Year: 1879

OF selectng tho battle ground by their being on the
defensive and able to shelter themselves very Sc
and to retreat or advance their agile ponies by
routes which almost inaccessible to the horses
of the regular cavalry. -


II seems to be the general impression hereabouts
that when the soldiers have made the outlying
try hot for the Indians the latter will endeayor
10 get back to this reservation. To prevent this
company OF the Ninth (colored) cavalry now
Scouting in small details among the Western foot
what he would do in case OF Victoria any OF his
band coming in. Mr.. Russell said he had written
to Washington for Instructions; meantime.
although such course would be dis
tasteful to himself and he would doubt
less be blamed for it by people in the neghborhood,
he thought that il those Indians should elude the
soldiers and enter the reservation he would be
obliged to give them food, but nothing more. until
orders from Washington. There is not game
enough for a certain supply of food the
ton, and If he should refuse to feed such of the
band as might come they would certainly
take to killing the cattle OF the Americans and
Mexicans round about l asked him then IL he
Thought that the hostiles were likely to ncite the
Mescaleros TO insurrection to which he answered
that his opinion the Mescaeros, should they take
sides III the matter. were far more likely to oppose
Victoria than to support him. This is important
point, tor the Mescaleros probably number some
thing like thousand. Mr. Russell says that they
have always been returned to Washington num-
bering twelve or fourteen hundred. or late he has
been led to think that their number is less but he is
yet able to determine their real strength, having
been agent here but u short time


MEscALERos


Although peaceablc in the main at present, these
Apaches vanously repulsive a lot in APP
pearance as could well be imagined They are not
nearly par with the Sioux Cheyennes or other
northern tribes that might be named. They
squat in figure, with ill-shaped, bowed legs, and
their faces fiat and ignoble in expression. Their
bowleggedness comes, imagine. from their almost
They wabble instead of walk, with the
most awkward conceivable motions OF their joints.
But see them mounted! lis transformation like
that which over q clumsy waddling goose
when it slips from the land into the water. The
women ride astrido the saddle like tho men, And
hore let me say that il in the present fighting with
tho Warm Spring band any of their women should
be killed tender heart in the East need be bowed
down with weight of voc thereat For these Apache
women can on occasion be AS formidable opponents
as tho men. 1t requires some experience to dis
tinsuish between tho sexes when near
and at q distance there is telling (Which ia
which" Both wear the hair long and lowing and
there Is but little difference in the Dress men and
women alike using the same recommendation Of paint.
earrings, bracelets and other gewgaws distributed
their person. Dirt Is tho chief characteristic
of the attire of all. These Indians have made no
advance toward civilization and doubt their
taking the first STEP When was at the agency Mr.
Russell showed me an adobe building in course Of
construction. which is intended for a school
the best building at the place the other houses being
rather shabby abodes for officials of the government.
The agent, however did not to entertain great
expectatons of the results of attempts to educate
the Apaches. Some few children had been taught a
whole, are lazy and Indifferent about the matter
Your Apache hereabouts leads life that would
the perfection OF existence to the professional
Eastern tramp. He is fed by the government and
clothed by the same kind power. He
has farm which is worked for him
by white men. His only is to get
OF the reservation and then to steal horses,
which he trades to Americans and Mexicans,
whiskey being tho article which he prefers in re-
turn, although powder, shot, cartridges and firearms
are also very desirable OF course this trading is
done secretly. The agent would prevent it if he
could; but in TACT he is helpless regards the
matter. The people living of the reservation growl
and complain when their horses are taken, but tho
truth is that very few OF them would hesitate.
il in need of horse to barter whiskey
for horsehesh with an Indian; although
the moral certainty would be that the horse
so obtained had been stolen. Mr. Russell has tried
to organize native police force led by white man.
to prevent this business but the Indians will not
enter into the plan upon reasonable terms. There
is one good that from this whiskey and
horse business-to wit, that the Indians when
drunk fall to fighting among themselves and killing
each other. gentleman living the reservation
tells that the loss of this band by drunken MUIR
ders is very considerable in number. TO which all
will answer, Amenl