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Show 78 REPORT OF THE BOARD OF INDIAN COMMISSIONERS. not be molested. I would, therefore, respectfully ask for instructions as to what course to pursue toward them. The White Mountain Indians are, as heretofore, full of their protestations of friendship, large numbers being here at all times, and I am issuing a pound and a quarter of beef daily to each adult, and to the children half, my endeavor being to keep them quiet until some definite policy is established toward them. I believe that the chiefs, Es- kel- te- say- lat, Pedro, and ' Miguel, and several minor chiefs, are sincere, but those further west I have considerable doubt of. I am, sir, very respectfully, yours, JOHN GREEN, Commanding Post, ASSISTANT ADJUTANT GENERAL, Department of Arizona, Prescott, Arizona Territory. APPENDIX A &, No. 17. Order of Captain Wm. Nelson forbidding armed bodies of citizens from crossing the Indian reservation. [ Special Orders No. 76. Extract.] HEADQUARTERS CAMP GRANT, ARIZONA TERRITORY, ** September 13, 1871. * * * * II. The vicinity of this post having been selected as an Indian reservation, and ita limits not yet having been fixed, 110 armed body of citizens will be permitted to come within ten ( 10) miles of this post. WM. NELSON, Captain Twenty- first Infantry, Commanding Post. APPENDIX A &, No. 18. HEADQUARTERS CAMP GRANT, ARIZONA TERRITORY, September 15, 1871. SIR : I have the honor to report that under telegraphic instructions from the Secre-tary of War, transmitted through headquarters department of Arizona, I proceeded to collect in the friendly disposed Indians, and in a few days three bands were represented at this reservation by over one hundred Indians, about which time two Mexicans came to this post from Tucson and reported that an expedition was being gotten up there for the purpose of attacking the Indians collected here. I immediately communicated with the commanding officer at Camp Lowell in refer-ence to the matter, and requested his assistance to prevent such an attempt. He ordered Captain Dunn, Twenty- first Infantry, to this post, to consult with me on the sub-ject. On his arrival here, Captain Dunn informed me that a large party, composed of citizens of Tucson, Mexicans, and Indians, would leave Tucson the day after he left, and that the party intended passing through this reservation on a prospecting tonr. The next day Mr. Vincent Colyer arrived at the post, and I informed him of the state of affairs, he showing me his authority copies of which have been forwarded to you requested me, if possible, to prevent the expedition from Tucson from crossing the reservation, and authorized me to proclaim a reservation of ten miles from the post in either direction, until the limit of the reservation could be denned. Some of the lead-ing men of the expedition from Tucson arrived at the post the evening of the day upon which Mr. Colyer arrived. I saw and informed them that under the circum-stances it was iny opinion the presence of such a party from Tucson at the particular time would be antagonistic to, and probably defeat, Mr. Colyer's mission, and requested that they pass around the reservation. I was informed that my request would not be complied with, and that the party, some two hundred strong, would reach the post about daylight the following morning, and would cross the reservation. I immediately issued an order forbidding armed parties of citizens approaching within ten miles of the post, and sent a courier with a copy out to meet the party, with instructions to report the result without delay. The courier returned i. bout 3 o'clock in the morning, reported having found the party encamped tweivo miles out, and that they informed him that they would cross the reservation. |