The citizen. [volume] (Berea, Ky.) 1899-1958, 1908-09-10
THE APACHES INDIANS
Camp Verde, Ariz., Aug. "a, 1908.
To the Readers Of The Citizen.
naar EriandS.-

To the Readers Of The Citizen.
Dear Friends
Last year l wrote you concerning th'
Mohave Indians, whose home is in the
low valleys built up b. the big Col
orado along its course thru the Mo-
have Desert. Now l will try to give
you a brief sketch of the terrible
Apaches, whose villages are by the
swift streams in the highlands OF
central and eastern Arizona.
Unlike the Mohaves. the Apaches
bravely opposed the Entertainments
of the white men, and as a result
turnout this part of the territory,
places bearing such significant names
as Battle Flat" Skull Valley" and
Bloody Basin" are pointed out as the
scents Of fierce encounters and
frightful mascaores.
AS early as 1880, representatives Of
the Hudson Bay company visited this
region. and thirteen years later, a
party OF hunters and trappers, notably
among whom were Pauln Weaver,
Kit Carson and Captain Joe Walker,
explored the country lying along the
Verde River, and for a time, engaged
in the fur business, meanwhile main
tainIEg friendly relations with the ma
tlves; and while the trapper and fur
trader, as such, played a comparative
Is small part in the Conquest of Ari-
zcnc, yet their account Of its vast
expanse aroused considerable interest.
But the real awakening occurred in
1861 when the famous Walker party
OF gold-seekers from southern Cali
fcInia. crossed the territory from
west to east, prospecting for precious
metals They experienced the de
liehifu, climate, and bcbcld the mag
nificeEt scenery, the beautiful and
fertile valley the broad mesas waving
with excellent pasturing. the extensive
pine forests, and abundant evidence Of
valuable minerals.
Their reports were heralded far and
wide, and soon from the inside Ia
pioneer name for California;, and
over the old santa Fe" tail, hun
dreds OF emigrants were fastening to
the new country and ia short time
a promising settlement was formed
in srd around the present city Of
Prescott.
At first, the Apaches watched this
invasion and occupation Of their best
lands with some curiosity, and their
demands for pay being answered by
the report of the rifle, they resolved
to exterminate the whites.
Immediately their signal fires blazed
on the mountain tops, flashing the
news fIom clan to clan, until twenty
tribes we're reused and on the war
rath.
At this time the Federal Govern
ment was so engrossed with the Civil
War. that but little military aid
could be afforded the settlers. so the
brunt Of the perilous situation was
borne largely. by few dauntless
fellows such as King S. Woolsey and
John Townsend. whose invaluable SER
vices are worthy of an honorable place
both in the history Of Arizona and IN
the universal annals Of heroic men.
The winter of 1863 witnessed the
beginning of this merciless war which
dragged on until 1870, when General
George Crook, the greatest Indian
tighter of his day. vas placed in COM
mand of the military operations
against the Apaches. Reinforcements
were received, and Prescott being
centrally located. was made division
headquarters with outposts, garrisonet
with regular soldiers. at Camp Verde,
Date Creek and other points.
The shrewd general. whom the
Apaches called "Gray Fox" formed
alliances with the friendly tribes and
induced several hundred warriors &c
join his forces as scouts. which I'M
der the leadership of the famous
white scouts. Al Seiber. Dan o.
Leary and Pat Kehoe. did much ef-
fective service.
So began General Crooks memora'
BILE three years campaign. in which
the war tribes were subdued. round