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Show THE LONG WALK AND PEACE 129 The Navajos could have avoided the American troops. But little was left of the corn, squash, melons, and peaches picked that fall from the canyon gardens. The People knew that the soldiers would surely destroy all that was left. Winter life in Navajoland would be hard without food or shelter. Carson told the Navajos that they and their clansmen must be at Fort Canby within ten days. Returning to the fort, he left seventy-five soldiers to burn every hogan and cut down every peach tree that could be found. In less than two weeks, Carson's soldiers had been successful in the largest campaign of the Navajo war. Nearly two hundred Navajos would turn themselves in at Fort Canby. Carson left for home on January 26. He would not return until March 19. Carson had taken some pains to treat his prisoners well, and the word began to spread. Surrender only meant a trip to new land in eastern New Mexico, where they would be fed and clothed. The army had even agreed to let the Navajos keep their stock. Moving seemed better than freezing or starving, and Navajos came in by the hundreds. The Long Walk The Cebolletans were the first to accept General Carleton's demands. Fifty-one of these so-called Enemy Navajos gave up in September 1863. Delgadito and 187 others turned themselves in during November. As the winter without food caused more and more suffering, fewer and fewer Navajos were able to resist. Delgadito went to Navajo land to calm their fears. By the end of January, 680 more were ready to go with him to Bosque Redondo. By early February 1864, there were 1,200 Navajos waiting at Fort Wingate. One thousand more waited at Fort Canby. By the end of the month, the number of Navajos at Fort Canby had swelled to 2,500. Soldiers spent more and more of their time caring for the prisoners. They had little left for scouting. As the growing number of Navajos at the posts strained the army's resources, the patrols were stopped. Those few lucky Navajos who had been able to support themselves through the hard winter now had little to worry about from the army. But by then most of the People faced starvation. Even some of the ricos began to give up. Some who had been holding out west of the Hopis came to Fort Canby in May 1864. Kit Carson left |