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United States. Office of Indian Affairs / Annual report of the Commissioner of Indian Affairs, for the year 1875
([1875])
Information with historical and statistical statements relative to the different tribes, pp. [41]-[102]
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Page [41]
INFORMATION WITH HISTORICAL AND STATISTICAL STATEMENTS RELTIVE TO THE DIFFERENT TRIBES. APACHES. The number of agencies through which the Apaches are cared for by the Government has been reduced during the year from eight to six by the consolidation of the Verde and White Mountain agencies with San Carlos, and the removal of the Indians belonging thereto to the San Carlos reservation. There are now four agencies in New Mexico and two in Arizona, with an aggregate of 9,248 Apaches, of whom 4,233 are on the San Carlos reservation. Of these, all but the 950 Jicar- illas, who belong to the Cimarron and Abiquin agencies, and 1,000 Mescaleros, on the Mescalero agency in New Mexico, have remained quietly on their reservation, and have given no disturbance nor alarm to the citizens of either Territory. The former have always been re- garded as thievish vagabonds. They have no land of their own, their agencies being on private land-grants. They are in the vicinity of Mexican towns, where they have unlimited access to whisky, and nothing has ever been attempted on their behalf beyond furnishing sufficient rations in the scarcity of game to remove them from the temptation to live by plunder; yet even these savages, wandering about the country without a home, are not reported as having com- mitted depredations during the year past. They should be removed to and consolidated with the Mescaleros. The Mescaleros have been the source of much alarm on the part of citizens in the vicinity of their reservation, while the Indians themselves have been the sufferers. They were falsely charged with depredating in the vicinity of the Pecos River, and by way of retaliation during the following winter, repeated raids were made on the Indians while asleep on their reservation by armed white men, who fired into them and ran off their horses, until they were finally induced to pitch their tents within a few hundred yards of the military post, where they were promised protection. Hearing rumors of another attack to be made on them, being themselves almost unarmed, and not daring to trust their safety to the military, who had hitherto failed to recapture their horses or find the raiders, they fled to the mountains. This flight for safety was construed-by the citizens to mean taking thewar-path for revenge, and the military were started in pursuit. After two weeks' search they found them in a calion and opened fire. The Indians fled precipitately, leaving all camp-equipage behihd, to be burned by the soldiers, also fifty horses and mules, which were captured and sold. While fleeing, and under exasperation, they struck some ranchmen, and are reported to have killed one Mexican. After nearly six weeks' search they were again found, in an almost naked and starving condition, and were con- ducted back by one employe and two citizens to their agency. These Indians are entirely friendly and careful to keep upon their reservation, and apologized for leaving it on the ground of the insecurity of life within its boundary. They have this year made their first attempt at farming, in which
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