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Show REPORT OF THE BOARD OF INDIAN COMMISSIONERS. 33 necessity of liberally supplying the Indians of my agency with food, Another year's experience and close observation has still more forcibly impressed me with the con-viction that this is the only means or' effectually controlling the Apache tribe. * * The language, of a former Secretary of War, when urging the policy of feeding the In-dians of Texas, is peculiarly applicable to the Apaches of New Mexico : " Brave men with arms in their hands will not starve, nor see their children starve around them, while the means of subsistence is within their reach. To locate the Apaches and teach them the cultivation of the soil and other arts of peace is the only policy that can be adopted with a reasonable hope of advancing them in civilization, and giving protection to property in this Territory. This course will require time and liberal appropriations to supply them with food. If they are located, they must aban-don their marauding expeditions, whereby one- half of their subsistence is cut off." And he speaks from experience when he says : " The success that has attended the farm-ing operations with those bands for the last two years has removed every doubt as to the practicability of this policy. * * If they are not provided for as I propose, they must continue to feed themselves npon the white man's property, the inevitable consequence of which will be a continued state of hostility, requiring, on the part of the military department, the organization of large campaigns to right them, at the sacrifice of life and an immense expense to the Government. Two cam-paigns have been made within the last three years one against Gila, at an expense, directly and indirectly, to the Government of $ 800,000 ; and I feel confident that 1 will be sustained by all who are familiar with the number and resources of those Indians, in the assertion, that if one- twentieth part of that sum had been judiciously expended annually for provisions, the campaigns might have been prevented." The urgent appeals of Agent Steck were heeded, and a small appropriation made for the Apaches in 1858. Of the good results of this liberality this is the way he writes : " The Mesca-lero band of Apaches are still living in the White and Sacramento Mountains in the immediate vicinity of Fort Stanton, and the most friendly relations have been main-tained between those Indians and the military authorities of that post during the year. With the bands west of the Rio Grande, since my last annual report, our rela-tions have been of the most friendly character. During the year not a single depreda-tion has been committed on the California road east of the Cnilihuihui Mountains, and parties of from two to five men are constantly traveling that road from the Rio Grande to Fort Buchanan undisturbed." Of the abuses practiced upon them in 1858, he writes : " The Mimbres and Mogollon bands seem willing to be controlled by the advice of their agent, and have confidence in the kind intentions of the Government toward them. In their intercourse with the citizens they have suffered many impositions; have been made drunk ; have been swindled out of their horses, and many of them stolen by the Mexicans, at or near the agency. They have also been murdered in cold blood, yet not a single instance is known of their having committed a murder, or even stolen a horse to retaliate for their wrongs." Of the feasibility of uniting the Mimbres and Mogollou bands together, he says : " I encouraged such a union, and now many of the Mogollon band live with those of the Mimbres, and have corn planted together, and among them their old chief, Magnus Colorado. If, therefore, the proposition to locate them together should meet the appro-bation of the superintendent, there will be no difficulty in its accomplishment." THE APACHES AS FABMEES. Of their ability and willingness to cultivate the soil, he reports : '' The interest manifested in the farming operations has been greater than in any pare well with any corn- field in the country ; and all by their own labor, exce}> t breaking up of the laud, digging, and repairing of their acequias." The Coyoteros, ( Cochise's band,) the Apaches north of the Gila River, he reports as peacefully keeping faith, as follows : " The White Mountain Coyoteros have occasionally visited the agency during the year, have remained quiet, and faithfully kept their promise that ' no depredations should be committed on the California road as far west as their country extended.' The Coyoteros are by far the most powerful branch of the Apache tribe. They occupy the north side of the Gila and its northern tributaries, from the Mogollon Mountains to near the Piina villages. Agent Steck, as well as others, at that time included all the Apaches north of the Gila, the Toutos, Aravapas, and Apache Mohaves, under the general title of Coyoteros, for he says : " The White Mountain Coyoteros is that portion of the Apaches living north of the Gila, upon the Rio San Francisco ( Verde River) and headwaters of the Salinas ; they 3 I c |