The Bamberg herald. [volume] (Bamberg, S.C.) 1891-1972, 1907-08-15
| N OLD TIMERS STORY
4 OF A SAVAGE
a INDIAN BATTLE

In my thirty-four years Of terri
torial life l have seen many things
to be remembered AS we'll as things
to be forgotten. First it was the
naked frontier with its Indian
troubles, then the braWling mining
camps and later that peace and safety
of life and property incident to the
westward march of law and order.
1t is not of these things 1 care to
write. Cabio Blanco has exploited
his frontier experiences most enter
taingly. Many others have furrowed
the same field. Largely this has
been of white man against Indian
and Indian against white man, but
the following little story is of a
scrap between the reds. 1t was
fought somewhere near the west end
of the Pima-Maricopa villages. about
ITS miles, in a direct line, east of
here, and much further if following
the various windings of the Gila
along which the attacking party
marched.
In 1854, when the California gold
fever was at white heat, the Govern
ment established Fort Yuma, the
first post of it's kind in the Southwest.
1t was located on an ingenious bluff
overlooking the Colorado River. 1t
was built for the suppression OF law
lessness at that particular place. 1t
was at this point the old Yuma trail
crossed the river. Robbery and
murder were of common occurrence.
In this work the hostile Indians had
but little advantage over some Of
his white brethren, who infested the
crossing Of the Colorado. Life was
held lightly in those days by the
men who rough-hewed the way civili-
zation was to follow in the South
west.
Shortly after the location of the
post an effort was made to chastise
the Indians, and thus put an end to
their continuous deviltry. The post
is on the California side of the river
and the Indians to be punished were
in Arizona-then New Mexico. The
troops crossed the river and made a
campaign of five days without see
ing so much as hostile Indian. but
no sooner had they returned to
quarters than the Indians showed up
on the opposite side of the river
and went into camp in full view of
their would-be pursuers. 1t was
later learned that the hostiles had
fallen in behind the troops, marched
when they marched, camped when
they camped, without the soldiers
being aware of it. The principal
rancheria Of the Yuma Indians, then,
as now, was on the Arizona side of
the river, about 100 miles to the
north of the post. AS depredations
continued to go on it became neces-
Sary to teach them salutary lesson
in, good manners. This was done
at the upper rancheria in the way OF
burned villages, wasted crops and
dead Indians. 1t was hitting them
where they lived and was too much
for paint and feathers. a peace with
the white man was made and never
broken.
At the time when the post was
established the Yuma Indians-some-
times known as CUcnans-weTe
under the command of a noted war
chief known as Caballo y Pelo
(Horse and Hair). He is said to
have been one of the greatest war
chiefs the Yumas ever had. He died
in 1858 and was succeeded by Pas
Quai.
Then, as now, the Indians on the
Colorado burned their dead, and with
the body all personal belongings of
the dead and such articles in the
way of weapons, food and finery as
friends and relatives contributed to
comfort the departed one in his
fateful journey to the spirit land.
Horses were stolen from the whites,
sacrificed over the ashes of the dead
chief, and then roasted and eaten.
With much feasting, loud lamenta-
tions and wild outbursts of wild bar
DdT1C Sl1Sl luS dSSSI1ClSo pSopIC
called his parting admonition to the
head men, of his tribe to never
make peace with the Maricopas."
The upper river men were their
friends, but the men of the desert
were their enemies, and among them
the Maricopas were never to be
trusted. The dead chief had been a
man of much authority in his day,
and his parting Injunction sank
deep into the hearts of the fighting
men of his tribe. Councils of war
were held, and it was decided to de-
stroy the Maricopas. To this end
assistance was asked of the Chime
huevas, Mojave and Yavanais, friend
ly tribes living to the north and
northeast of the Yumas. The two
former were river Indians, but the
Yavanais were one of the hill tribes
that did much to make the name OF
Arizona a synonym for blood and
murder The most noted fighting