OCR Text |
Show REPORT OF THE BOARD OF INDIAN COMMISSIONERS. 65 those I saw at thi ? post. I have read the letter written by Lieutenant Whitman to Colonel Lee, and I believe all therein stated to be the truth. I have no douUUf Lien-tenant Whitman had not been interfered with in his management, the Indians would have remained here, and would have gone on increasing in numbers. MILES L. WOOD. Sworn to and subscribed before me this 19th day of September, 1871, at Camp Grant, Arizona Territory. WM. NELSON, Captain Twenty- first Infantry. Testimony of William Knes*, mail- carrier, Camp Grant, Arizona Territory, asserting that no Indian raiding parties ever left Camp Grant. TERRITORY OF ARIZONA, County of Pima, Camp Grant : On this 19th day of September, 1871, personally appeared William Kness, who, being duly sworn according to law, deposes and says : I have resided at this post and Tucson since the 24th of last February ; was em-ployed to carry the mail from Tucson to Camp Grant up to the2lthof April; after that I was interpreter until the 30th of April, the day of the massacre, since which time, and whenever the Indians have returned to the post, I have acted as interpreter. I have been on the frontiers for twenty- six years; am familiar with Indians and their habits; have fought them and lived peaceably with them. I had not much faith iu Apaches ; till I came to Camp Grant I was prejudiced against them. I made it a point to study the character and habits of the Apache Indians at Camp Grant before the massacre, and the result was that I was convinced that they were acting in good faith and earnestly desired peace; they were industrious, the women particularly so. Among all the Indians I have ever seen, I never met with as great regard for virtue and chastity as I have found among these Apache women. In regard to the charge that after they were fed they went out on raiding parties, I have to say that I do not believe it. They were contented under our supervision, being in every three days for rations, and their faces familiar, and their number constantly increasing. I have read the statement of Oscar Huttou in regard to this point, and 1 have no doubt that he is correct that no raiding parties were ever made by the Indians from this post. I also believe that if the massacre had not occurred, we should have had from 800 to 1,000 Apache Indians on this reservation before this time. There were one hundred and sixty six at the distribution of clothing by Commis-sioner Colyer on the IGth- of September, and this morning there are seventy- nine more in from Captain Chiquita's band for the same purpose, and 1 lirmly believe that if they are let alone and firmly protected, they will remain at peace and advance ill civilization. WILLIAM KNESS. Sworn to and subscribed before me this 19th day of September, 1871, at Camp Grant, Arizona Territory. WM. NELSON, Captain Tiventy- jirst Infantry. CAMP GRANT. ARIZONA TERRITORY, Xcpiemlir 10, 1871. SIR: I have the honor to submit for your consideration the following statement relative to the so- called Camp Grant Indians, properly known as Aravapa Indians, who were collected upon this reservation early in the spring of the year current. I have been on duty at this post as an officer of the Thiid United States Cavalry since October 17, 1870. I was present at this poht about tin- middle of February, when the iirst Aravapa Indians came in and asked for terms of peace. The subject was first in-tiodurcd by two or three sqna\\ s, who came in under Hag of truce, and informed the post commander, Lieutenant Royal E. Whitman, Third Cavalry, that a large number of the Aravapa Indians desired to conie into the post, \\ i1h a view to the c- slablislimenb of a permanent peace with the Government of the United States. After heaving the \ vit- hfs of the Indians expressed, Lieutenant Whitman granted permission for those who desiied to come in and talk, telling the rquaws that he desired to conven- e with the chiefs of bands, and assuring them that those \\ lio came in for that pmpose would be protected and allowed to go out unmolested, provided the terms of peace tdicukL not 5 I O |