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30 - Life and Adventures of Kit Carson by DeWitt C. Peters · Life and Adventures of Kit Carson

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Speaker 1: Section twenty nine, Chapter seventeen of the Life and Adventures
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Speaker 1: of Kit Carson. This is a LibriVox recording. All LibriVox
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Speaker 1: recordings are in the public domain. For more information or
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Speaker 1: to volunteer, please visit LibriVox dot org. Recording by Beyond Jimes.
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Speaker 1: The Life and Adventures of Kit Carson by DeWitt C. Peters,
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Speaker 1: Section twenty nine, Chapter seventeen, Part one. The commencement of
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Speaker 1: a formidable Indian War. High handed measures on the part
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Speaker 1: of the Indians. The Governor of New Mexico raises five
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Speaker 1: hundred Mexican volunteers and places them under the command of
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Speaker 1: Colonel Saint Vrain. Colonel Fontleroy placed in command of all
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Speaker 1: the forces. Kit Carson is chosen as chief guide. The
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Speaker 1: campaign commenced, the trail found, the Indians are met, and
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Speaker 1: the first fight and its consequences and excitement in camp.
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Speaker 1: The Indians again overtaken. The return to Fort Massachusetts, intense
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Speaker 1: cold weather experienced. The second campaign, Colonel Fontleroy surprises the
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Speaker 1: main camp of the enemy. The war and scalp dance
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Speaker 1: broken up. Terrible slaughter of the Indians, the great amount
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Speaker 1: of plunder taken and destroyed. Another small party of Indians
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Speaker 1: surprised and routed. Saint Vrain equally fortunate in his campaign.
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Speaker 1: The Indians sue for peace, the council held and treaties signed.
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Speaker 1: Kit Carson opposes the making of them the poor protection
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Speaker 1: Indian treaties usually afforded to settlers. Kit Carson's house at
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Speaker 1: Taos and his Indian friends. His attachment for his family
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Speaker 1: put to the test cowardice of a Mexican kit Carson's
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Speaker 1: friends as they look upon him his influence over Indians.
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Speaker 1: General remarks conclusion. The Muache band of Utahs, under their
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Speaker 1: renowned Chief Blanco, after trading for all the powder and
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Speaker 1: lead which they required, joined the Apache and commence the
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Speaker 1: war in earnest. They waylaid and murdered travelers on the roads,
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Speaker 1: attacked towns, killed and made prisoners the people who inhabited them,
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Speaker 1: and became so formidable that for a length of time
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Speaker 1: everything was at their mercy. They lost no opportunity in
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Speaker 1: showing their power and in possessing themselves of the finest
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Speaker 1: herds of horses, mules, cattle, and sheep within their reach.
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Speaker 1: This chief Blanco is a man who stands in his
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Speaker 1: moccasins about five feet nine inches. He is rather thick set,
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Speaker 1: but to use an Indian phrase, he is straight as
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Speaker 1: an arrow. The chief attraction about this Indian is his head,
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Speaker 1: which is finally developed. His lustrous black eye is filled
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Speaker 1: with animation and shows an active brain, which unfortunately is
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Speaker 1: turned a bad account. His forehead is lofty, yet it
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Speaker 1: is symmetrically chiseled, and every feature about his face is
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Speaker 1: as regular as if it had been carved for sculptured perfection.
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Speaker 1: Blanco is a man who, in any sphere of life,
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Speaker 1: would have become most certainly distinguished, and under the influence
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Speaker 1: of education he might have risen even to greatness. In
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Speaker 1: his present unreclaimed state, he shows to a disadvantage. It
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Speaker 1: is within my province fully to attest to the earnestness,
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Speaker 1: the savageness, and the brutality with which these Indians commenced
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Speaker 1: this contest. I was then stationed in their country and
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Speaker 1: came very near being one of their first victims. The
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Speaker 1: circumstances of this narrow escape happened as follows. For a
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Speaker 1: considerable length of time, the post of which I was
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Speaker 1: then attached was kept in a constant state of excitement
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Speaker 1: by receiving authentic accounts daily of murders and robberies permitted
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Speaker 1: by the Indians. While these events were transpiring, the officers
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Speaker 1: and soldiers were anxious to take the field in order
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Speaker 1: that they might punish the perpetrators of the crimes. But
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Speaker 1: as the force of the Indians was numerically speaking, very strong,
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Speaker 1: therefore it required, in order to ensure success, a well
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Speaker 1: organized command to match them and checkmate their plans at once.
