some attention, started
IN this direction January !, 1858, in
company with Hugh Sicer, Sammy
Tibles, Oscar Henkle and Robert Grey
house. We arrived in Tucson March
10th following.
Ny health was improved decidedly.
10 April came a report of gold discover
leg in the Canyon del Orc, and with
others prospected the country pretty
thoroughly, but not finding much of
value my partners concluded to push
ahead and arranged with me to meet
them in San Antonio, Texas. This l
had planned to do, but in q new country
one report follows another and csusee
more or less detention. The hidden
mine, in the Tucson mountains, was
much talked Of at the time, snc nearly
every able died man in the country,
more or less, took his turn at looking for
1t. Then came stories of rich discove-
ries in the Plancha de las Pla.as, Balas
de Oobre, Huacbuca mountains and
else W here and 1 decided to go no further
but reside here permanently.
The Indians at this time were COM
hitting but few depreciation. The year
following. however, the Apaches be-
came holder and murders and cattle
-tealin0 were OF frequent occurrence, but
this there were more
people engaged in agricultural pursuits
then there are now.