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Show REPORT OF THE COMMISSIONER OF INDIAN AFFAIRS. XLV than forty miles distant from the agency, having constant intercourse with the Indians of the reservation, and being successful in evading the m i r y . Nearly two hundred 'nd fifty, regarded as the worst Indians of the agency, were induced to join that chief. Nearly all those who remained were subject to the influence and control of the principal chief of the tribe, Na~~teillaws,h o is regarded as an exemplary Indian and a true friend of the government. The remarkable success of Chief T'ictoria and his followers in skirmishes with the army during the past season and in evading pursuit, and the clepredations and murders committed by thcm, are well known, and a matter of historr. Closely and steadily pursued by hhe military, their numbers consta,ntly diminishing, they mere at lastdriven by General Buell's forces intoMexico, and the work mhich that officer had nearly consummated mas completed by Mexicall troops under General Terrasas; Vietoiiaan(ld nearly all of his followers being clestroyedby the commanil of that officer. I u Jannary last, soon after active operations mere commenced by the military against Victoria, Geueral Pope deemed it best to cot off a11 cowmunication between that chief and the Mescalero Indians on the reservation, and recommended the (lisarming and dismounting of these Indians, and that sufficient snpplies be fnrnishcd them to obviate any necessitr of their hunting for game, and that they be properly guarded. The manner in mhich this mas done has been the subject of corresponcl-ence with the War Department. As Victoria is now disposed of, it is important that a permanent lo-cation be selected for these Indians, and other 3fcscaleros and Southern Apaches, in charge of the military, or n7ho may hereafter make their appearance upon the reservation. There are no buildings at the agency I fit to be used for agency purposes, and new ones are immediately re-quired for the protection of the p~iblicp roperty, and to shelter the a.gent and employbs if the agency is to be continned. A short time prior to Victoria's outbreak measures had been taken to place the Southern Apache Indians upon their old reservation, the a Hot Springs reser~e," west of &fescaiero, and to this end, on the 10th of September,.l879, the office reconunended a revocation of the orcler of At~gnst1, 577, for the sale of the buildings and restoration of the lands to the public domain; but owing to said ontbreak, action upon this reconl-mendation mas suspended. The public buildings upon that reservation are said to be in excellent condition, and ralued at $20,000, and there are Iands of good qoality sufficient to supply all the Sonthem Apaches, and double the number of Indians at Mesoillero. If placed on that reser~xtioni t will be rery difficult for them to enter Texas or Mexico upon raids, shoi~ldth ey be so disposed, withouut passing in the vicinity of one of the military posts situated in Soothern New Mexico. I there. fore recommend the advisability of considering the question of the re-moval of the 3Iescalero Indians to the Hot Springs Reserration, and that a council be held with representative members of the tribe, with the view of obtaining their collsent to tho proposed change. |