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Speaker 1: It required time and much labor for the officers in
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Speaker 1: charge of the military district to arrange and complete their plans.
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Speaker 1: Every man who left our post ran the risk of
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Speaker 1: losing his life, for the enemy kept an eye on
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Speaker 1: the road which led away from it to the principal
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Speaker 1: towns of New Mexico, as often there was rich booty
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Speaker 1: for them to obtain passing over it. Notwithstanding this critical
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Speaker 1: state of affairs, express duty had to be performed, and
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Speaker 1: it required brave men for the task. There were present, however,
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Speaker 1: those who stood ready to volunteer to execute all express orders.
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Speaker 1: Before proceeding with our own case, we will illustrate these
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Speaker 1: critical times. It was necessary to dispatch an expressman to
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Speaker 1: Fort Union. This post from Fort Massachusetts was one hundred
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Speaker 1: and fifty miles distant. The ever faithful Mexican Armador Sanchez,
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Speaker 1: was then attached to Fort Massachusetts as a hunter and interpreter.
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Speaker 1: On account of extensive experience with the habits and customs
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Speaker 1: of the hostile Indians, Armador was selected to perform this
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Speaker 1: dangerous mission. In his usual quiet manner, this noble hunter
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Speaker 1: soon prepared himself for the undertaking. By using every precaution,
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Speaker 1: he reached his point of destination in safety. Having finished
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Speaker 1: up his business, he instantly began his homeward bound journey.
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Speaker 1: While on the rough trail which leads from Fort Union
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Speaker 1: to Taos, he came near being surprised and captured by
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Speaker 1: the enemy. Under the following circumstances, Armadoor had selected the
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Speaker 1: night as the safest time to travel, and as it
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Speaker 1: was quite dark, in order to pick out his way
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Speaker 1: and prevent his growing sleepy by riding, he traveled on
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Speaker 1: foot and led his animal. He had made good progress
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Speaker 1: on his journey when suddenly his hunter trained ear detected
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Speaker 1: a noise on ahead of him, which sounded like the
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Speaker 1: rolling of stones down the side of the hills over
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Speaker 1: which the trail ran. He stopped and listened more attentively
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Speaker 1: this time, he was certain that he was not deceived,
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Speaker 1: and thought that he could hear voices singing Indian war songs.
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Speaker 1: This was convincing proof to him that danger was near
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Speaker 1: at hand. Therefore, he turned off from the trail and
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Speaker 1: led his animal as high up the steep hill as
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Speaker 1: he could, where fortunately, he found sufficient underbrush, aided by
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Speaker 1: the darkness of the night, to conceal himself from view.
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Speaker 1: Hardly had he taken up this position when the noises
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Speaker 1: suddenly became very distinct. The Indians, while following the trail,
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Speaker 1: had made a turn round a bluff and were almost
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Speaker 1: beneath him. Now the hunter felt his situation to be
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Speaker 1: most precarious, for should his mule bray, as these animals
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Speaker 1: are apt to do when the others are approaching, his
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Speaker 1: own life would have to pay the forfeit. But to
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Speaker 1: prevent this, Armador hilt the mule's nostrils firmly with his
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Speaker 1: hands and otherwise drew off the animal's attention by various
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Speaker 1: gentles manipulations bestowed upon him. He saw the outlines of
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Speaker 1: the Indians as they passed along in single file beneath him,
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Speaker 1: and estimated them to be at least twenty strong. Had
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Speaker 1: these savages known that a victim was so close by,
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Speaker 1: they would have made short work of him. But before
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Speaker 1: they could have killed him, it is safe to affirm
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Speaker 1: that Armador Sanchez would have had a companion with whom
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Speaker 1: to draw in his last breath. Fortunately, affairs took a
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Speaker 1: better turn, and the expressman finished his journey without further trouble.
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Speaker 1: To return to my own case, I was obliged to
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Speaker 1: visit Tallos as an escort. I was allowed one faithful
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Speaker 1: and brave soldier. We traveled together over the first half
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Speaker 1: of our journey, and, as we had considered far the
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Speaker 1: most dangerous part, in perfect safety. At the Mexican town
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Speaker 1: of Costillo, after our day's ride, we rested for the night.
