OCR Text |
Show 84 REPORT OF THE BOARD OF INDIAN COMMISSIONERS. vations in Arizona which may be occupied by the Indians, under the orders herein contemplated. Such agents will be superseded by persons hereafter appointed by this Department, at such times as the President may hereafter deem proper. Very respectfully, your obedient servant, C. DELANO, Secretary. The PRESIDENT. These recommendations were approved by the President as follows: EXECUTIVE MANSION, Washington, D. C., November 9, 1871. Respectfully referred to the Secretary of War, who will take such action as may be necessary to carry out the recommendations of the Secretary of the Interior. U. S. GRANT. And indorsed by General Sherman thus : HEADQUARTERS ARMY OF THE UNITED STATES, Washington, D. C., November 9, 1871. GENERAL : I now inclose you copies of a correspondence between the Secretary of the Interior and War Department on the subject of the policy that is to prevail in Arizona with the Apache Indians. The Secretary of War wishes you to give all the necessary orders to carry into full effect this policy, which is the same that prevails in the Indian country generally, viz : to fix and determine ( usually with the assent ex-pressed or implied of the Indians concerned) the reservations within which they may ,1 K rt J J- J 1 11 1 _"!___ ^ _*? J_ V _ T. 1 J_' r^ L t j / i 1 ticularly denned in the accompanying map, seem far enough removed from the white settlements to avoid the dangers of collision of interest. At all events, these Indians must have a chance to escape war, and the most natural way is to assign them homes and to compel them to remain thereon. While they remain on such reservations there is an implied condition that they should not be permitted to starve, and our expe-rience is that the Indian Bureau is rarely supplied with the necessary money to pro-vide food, in which event you may authorize the Commissary Department to provide for them, being careful to confine issues only to those acting in good faith and only for absolute wants. The commanding officer of the nearest military post will be the proper person to act as the Indian agent until the regular agents come provided with the necessary author-ity and funds to relieve them; but you may yourself, or allow General Crook to appoint these temporary agents regardless of rank. The citizens of Arizona should be publicly informed of these events, and that the military have the command of the President to protect these Indians on their reser-vations, and that under no pretense must they invade them, except under the leader-ship of the commanding officer having charge of them. The boundaries of these reservations should also be clearly defined, and any changes in them suggested by experience should be reported, to the end that they may be modified or changed by the highest authority. After general notice to Indians and whites of this policy, General Crook may feel assured that whatever measures of severity he may adopt to reduce those Apaches to a peaceful and subordinate condition, will be approved by the War Department and the President. I am, your obedient servant, W. T. SHERMAN, G& neral. General J. M. SCHOFIELD, Commanding Military Division Pacific. APPENDIX A b, No. 27. ORDERS OF LIEUT. GENERAL SHERIDAN. The following order issued by General Sheridan relative to the Apache Indians un-der his jurisdiction : [ General Orders No. 8.] HEADQUARTERS MILITARY DIVISION OF THE MISSOURI, Chicago, III., November 20, 1871. To carry out the wishes of the Secretary of the Interior and instructions of the Sec-retary of War, relating to southern and other roving bands of Apache Indians, the fol-lowing is ordered : |