Year: 1872

these reports in many respects were

 untrue, and if so, Cachise may not

 have acted as treacherously as they

 would make him appear to have done.

 My impression is that he Is now in good earnest, and that he desires peace, but he and his followers are

 wild men, and with the best of efforts on our part some real or imaginary cause may at any moment set them again on the war-path. That per- manent peace may be secured, should be and is the wish of every friend of humanity. If he should remain at peace, then, with the energetic war policy General Crook is now dealing out to hostile ones, our Apache troubles will soon be ended; for this band has been the cover for Indians from the Grant, White Mountain and other reservations to go on raids and return again when their nefarious work was done.

 To me, the most singular circum- stances about these Indians, are the confidence they have in Captain lief ferds and the influence he has over them; and learning that he is re- spected as an honorable man by all who know him, and that for the past three years he held interviews with Cachise, and was the only white man who for twelve years had been i'll his camp and returned alive, 1t may be ln place to recite the facts connected with their acquaintance and subsequent friendship. He is thirty-six years of age; tall and well proportioned; was born in the State of New York; came to Denver, Colorado, in 1857 and practiced law for @ short time; has since spent much of his time in tEe mountains prospecting for gold and silver; has been among nearly all the Indian tribes of North America has made their habits and peculiarities study, and is by nature well qualified to deal with them. Several years ago he was Superintendent of the Over land Mail Company, and during a short period of time that he was in charge, Cachise and his band killed twenty -one of his employees. He finally went to prospecting again and made up his mind that if the Govern ment could not subdue so bad an ene- my, he would try and make him his friend, and by the help of other h. dians, he visited Cachise in his own camp. This act inspired Cachise with profound respect for his courage and sincerity. Through Captain Jeferds, Cachise was brought to Canada Ala mosa reservation in 1871, and by him General Howard was led to his camp. General Howard appointed him Spe- cial Indian Agent, and do not be- lieve any other man living could now manage therr, wild as they are; and I have strong hopes if the Govern ment will continue him in charge that peace may be maintained.

 In this connection, l desire to say that one of the most fatal mistakes, in my judgment, made by Govern ment ill dealing with the Indians, is the selection of agents because they belong to any particular religious de- No doubt the purpose of the choice is good, but practically it proves not good. To govern and manage wild Indians successfully, re- quires peculiar qualifications. An agent should not only be honest, truthful and just to both Indians and citizens, but he should also be patient, cool and possessed of plenty of nerve. Nothing so soon destroys the conf dence of Indians as to know their agent fears them; besides it requires years of acquaintance and experience to understand the Indian character. Without this knowledge in advance, few agents attain 1t in time to be suc- cessful. Nowhere can such efficient agents be found as in the country where the Indians live. The fact that General Howard has already selected two in this country to fill the most difficult places among the Apaches is evidence that he is of the same opin-