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Speaker 1: Our fears of meeting Indians were now almost dispelled, but
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Speaker 1: still we took the precaution to the Mexicans of the
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Speaker 1: town in regard to their knowledge of their whereabouts. In reply,
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Speaker 1: we were invariably answered that no fresh signs had been discovered,
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Speaker 1: and that intercourse was both safe and free for the
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Speaker 1: remainder of our route. By the first appearance of daylight
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Speaker 1: on the following morning, we were up and preparing for
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Speaker 1: our journey, and but a little time elapsed before we
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Speaker 1: were leisurely traveling along on the main road. We had
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Speaker 1: left the town but a few miles behind us when
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Speaker 1: the morning sun began to make its appearance in all
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Speaker 1: his splendor. The country through which we were journeying was
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Speaker 1: prairie land, and was bounded on either side by lofty
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Speaker 1: and picturesque mountains, and the distance of the one range
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Speaker 1: from the other was considerable, but yet could fully be
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Speaker 1: taken in by the eye, almost at a single view.
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Speaker 1: As we rode along, we were amusing ourselves, admiring the beauty
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Speaker 1: of the morning, and especially directed our attentions to the
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Speaker 1: rising of the sun. All at once, just as we
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Speaker 1: had reached a high plateau of land, the soldier made
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Speaker 1: a discovery of a flocked sheep at a great distance
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Speaker 1: off on the prairie. They appeared to be moving under
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Speaker 1: rather suspicious circumstances. We reined up our horses for the
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Speaker 1: purpose of obtaining a better observation. What puzzled us was
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Speaker 1: the dim figures of apparently mounted men who were moving
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Speaker 1: at great speed from one point of the band of
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Speaker 1: sheep to another, as if hurrying them along. After taking
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Speaker 1: a searching look, we came to the conclusion that the
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Speaker 1: horsemen which we saw were hostile Indians, as we had
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Speaker 1: not been accustomed to see Mexican herders mounted and acting
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Speaker 1: so strangely. The herders near the towns in New Mexico
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Speaker 1: are usually small boys who are under the surveillance of
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Speaker 1: one or two men stationed near by. When the Apaches
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Speaker 1: and Utahs steal these herds, they always take the young
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Speaker 1: herders along in order to look after the property. In
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Speaker 1: their mountain retreats. They rarely mortally injure these boys, for
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Speaker 1: they say that it is against their own interest to
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Speaker 1: do so. But instead they prefer to save their lives
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Speaker 1: so that they may be useful in guarding other flocks
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Speaker 1: which perchance may fall into their hands. Most of these
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Speaker 1: youthful prisoners, in time make their escape, and, after a
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Speaker 1: series of hardships, return safe to their homes. Many Mexicans
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Speaker 1: could give such adventures of their early experience, but scarcely
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Speaker 1: one of them can recall a single kind act shown
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Speaker 1: them by their captors, save the mere sparing of their lives.
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Speaker 1: As we were viewing the herd, we thought that we
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Speaker 1: noticed the figures of the horsemen, throwing themselves from one
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Speaker 1: side to the other of their horses, as if very
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Speaker 1: busily employed in frightening the sheep. We now held a
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Speaker 1: council and decided that our best policy was to quit
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Speaker 1: the main road, as it was crooked, and make a
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Speaker 1: straight march across the prairies for the town of Red River,
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Speaker 1: which was located about twenty miles in our advance. It
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Speaker 1: was our opinion, which afterwards proved to be correct, that
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Speaker 1: if the Indians were stealing the stock belonging to the
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Speaker 1: town of Costillo, they were also engaged in attacking the
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Speaker 1: place itself. While for a strong party were engaged in
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Speaker 1: drawing off the attention of the people, another would be
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Speaker 1: driving off the cattle, sheath, et cetera. To return therefore
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Speaker 1: would be almost certain death. So at a full gallop
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Speaker 1: we commenced our direct course. As the sage bushes were
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Speaker 1: thick and high, and the ground much broken by various
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Speaker 1: kinds of holes, we soon found that we had our
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Speaker 1: hands full in managing our horses. We had hardly started
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Speaker 1: afresh before our eyes were attracted to one side of us,
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Speaker 1: and in the direction of the Rio del Norte, which
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Speaker 1: runs through the valley saw what we at first considered
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Speaker 1: to be antelope, but which afterwards proved to be Indians
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Speaker 1: in pursuit of us. As we watched closely these supposed antelope,
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Speaker 1: we remarked that they kept an Indian file, and that
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Speaker 1: the course they were on would diagonally intercept our own
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Speaker 1: point of the compass. We began now to suspect that
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Speaker 1: the white appearance assumed by these objects was owing to
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Speaker 1: the strong sunlight which dazzled our eyesight and struck on
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Speaker 1: the dress side of the buffalo robes, and that in
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Speaker 1: these robes were concealed human beings who had formed the
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Speaker 1: determination to have our scalps during the cold weather. Most
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Speaker 1: of the Indians who dwell in the country adjacent to
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Speaker 1: the rocky mountains, and especially those living on the eastern
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Speaker 1: side of them, where buffalo robes with the fur next
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Speaker 1: to their bodies. These robes serve the double purpose of
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Speaker 1: shirts or coats and a covering. By night, the wearers
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Speaker 1: make them fast around the waist, and in the heat
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Speaker 1: of the day they are allowed to fold over and
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Speaker 1: hang down. But as the cool air of the evening
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Speaker 1: comes on, they are wrapped around the head and body.
