OCR Text |
Show REPORT OF THE BOARD OF INDIAN COMMISSIONERS. 57 ains across the valley, and early the next morning, October 3, a party of thirty men, women, and children arrived. After giving them some food and clothing we had a talk. The cliiH's repeated nearly all that Soulay said the day before, and together earnestly desired that the valley of the Verde from Camp Verde up to the oM Mexican wagon road, about forty- live miles, and for a distance of ten miles on each side of the river, might bo set apart for them as an Indian reservation, and they agreed that if the Apache Mohaves, who were scattered over the middle and western portion of Arizona, who rciidexvons about Date Creek, would come in and live with them, they would make room for and welcome them cheerfully upon their reservation. I asked them if UK y would not be willing to go over to Date Creek and have their home located there. They said there were too many white people around there, and the country did not suit.' them as well as the valley of the Verde. General Grover and the officers and the eiti/ ens 1 met at the post, all agreed that the valley of the Verde was the best location for a ]<; ( i vation for them. Accordingly, on my return to the post this afternoon, I addressed a letter to General Grover setting apart the valley of the Verde as a reserva-tion for the Apache Mohave Indians. ( See Appendix A b, No. 15.) Since my return to Washington I have received the following letter from Rev. David White, post chaplain, reporting the full success in the coming in of over five hundred Apache Mohaves at Camp Verde Reservation: " CAMP VERDE, ARIZONA TERRITORY, " November 22, 1871. " DEAR SIR : I write congratulating you on the success of your mission to the Indians of this Territory. Since you left, five hundred and eighty Apache Mohaves have been in and drawn rations. It affords me pleasure to say that the food given out by Captain Hawley ( now in command) is done in good faith. The Indians appear well pleased. There is but little danger in traveling anywhere on account of Indians. I have made the trip alone from here to Prescott.* Others have done the same. " Respectfully, your obedient servant, " DAVID WHITE, " Chaplain United States Army. " Hon. VINCENT COLYER." [ Seventh letter.'] GENERAL CROOK'S HEADQUARTERS. CAMP WHIPPLE, NEAR PRESCOTT, ARIZONA TERRITORY, October 6, 1871. We arrived here on the evening of the 4th, and were received quite cordially by General Crook, who insisted upon my making his quarters my home. Indeed, through-out my journey in Arizona and New Mexico, I have been received with the utmost kindness by the officers of the Army, as I have betore reported. The general and I differed somewhat in opinion as to the best policy to be pursued toward the Apaches, but as these differences were honestly entertained and kindly ex-pressed, it did not lessen the cordiality of our intercourse ; and as he desired me to frankly express my opinion if there was anything in his official action which I ques-tioned, and as he had been pleased to do the same with me, much to my satisfaction I told him I could not help expressing my regrets that he should have felt it to be his duty to censure Major Win. Nelson for his manly defense of the Indians upon the res-ervation at Camp Grant. ( See Appendix A b, No. .) The following f day, with the advice of General Crook and that of Captain Frederick Van Vliet, who commands at Camp Hualapai, we arranged that the Hualapais Indians, who congregate around Beal Springs, a military post, about two hundred miles to the northwest of Prescott, should be fed at that post, and a temporary reservation be declared one mile around the camp until a more permanent reservation could be selected. ( See Appendix A b, No. 24.) The recent discovery of silver mines, and the uncertainty of their precise location, in the country inhabited by the Hualapais Indians, made it impracticable for us to do any more than the above for the present. General Crook also thought it not advisable to attempt to move the Apache Mohaves who range through the country in the neighborhood of Date Creek, this winter, to the reservation at Camp Verde, but that they should be fed at Camp Date Creek until the spring, where they may consent to move. With his advice, we therefore decided to name that post, and for one mile around it, a temporary reservation, and General Crook issued the necessary orders accordingly. Mr. Merriarn, the editor of the " Arizona Miner," and several other gentlemen, called to invite me to address in public meeting the citizens of Prescott on the Indian ques- * About fifty miles. V. C. |