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Show 52 REPORT OF THE BOARD OF INDIAN COMMISSIONERS. to know what the soldiers were going to do ; that he had been sent in to find out what the white flag meant in the hands of the soldiers ; that if we said peace, they were ready. I assured him that the President wanted all righting to cease ; that he was ready to feed and reasonably to clothe all good Indians who would come in with their families and do right ; that I could not talk with him more fully as I wanted to see some of the great men of the tribe ; that I would clothe him up, give him a good sup-ply of provisions for his party, and he must go out and bring in a good number of chiefs. He asked for six days. I gave him the time, and faithful to the hour he sent in a prin-cipal man, who possessed most excellent sense. He said all were ready for a. peace : they were tired living in holes and tops of the mountains ; now their women and chil-dren had to pack all their water two and three miles ; they could not go down to the streams at all, except at night, for fear of the soldiers ; that they had to scatter in par-ties of two and three to sleep in safety ; that they hid their infants and small children away in the holes among the rocks for safety ; even the rabbits were safer than the Indians; that their people were all nearly starving ; that they must steal or starve; that the soldiers had driven them away from their corn- iields ; game was scarce; they were afraid to go out and hunt. He spoke of his children, four of whom had been killed by the soldiers, with tears running down his cheeks. He wanted to make a big peace, roll a big rock on it, and make it last till the rain came and washed the rock level with the ground ; that God told him he must come into McDowell that day and do all he could to make the big soldier's heart like his ready to do what was right. He said he did not want any blanket that day for he was satisfied that the soldiers now wnted to do right, and he wanted to go back and induce Del- shay and all his captains to come in, and the blankets and clothes would retard his rapid traveling. I have been present at a great many talks with Indians on the plains the last seventeen years, but I have to acknowledge that I have never seen more feeling or good sense exhibited by an Indian than this Apache showed. He asked for rive days to go and see all his peo-ple ; said they would take different directions, and get as many to come in as possible. He expressed great fear of the Pimas ; did not want them allowed to come into camp while the Apaches were here. I sent a military escort out in their rear, and fortunate that I did, for some lurking Pimas were lying in wait for them out on the trail, all of whom were brought into camp and told if they even fired at an Apache on the reserva-tion I would shoot them as readily as we had been shooting the Apaches. Up to the time I was relieved, ( Major Curtis has succeeded me in command,) I would not permit the Pimas to come near the garrison when I could prevent it. I consider it unfortunate that the Pimas are allowed by their agent to come to McDowell at present. This last party sent out by me kept their word, and returned at the time appointed. This party brought in some eighty or more Indians of the Tonto band. Major Curtis was much engaged at the time they came in and did not have the opportunity to give them the attention they expected. " The Indian ration was reduced to one pound of beef and one pound of flour, or rather corn, upon which an Indian cannot subsist, and of course will not be content with it, as they have neither roots, game, or fruit here to eke out the ration. I do not believe it requisite to keep them near McDowell. All that I have talked with express a desire to be allowed a reservation near Reno or Sunflower Valley; these points are away from the Pimas, from settlements, and need have only one company of soldiers near them with their agent. There is not a particle of doubt in rny mind, all the stories to the contrary, that they at this moment are anxious for a peace, and a lasting one. No man can talk with them an hour without being convinced of this fact. " Captain McNetterville, who has been out by direction of Major Curtis, and had a talk with Del- shay, on his return seemed to have been most favorably impressed with their sincerity ; before, I believe, he never had any confidence in them, and was in favor of exterminating them if possible. Dr. Howard, the medical officer who accompanied Captain McNetterville, expressed great surprise at the intelligence and earnestness shown by their talk and manner. " It must not be expected that a peace made with these various bands, scattered all over a great, wild territory like Arizona, New Mexico, and Sonora, will be perfect for a long time. Many bad Indians will refuse to come in. These will have to be hunted down; and if the good ones are now cared for, properly fed, reasonably clothed, and kindly treated, they can easily be induced, in my opinion, to help catch this class of renegades and bring them to proper punishment. It is going to take a good deal of patience, careful judgment, forbearance and humane treatment; bat I have the strong-est belief it can be accomplished. If we fight them one or two years, it has to be done in the end; for it is not supposed the Government is going to keep up a perpetual war on them. " If I remain in the Territory, I only ask that I may be stationed at a post overlook-ing a reservation ; for I know a race of beings possessing the intelligence so promi-nently exhibited by the Apaches can be taught to appreciate the advantages of living at peace with the whites, whom they frankly recognize as every way superior to them- |