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Speaker 1: Something after the Spanish fashion of wearing a cloak. The Indians, frequently,
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Speaker 1: for the purpose of decoying their enemies into battle, go
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Speaker 1: out on the prairies, and by turning the first side
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Speaker 1: of these robes out and covering their persons, having previously
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Speaker 1: assumed a half bent position, imitate the simon pure buffalo
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Speaker 1: while in the act of grazing. In order to keep
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Speaker 1: up the ruse, they move about with a rocking motion
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Speaker 1: when taken for the buffalo, which frequently happens. They are
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Speaker 1: enabled to gain an advantage in approaching a party or
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Speaker 1: village which they wish to attack. The Cheyenne Indians are
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Speaker 1: very partial to loose sack coats, which are made out
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Speaker 1: of white blankets. To these coats a hood is attached
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Speaker 1: which is thrown over the head at the wearer's pleasure.
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Speaker 1: In addition to this, during the winter season, they also
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Speaker 1: resort to the buffalo robe. The squaws of the various
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Speaker 1: tribes of Indians on the plains are well versed in
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Speaker 1: the art of tanning and dressing buffalo hids. They frequently
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Speaker 1: ornament them with beads, porcupine quills, and rude paintings. In
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Speaker 1: times long since gone by, these robes could be purchased
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Speaker 1: or rather traded for at good bargains, but the unlimited
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Speaker 1: and increasing demand for them has greatly increased their value.
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Speaker 1: Nowadays they bring standard prices. Being satisfied that the Indians
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Speaker 1: were in pursuit of us, we carefully guided our horses
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Speaker 1: at the same time, using our spurs freely and keeping
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Speaker 1: them at their maximum speed. As the Indians drew nearer,
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Speaker 1: we could see distinctly that they were urging on their animals.
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Speaker 1: Our safety therefore depended entirely on outriding them. The race
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Speaker 1: became most exciting and demanded the greatest caution, for we
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Speaker 1: well knew that one misstep made by either of our
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Speaker 1: horses would prove fatal to the rider. We had decided
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Speaker 1: on commencing the race that neither of us should fire
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Speaker 1: a shot, except as a last resort, and that we
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Speaker 1: should do it only on the principle of man for man.
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Speaker 1: While putting our horses to their speed, our weapons were
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Speaker 1: held in our hands and kept ready for instant service.
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Speaker 1: The most dangerous point was that at which the two
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Speaker 1: trails would inevitably intersect. To gain this place in advance
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Speaker 1: of our savage enemies, all our hopes. Now centered for
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Speaker 1: twelve miles, we dashed along, laboring under a state of
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Speaker 1: suspense not to be easily forgotten. When at last we
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Speaker 1: arrived at the desired point, we were only about two
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Speaker 1: hundred yards in advance of our savage pursuers. Still, we
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Speaker 1: felt that our lives for the time being were saved,
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Speaker 1: and accordingly breathed a prayer to the Almighty in thanks
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Speaker 1: for our deliverance thus far. The pace now became tremendous,
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Speaker 1: and here our grain fed horses proved to be too much,
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Speaker 1: and their powers of endurance were fully put to the
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Speaker 1: test for the grass fed ponies of the Indians. After
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Speaker 1: a short run, the savages saw that the advantage belonged
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Speaker 1: to us. Consequently, soon after they halted. We, however, kept steadily,
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Speaker 1: but with slackened speed, on our course, fearing that some
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Speaker 1: accident might change the happy turn of affairs in their favor.
