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Show IOti COLORADO MAGAZINE and cultivated, where We camped. 1 here found an old soldier of the Army of the Cumberland in possession of a fine farm, and at in.- sight of us he gave a • • h u r r a h " ami had much to say about the "•... Id times of the war." On the 2: 2nd we marched to Animas" and Welti into camp. (. Jcnl. Hutch came on later in the day and made his headquarters in iky village. Our whole march from Alamosa was lb( J miles and ill all my experience J Hover campaigned through a country so beautiful, mountains, fores!, valley's, clear rushing water, everything to make nature love!\, and here in Animas valley we found quite a large settlement and a - thriving town. The Indian scare if there bad been on: was . over, and all anxiety of the inhabitants seemed to be ecii-t- Ted on trying to make as much. money out 01 our coming among thmn as was possible. The day after our arrival Cent. Hatch received instructions that an investigation of the affair at' Win.;- Fiver had been ordered' and all military operations would cease till an effort for peace had been made. We therefore went into a permanent cam], ami made ourselves as comfortable as possible. Siihse. pmnl instructions were received for us to remain at Animas, and if the efforts for peace failed, Oeul. Merrill on the North. ( ieul. [ II. S. J MeKen/. ie on the Fast from Fort Garland and our column from tlie South under ( lenl. Hatch would begin active ops- ratAns. On tli'j " J3st (. en!. Hatch received orders detailing him as President of tie Commission to attempt'to settle this affair without war. . Thus have the^ o Indians by boldly resisting the government brought it. to negotiate: if they had been a w" eak tribe our magnanimous government, would have crushed them at once. Indians who will fight arc al'wavs better treated than those who « ulmtii. and m: HIS know fruiii experience that if they can successfully commit a depredation, killing a number of people and robbing some stock, do . enough to compel ( lie government to proceed against them, they are safe as to a settlement of the trouble by a concession to them. In oilier words it docs liol pay them to be peaceful/' ' About three, miles from the site ot" the ore- sent city of > mian.^ o. • A soldier's opinion of the federal Indian policy is further shown in one of Major Hough's b.- ttcrs home. " This campaign has fizzled terribly- with M-.- rriu in the North, and we here, the Army is in a position tu control the Ut.- s, and a war with them is only a matter of time. I don't rare how inu.' di >> r' a peace tluy may patch up now. every man. \ vu* n. an and child in Co! oi ado arc [ sic] in favor of removing iho Ctos and ihoy will force ii and bring on a war sooner or later. Tic Indian proldem as I have s-' een it is plain lo me here; there are several Indian wars in- ar- at hand ami cannot be stopped. You say the Southern I'tos ar « peaceable. So tluy are because, we are here, and they have not been interfered with, but wlu-' n it conic:-- to ivinovin-- lhern tiny will fight for their homes. Our whole Indian policy is a mere system oi makeshifts and must result in much bloodshed in the end. 1 have not n. ueh comfort in look ins: at it." ( Alfred Houv. h to Mary Houuh. from Aninias City. i\.! e:;.". lo. (.• i..! » er : s. iZ'. K Iiou-;.- Papers.) |