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Show 44 REPORT OF THE BOARD OF INDIAN COMMISSIONERS. to the Mexicans. In that event, I would respectfully suggest that application be made to the government of Mexico, through the Department of State, for their return. Events at this post ( Camp Grant) are, in one respect, singularly similar to those at Camp Apache. Here, as there, immediately after the massacre at Camp Grant, the killing of one white man was their official announcement that the Apaches were going out on the war- path. The first Indian chief who came to this post last spring and asked to he allowed to live at peace, was Es- cim- en- zeen. He was the leader of his people and, up to the time of the massacre, was as peaceable and contented as man could be. He had two wives, five children, and about fifty of his people killed in the massacre, and this seems to have partially crazed him. He carne in after the attack, and, assisting at the burial of his family, seemed reconciled, but, by a very unfortunate blunder, some troops from the White Mountains, who came down the Aravapa Val-ley nearly a mouth after the massacre, getting frightened at unexpectedly coming upon some of the Indians who had peaceably returned, opened fire upon them. It was Es- cim- en- zeen and his family. At this he'becanie enraged, and bidding Lieutenant " Whitman a formal good- bye, fled with his people to the mountains, and, it was said, killed a white man on his way. As I considered the massacre of Es- cim- en- zeen's family and people at Camp Grant an inauguration of a condition of war between the whites and the Apaches, and Es- cim- eu- zeeii's act in killing the white man, assuming that he did it, an incident in that war, and as my instructions were to feed, clothe, and otherwise care for all roving Apache Indians who wished to come in and be at peace, without regard to previous offenses, I had no hesitation when Lieutenant Whit-man sent for him, to give him, together with Captain Chiquito and the other chiefs and their people, assurances of peace and protection. The chiefs first sent in their runners to see all was right, who, meeting with the Indian runners from the White Mountains, and hearing of the liberality and kindness of the Government, as displayed on our journey thither in the distribution of clothing, & c., returned to their chiefs and people, told their story, and brought them in. Up to this time two hundred and forty- five Apaches have arrived,* all but ten ( White Mountain Indians) being the same that were here before the massacre. As at Camp Apache, I distributed a suit of clothing, manta, ( sheeting,) calico, needles and thread, to each Indian, man, woman, and child. INTERVIEW WITH APACHE CHIEFS, HELD AT CAMP GRANT, ARIZONA, SEPTEMBER 15, 1871. William Kness and Conception Aquirre, interpreters. Lieutenant Whitman informed the chiefs that his orders from the Secretary of War were to feed them so long as they remained at peace upon the reservation. Commis-sioner Colyer told them Congress had appropriated the money, and the President had sent him here with the clothing, and instructions to the lieutenant to feed them. If they left the reservation, the limits of which he explained to them, they were liable to be killed. ESCE- NELA, chief, and Cassay counsellor, claims to have always kept the peace. Ten years ago he was at Goodwin, and then they had a chiefnamed Na- nine- chay, who gov-erned all their tribes. He has met many officers, but that I was the first one to express regret at the Camp Grant massacre. ( William Kness here remarked that Lieutenant Whitman had expressed regret, but this chief was not present.) He had no doubt but that God put it into the heart of the President to send me out here. He is satisfied that God is listening to this talk. He intends now to talk with reference to eternity, as though the world was to last forever. He believes that I will tell him the truth. He has no doubt but that I am sorry for the killed at the massacre. He is sorry for the Indians who have been taken away prisoners. He believes now that the centi-pedes and tarantulas ( bad reptiles) among their enemies will no more hurt them. He believes that now we will protect them ; that we are now as father and mother to them. He heard of our coming; now he is glad to meet us. He said his people were living here peaceably, receiving rations three times a week, up to the time of the massacre. He believes neither the lieutenant nor any of the officers knew of the people coming to attack them. It was about 4 o'clock in the morning when they were attacked ; 128 killed, 29 taken prisoners. He and all the captains lost some of their families. He lost two wives, four children, three men, ( one an old man,) and two of his nephews were taken away. He also lost fifty of his band. When the Tucson people attacked him, liis best wife got separated from him and he could not find her. It was dark. If he could have found her he would have fought and died with her. There had been over five hundred of his people on the reservation at the time of the massacre. About thirty - days after the attack about four hundred had returned, and wore on the reservation when a lieutenant, and a party of troops under his command, fired into some of his people. Commissioner Colyer asked : Does this country still please them, after what has oc- * At the date of going to j. ress there are nine hundred Indians at Camp Grant. |