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Speaker 1: On finding themselves thwarted in their designs, the Indians fired
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Speaker 1: two or three shots at us, but even these final
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Speaker 1: compliments did not to use nautical free ziology make us
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Speaker 1: heave two. We reached the settlement of the Red River
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Speaker 1: in good season and concluded that we had traveled the
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Speaker 1: distance and about as brief a space of time as
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Speaker 1: it ever had been accomplished, either before or since our adventure.
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Speaker 1: Our horses were so used up by this race that
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Speaker 1: we were obliged to exchange them for fresh ones, on
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Speaker 1: which we finished our journey without further annoyance. The Indians
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Speaker 1: in this incursion stole five thousand sheep, besides other property,
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Speaker 1: from the costillo, and killed two men who were traveling
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Speaker 1: behind us and on the same road. When the bodies
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Speaker 1: of these men were discovered, one of them had a
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Speaker 1: mouthful of bullets, which he had evidently put there in
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Speaker 1: order that he might drop them into his rifle as
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Speaker 1: he should require them, and not be obliged to be
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Speaker 1: delayed in taking them from his ammunition pouch. But evidently
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Speaker 1: before he could have used more than one from his supply,
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Speaker 1: he was shot dead. It cannot be denied that this
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Speaker 1: outbreak on the part of the Indians, and its subsequent outrages,
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Speaker 1: was the result of mismanagement, and it is but justice
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Speaker 1: to the reputation of Kit Carson to assert that it
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Speaker 1: was no fault of his that affairs had terminated so disastrously.
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Speaker 1: He had used every means which human skill could devise
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Speaker 1: to allay the anger of the Indians. Had his superiors
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Speaker 1: in power acted with the same discretion and judgment, in
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Speaker 1: all probability, the Utahs might have been kept at peace.
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Speaker 1: It is wonderfully strange that our government will persist in
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Speaker 1: placing at the head of Indian affairs men who are
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Speaker 1: not practically acquainted with Indian habits, which can only be
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Speaker 1: learned by a long life passed among the frontiers. If
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Speaker 1: it was a matter where dollars and cents alone were
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Speaker 1: to be estimated, it might be different. But where valuable
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Speaker 1: lives are legitimately exposed, it seems to us morally wrong
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Speaker 1: to give the control of tribes of wild men to
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Speaker 1: politicians who are liable to make all kinds of mistakes,
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Speaker 1: and in whom the Indians will not repose the least confidence.
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Speaker 1: It is because such appointments are made that in a
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Speaker 1: great measure the troubles with these border Indians arise, and many.
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Speaker 1: Is the section of country in Western America where apparently
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Speaker 1: their reward for taking a white man's scalp is a
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Speaker 1: blazing red or a sky blue blanket, which is paid
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Speaker 1: under the flea of keeping the peace. This too when
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Speaker 1: efficient means and decided measures are the only hopes of
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Speaker 1: a lasting peace. While engaged in our travels due the
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Speaker 1: far West, we remember to have met with an Indian
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Speaker 1: agent who was both in years and experience, but a
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Speaker 1: mere boy. To him, had been entrusted the affairs of
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Speaker 1: a large tribe notorious in the country where they reside
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Speaker 1: as being great thieves. These Indians had so little respect
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Speaker 1: for their agent that they would openly boast of the
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Speaker 1: crimes which they had committed in his very presence. Not
