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Show 60 REPORT OF THE BOARD OF INDIAN COMMISSIONERS. APPENDIX A &, No. 2. Report of the massacre offriendly Apache Indians at Camp Grant, Arizona Territory, April 30, 1871, by white citizens of Tucson, Mexicans, and Papago Indians, ivhile the Indians were prisoners of war under the American flag. CAMP GRANT, ARIZONA TERRITORY, May 17, 1871. DEAR COLONEL : Thanks for your kind letter of last week. If I could see you and have a long talk, and answer all your questions, I could come nearer giving you a clear idea of the history of the Indians at this post than by any written account. Having had them constantly under rny observation for nearly three months, and the care of and for them constantly on my mind, certain things have become so much a matter of cer-tainty to me that I am liable to forget the amount of evidence necessary to convince even the most unprejudiced mind that has not been brought in contact with them. I will, however, try and give you a connected account, and if it proves r letter from Colonel Greene, saying they were in search of a boy, the son of one of the number, taken prisoner near Salt River some mouths before. This boy had been well cared for, and had become attached to his new mode of life, and did not wish to return. The party were kindly treated, rationed while here, and after two days went away, asking permission to return again. They came in about eight days, I think, with a still larger number, with some articles for sale to purchase manta, as they were nearly naked. Before going away they said a young chief would like to come in with a party and have a talk. This I encouraged, and in a few days lie came with about twenty-five of his band. He stated in brief that he was chief of a band of about 150 of what was originally the Aravapa Apaches ; that he wanted peace ; that he and his people had no home, and could make none, as they were at all times apprehensive of the ap- " prTohaacth iosfncoatvaolnrry. counIttroyl, dnehiitmherthaarte htehesyhoouurldpegooplteo. thWeeWhairteeatMpoeuancteaiwnist. h thHeem, sabiudt, never have mixed with them. Our fathers and their fathers before them have lived in these mountain and have raised corn in this valley. We are taught to make mescal onr principal article of food, and in summer and winter here we have a never- failing supply. At the White Mountains there is none, and without it now we get sick. Some of our people have been in at Goodwin, and for a short time at the White Moun-tains, but they are not contented, and they all say, ' Let us go to the Aravapa and make a final peace and never break it.'" I told him I had no authority to make any treaty with him or to promise him that he could be allowed a permanent home here, but that he could bring in his band and I would feed them, and report his wishes to the department commander. He went out and returned about the 1st of March with his whole band. In the mean time rumors had been in from two other small bands, ask-ing the same privileges, and giving the same reasons. I made the same reply to all, and by about the 5th of March I had over three hundred here. I wrote a detailed account of the whole matter, and sent it by express to Sacaton, to department headquarters, asking for instructions, having only the general policy of the Government in such cases for my guidance. After waiting more than six weeks my letter was returned to me without comment, except calling my attention to the fact that it was not briefed prop-erly. At first I put them in camp about half a mile from the post, and counted them, and issued them rations every second day. The number steadily increased until it reached the number of five hundred and ten. Knowing as I did that the responsibility of the whole movement rested with me, and that in case of any loss to the Govern-ment coming of it I should be the sufferer, I kept them continually under observation, until I not only came to know the faces of all the men, but also the women and chil-dren. They were nearly naked, and needed everything in the way of clothing. I stopped the Indians from bringi ug hay, that I might buy from them. I arranged a system of tickets with which to pay them and to encourage them ; and to be sure they were properly treated, I personally attended to all the weighing. I also made inquirieg as to the kind of goods sold them and prices. This proved a perfect success; not only the women and children engaged in the work, but many of the men. The amount furnished by them in about two months was nearly 300,000 pounds. During this time many small parties had been out with passes for a certain number of days to burn mescal. These parties were always mostly women, and I made myself jsure by noting the size of the party, and from the amount of mescal brought in, that no treachery was intended. From the first I was determined to know not only all they did, but their hopes and intentions. For this purpose I spent hours each day with them in explaining to them the relations they should sustain to the Government, and their prospects for the future in case of either obedience or disobedience. I got from them in return much of their habits of thought and rules of action. I made it a point to |