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Miles, Nelson Appleton, 1839-1925 / Personal recollections and observations of General Nelson A. Miles embracing a brief view of the Civil War, or, From New England to the Golden Gate: and the story of his Indian campaigns, with comments on the exploration, development and progress of our great western empire
(1896)
Chapter XXXVIII. The Arizona campaign. II, pp. 494-505
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Page 501
GENERAL :NELSON A. MILES. time being, I assented as a matter of course. The fact that Fort Marion, Florida, had been decided upon as the place of confinement for not only those at Fort Apache, Arizona, but also for those who might surrender or be captured, is clearly indicated in the following official communication: WAR DEPARTMENT, WASHINGTON CITY, August 24, 1886. SIR: Seeing that Fort Marion appeared to be agreed upon as the place at which to hold the Apaches on their capture or surrender as prisoners of war, and having no data here from which to judge of its capacity, &c., I sent the following telegram to the com- mandling officer at Saint Augustine, Fla.: "W What number of Indians - men, women and children can, in addition to the num- ber now at Saint Augustine, be accommodated there ? Should it be determined to increase the number by some four or five hundred, what preparation would be necessary and what probable expenditure required ? In reply I receive(1 the following : "Can accommodate seventy-five men, women and children, in addition to those now here. Fort Marion is a small place; all must li e in tents. Have tentage by taking battery tents. Need no particular preparation, but will have to expend $200 for additional tent floor and lavatories. Would recommend no more Indians be sent here. alore details by mail." Very respectfully, R. C. DRuir, Acting Secretary of War. THE LIEUTENANT-GENERTAL OF THE ARMY. It will be seen that this was the understanding not only with the Lieu- tenant-General and the acting Secretary of War, but also with the Secre- tary of the Interior. Seventy-seven Indians mnentioned, men women and children, had been sent to Fort Marion in March previous, as stated in a former chapter, and as it was the final determination of the authorities at Washington that the remainder of the Chiricahua and Warm Spring Indians should be sent there also. I gave my most earnest attention to the matter. Let it be observed that the removal of both the dangerous and turbulent Indians at Fort Apache, and the hostile Indians whom the troops had been hunting since April, occurred at about the same time. In the meantime one troop after another had been moved to the vicin- ity of Fort Apache until I had succeeded in placing in the immediate neigh- borhood, under the command of Colonel Wade, nine troops of cavalry, a sufficient force I believed, to handle that entire body of Indians. Before returning to Fort Bowie I had several conversations with Colonel Wade as to the duty he was to perform and the methods of its performance. From Fort Bowie I went to Wilcox Station on the Southern Pacific Railroad, which was about twelve miles from Fort Bowie, and in 501
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