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Speaker 1: only this, but on horses stolen from the neighboring settlers
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Speaker 1: they would by him, thus defying his power. The settlers
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Speaker 1: were allowed in their complaints against the government for thus
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Speaker 1: neglecting to protect them and sending them a block of
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Speaker 1: wood for a king. The young man of whom we
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Speaker 1: speak bore an exemplary character, but it was plainly and
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Speaker 1: painfully apparent that he was in no way whatever fitted
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Speaker 1: for the office he held, and which he had attained
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Speaker 1: through the influence of powerful political friends. This is but
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Speaker 1: a fair example by which many of the so called
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Speaker 1: Indian agents may be rated. Who are the actual managers
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Speaker 1: of Indian affairs on our frontiers? The Utahs and the Apaches,
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Speaker 1: having now openly combined, met with such success in their
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Speaker 1: endeavors to attack the Whites that during the course of
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Speaker 1: a few months they overran almost the entire northern part
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Speaker 1: of the territory of New Mexico. They utterly defied the
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Speaker 1: power of the American government, and whenever the opportunity offered,
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Speaker 1: boasted to the Mexicans that they no longer stood in
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Speaker 1: fear of the white men. The subsequent cruel and barbarous
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Speaker 1: crimes of which they were guilty clearly demonstrated that they
20:07
Speaker 1: had become greatly elated by their success. It soon became
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Speaker 1: apparent that, unless checked, they would exterminate the population and
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Speaker 1: burn or otherwise destroy their settlements. At this time, it
20:20
Speaker 1: was only by running great risk that the Whites could
20:23
Speaker 1: leave their towns and go to the neighboring mountains for
20:26
Speaker 1: the purpose of obtaining even a little Firewood. Working parties
20:30
Speaker 1: were daily surprised and murdered. Women and children were carried
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Speaker 1: into bondage and reserved for a worse fate, and all
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Speaker 1: kinds of business were receiving a check which was becoming
20:41
Speaker 1: ruinous to the country. It was even greatly feared that
20:44
Speaker 1: the boldness of the savages would carry them so far
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Speaker 1: as to make them attack Fort Massachusetts, to give them
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Speaker 1: a warm reception should they dare undertake that enterprise. The
20:55
Speaker 1: post was strengthened by cutting down and removing everything which
20:59
Speaker 1: might tend to aid the Indians and give them a
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Speaker 1: cover which they so much like when fighting. All the
21:06
Speaker 1: trees and brush about the post were cut away. Breastworks
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Speaker 1: were thrown up on the blockhouse attached to the fort,
21:13
Speaker 1: so that the soldiers could be well protected in case
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Speaker 1: of emergency. In these sentinels were posted and the strength
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Speaker 1: of the guard doubled and greater vigilance exacted. Haystacks were
21:24
Speaker 1: removed to a safe place for fear they would be
21:26
Speaker 1: fired by the enemy. The sentinels were ordered to cry
21:30
Speaker 1: out every half hour of the night while on their posts,
21:34
Speaker 1: and no man was allowed to approach after the shades
21:36
Speaker 1: of night came on without giving the countersign. It proved
21:40
Speaker 1: to be well that these precautions were taken, for on
21:43
Speaker 1: the neighboring mountains, Indian watchfires were seen nightly, and on
21:48
Speaker 1: several mornings, Indian moccasin tracks were discovered in close proximity
21:52
Speaker 1: to the fort. Showing thereby that the enemy was watching
21:56
Speaker 1: and waiting for a favorable opportunity to strike a sudden
21:59
Speaker 1: an overwhelming blow upon the garrison. Within the savages, no doubt,
22:04
Speaker 1: were deterred from making of old attack by the prompt
22:07
Speaker 1: precautionary measures which had been taken by the commander to
22:11
Speaker 1: anticipate their plans. The wagons belonging to the fort were
22:15
Speaker 1: sent out after wood under a strong escort, and the
22:18
Speaker 1: government herd of beef, cattle, horses and mules were well
22:22
Speaker 1: protected by the soldiery. On one occasion, through a false
22:26
Speaker 1: alarm of Indians, the whole command of the post, which
22:29
Speaker 1: numbered less than one hundred men, was put in great
22:32
Speaker 1: and sudden commotion. The cause will appear in connection with
22:36
Speaker 1: the following circumstances. The party in charge of the herd
22:39
Speaker 1: had espied a large cavalcade of men and animals approaching
22:43
Speaker 1: them at the long distance they were off. The strangers
22:46
Speaker 1: resembled Indians. The commander of the party immediately sent an
22:50
Speaker 1: expressman to the fort to reprise its occupants of the fact.
