Arizona weekly journal-miner., 1901-05-08
Pioneer, Captain w H. Hardy, Relates Some Early Territorial History in Winch he was a Prominent
 Actor.


 three years in Arizona I had but littl
 trouble with the Indians, but in De
 cember, 1866, the Indians killed tn
 miners of Chloride.
 The miners had looked upon the In
 dians as wild beings, but inoffensive
 The miners loaned them their rifles t
 kill game with, and the Indians turne'
 the guns on the miners, killed then
 and got their arms and ammunition
 With these arms the Indians wer
 dangerous and soon became bold anC
 murderous. Several companies of in
 fantry were soon located along tn, road between Fort Mohave and For
 Whipple, one camp being at Bea
 Springs, one at Willows and one a
 Walnut creek; but the infantry coulC not follow and chastise them. In 186' the Eighth cavalry was located along the road and did good work, but al this time the Indians were protected rather than hunted down and killed The Indians all over Arizona broke out and went on the warpath.
 In the spring of 1867, purchased five hundred COWS, intending to locate in Wallapai valley, but 1 learned that the Wallapais were going on the war. path, so I sold the COWS to a party in Prescott. In driving the animals to Prescott the Indians got around us and fixed for taking the herd. We had brush with them and killed eleven. General Mcdowell was in com mand of the division of the Pacific, with headquarters at San Francisco. The general heard that I had killed some Indians and sent orders for my arrest. I agreed to visit the general and was released. I soon called on the general and invited two friends, Wm. Ralston, of the Bank of Califor- nia and Thomas H. Selby, afterwards mayor of San Francisco to go with me. They were acquainted with the general and introduced me. The gen eral talked plain and accused me of bringing on an Indian war. My friends Selby and Ralston vouched for me and the general claimed to be very busy, and asked me to call next day. I called on him the next day and he took me by the hand and said: ''I fully appreciate your situation" " I said, general if you want me to leave Arizona say so and I will get out but if I stay there I will try to protect myself and property. He went on to say that officially must stop killing Indians but personally he would ad- wise me to go back to Arizona and stay with them if it was necessary to kill few Indians to do so but to keep the matter quiet and go slow. Said he: There are people, they call themselves humanitarians that value the lives of Indians more than they do whites. This element or people are watching every move and if I was to send soldiers to fight and kill the Indians I would be recalled and court martialed." So bidding me good day and good luck we parted.
 In 1865 I built a toll road from Mohave to Fort Whipple. took contract to haul 500 tons of govern ment freight from Fort Mohave to Whipple and Camp Verde, and I bought in Los Angeles and San Der nardino forty yoke of oxen, a number of wagons and outfit to work with. 1 kad two large wagons built at cost of $500 each. I next bought eight six mule teqr1s; these were large St. Louis mules, and hired other teams to do this hauling. l had previously put up building in Prescott and laid in a general stock of merchandise, including agricultural implements and miners tools. I purchased a set of timers tools and built shop to man. ufacture tinware. I also built large saloon, and a corral and barn to ac commodate and shelter stock. 1 also took to Prescott two billiard tables, the first taken to Arizona. This ne- cessitated me to travel over the road, first to keep it in repair, and next to look after my freight teams.
 I got along quite well until the fall of 1867, when was riding alone from Prescott to Hardyville. I would ride nights and lay of during the day, as the Indians were cowardly and were afraid to make an attack in the night. The road crossed four ranges of mountains; through these passes would be made at night and frequent ly would ride by day in the open country. One trip I rode through the Aquerion range and to Wallapai Springs. It was twenty miles, and I got opposite this spring little after sunrise. 1 saw no signs of Indians, so 1 went of the road a few hundred yards up a rocky canyon to the spring and dismount and led my horse. I had gotten near the spring when a young Indian stepped out from be- hind a rock, and before I had time to get my revolver out he was within six feet of me, and said, "Where you go?" in plain English, and in three seconds three more Indians came out of the brush. Each had his bow partly bent and arrow in place. I noticed that they had full quivers of arrows slung on their shoulders. Within three seconds from the time the first one came in sight all four were within six feet of me. To move to draw my re- volver from its scabbard or take my carbine from its sling my heart would have been pierced with four poisoned arrows.
 I was paralyzed. There Twas. a prisoner to be tortured to death and my noble horse (that clung to me and rubbed his head against mel would be chopped up into steak and eaten by these red devils. As they stood like statues, a laughing sheer on their faces, as much as to say, 'now old fellow, we have got you here," a thought struck me; had heard that these Indians were afraid of the Yava- pal Apaches. The Apache country joined the Wallapais on the east, and they being the more numerous tribe would frequently attack, kill and burn their camp. 1 turned with all the coolness that I could muster (for here was a hurrying time of year) and said: "Who are those Indians bacl; in the cedars9 They look like Apaches and 1 think they run all night" You see them" said the Indians. "Yes, close by" "How ! ,,oo,,-v v so,I 4I, T1.. AT