22:55
Speaker 1: The drums immediately sounded the rally, which caused the men
22:58
Speaker 1: to rush for their arms. They quickly fell into their ranks,
23:02
Speaker 1: and the order was given to march, headed by a
23:04
Speaker 1: gallant lieutenant. They dashed out of the fort at a
23:07
Speaker 1: fast run in order to reach and save their property
23:10
Speaker 1: from being captured by the enemy. The soldiers were elated
23:15
Speaker 1: at the prospect of having a brush with the Indians
23:17
Speaker 1: and on an open plain giving them battle, where notwithstanding
23:21
Speaker 1: the great numbers which would certainly be arrayed against them,
23:25
Speaker 1: they felt they could soundly chastise them. On reaching the herd,
23:29
Speaker 1: the soldiers scattered and were soon prepared to commence the skirmish,
23:33
Speaker 1: but lo when the strangers drew near enough to be discernible,
23:37
Speaker 1: they were recognized as a large party of Mexicans under
23:40
Speaker 1: the command of an American. These people had been absent
23:43
Speaker 1: several months on a trading voyage among the Cheyennes and
23:47
Speaker 1: a Rapahose, and for the purpose of returning home in safety,
23:51
Speaker 1: they had formed themselves into one body. Their dress was
23:54
Speaker 1: similar to that of the Indians, and therefore, at the
23:57
Speaker 1: great distance at which they were first discovered, it was
24:00
Speaker 1: not strange that such a mistake had been made, especially
24:04
Speaker 1: during these dangerous times. The reason of the sudden stationing
24:08
Speaker 1: of the soldiers about the herd, the traders easily surmised. Hence,
24:13
Speaker 1: on drawing near they began to cry out that they
24:15
Speaker 1: were friends. No set of men were ever more disappointed
24:19
Speaker 1: than were these soldiers at this unexpected termination of the affair.
24:23
Speaker 1: Matters eventually arrived at such a crisis that the governor
24:26
Speaker 1: of the territory, by and with the advice of the
24:29
Speaker 1: Commanding General, felt obliged to issue a proclamation calling upon
24:33
Speaker 1: the people to volunteer for the purpose of defending their
24:36
Speaker 1: lives and property. The inhabitants of New Mexico promptly responded
24:41
Speaker 1: to this call by flocking to the places designated for
24:44
Speaker 1: them to organize. Out of the great number who presented
24:47
Speaker 1: themselves and offered their services, there were selected men sufficient
24:51
Speaker 1: to fill six companies, each of which, when fully organized,
24:55
Speaker 1: contained eighty mounted men. They had the power of electing
24:59
Speaker 1: their own officers. By and with the advice and consent
25:02
Speaker 1: of the governor. These volunteers furnish themselves with riding horses.
25:06
Speaker 1: The pay which they were to receive amounted to about
25:09
Speaker 1: thirty dollars per month, which was considered to be very
25:12
Speaker 1: liberal inasmuch as they were provided in most cases with arms.
25:17
Speaker 1: Rations were issued out to them the same as to
25:19
Speaker 1: the regular army. The willingness which the Mexicans exhibited on
25:23
Speaker 1: this occasion to volunteer does them great credit and clearly
25:27
Speaker 1: prove the fact that they do not always lack and courage,
25:30
Speaker 1: but that they are prompt to defend their homes when
25:33
Speaker 1: properly disciplined and aided with the means necessary to do so.
25:38
Speaker 1: It is the opinion of many of the most prominent
25:40
Speaker 1: citizens of the territory of New Mexico that if the
25:43
Speaker 1: chastisement of the Indians, when it was required, was left
25:47
Speaker 1: to the people themselves, the general government only supplying them
25:51
Speaker 1: with money and arms, that peace between the two parties
25:54
Speaker 1: would in a short time be firmly established on a
25:57
Speaker 1: sure and permanent footing. In giving currency to such opinions,
26:02
Speaker 1: we risk them with the knowledge that the previous experiments
26:05
Speaker 1: made on this policy, which have proved unsuccessful in the
26:09
Speaker 1: various older territories belonging to the United States, will be
26:13
Speaker 1: brought to bear as potent arguments against such a course
26:16
Speaker 1: by a large and powerful opposition. But such facts of
26:20
Speaker 1: Indian history are exceptions. Indian history clearly demonstrates the proposition
26:26
Speaker 1: that well organized volunteers under able leaders have accomplished more
26:30
Speaker 1: in warfare against the savages than regular troops, taking into
26:35
Speaker 1: consideration that the same length of time which each have
26:38
Speaker 1: been engaged in actual service has given them equal experience.
26:43
Speaker 1: The cause of this is plain. These two distinct forces
26:47
Speaker 1: are composed entirely of different material The one is made
26:51
Speaker 1: up of frontiersmen who thoroughly understand the effective use of
26:54
Speaker 1: the rifle and a life in an Indian country, while
26:58
Speaker 1: the regular soldiers have been formed many years back chiefly foreigners, who,
27:03
Speaker 1: as has been heretofore stated, have to be taught these things,
27:07
Speaker 1: and as it very often happens, they have never seen
27:10
Speaker 1: one of their enemy until sent out in quest of
27:13
Speaker 1: the savages. As matters usually stand, the Indians are almost
27:17
Speaker 1: the actual, although not the nominal, masters of the country.
27:22
Speaker 1: In short, they commit excesses whenever it suits them, paying
27:25
Speaker 1: no regard to treaties. This has been their habit from
27:28
Speaker 1: time immemorial, and it is found to be a difficult
27:31
Speaker 1: task to break them from it. Their minor crimes are
27:34
Speaker 1: allowed to accumulate, and when at last they are actuated
27:38
Speaker 1: by increasing success and consequent boldness to commit some great
27:43
Speaker 1: and overt act, it is noticed, and expeditions are sent
27:47
Speaker 1: out against them. These usually fail to punish the really
27:51
Speaker 1: guilty parties, but instead they recover a small share of
27:54
Speaker 1: the property stolen, and with it the thirst for revenge
27:57
Speaker 1: must be satiated. The officers and soldiers do their utmost
28:01
Speaker 1: to accomplish something more, and readily meet hardships and privations
28:05
Speaker 1: in every shape in order to accomplish the desired end,
28:09
Speaker 1: but their time is too limited rightly and efficiently to
28:12
Speaker 1: perform the work. For the campaign must be ended, when
28:16
Speaker 1: in reality it has but just commenced. The reason exists
28:20
Speaker 1: in this fact that those high in authority are liable
28:23
Speaker 1: to be called to an account for spending a dollar
28:26
Speaker 1: too much in a good cause. Perhaps the state of
28:29
Speaker 1: affairs has been brought about by the immense expenses which
28:32
Speaker 1: have intended many of the Indian wars in which the
28:35
Speaker 1: United States government has been engaged, when mismanagement and paltry
28:39
Speaker 1: results have characterized the acts of whole campaigns. This charge cannot, however,
28:45
Speaker 1: reach to the military department in which New Mexico is included,
28:49
Speaker 1: for the leading officers who have from time to time
28:52
Speaker 1: been stationed there have invariably exhibited an unusual amount of
28:56
Speaker 1: discretion and sound judgment, and have set a samples of
29:00
Speaker 1: military science, promptitude, and skill which it might be well
29:05
Speaker 1: for others to follow. Under the existing causes for difficulty
29:09
Speaker 1: and peculiarity of circumstances, it is sometimes hazardous to assume
29:13
Speaker 1: the responsibility of punishing the hostile Indians as they deserve.
29:18
Speaker 1: By punishing the Indians, we do not wish to impress
29:21
Speaker 1: the reader with the idea that they must be collected
29:24
Speaker 1: and butchered like animals in order to bring them to terms.
29:28
Speaker 1: Milder means serve the same purpose. But when they dig
29:31
Speaker 1: up the hatchet, battles must be fought in which they
29:34
Speaker 1: ought to be so closely driven as to cause them
29:37
Speaker 1: to see that it is perfect rashness to attack the whites.
29:42
Speaker 1: One victory gained by savages over white men so exhilarates
29:46
Speaker 1: their pride that they forget the past and believe themselves invincible.
29:50
Speaker 1: In these fights, valuable lives are sacrificed, but they are
29:54
Speaker 1: necessary sacrifices for the common good. When one tribe is
29:58
Speaker 1: severely chastised, the surrounding Indians hear of it, and becoming alarmed.
30:03
Speaker 1: For a time, they behave themselves with propriety. This happy
30:07
Speaker 1: state of things will continue until some week move on
30:10
Speaker 1: the part of government officials counteracts this good influence when
30:15
Speaker 1: misconstruing kind acts for fear, the Red men at once
30:19
Speaker 1: dig up the tomahawk and boldly march upon the warpath
30:22
Speaker 1: to spill innocent blood. Such results often follow when the
30:26
Speaker 1: power is taken from the experienced military commanders invested in
30:31
Speaker 1: the hands of often the fact inexperienced superintendents. These men
30:36
Speaker 1: pompously invite the Indians to grand councils, where unmeaning speeches
30:42
Speaker 1: are manufactured to suit the occasion. Usually, when thus summoned,
30:46
Speaker 1: the wily savages are delighted to go into council for
30:50
Speaker 1: as a rejoinder to the many concessions which are easily
30:53
Speaker 1: obtained from them, and which they are always ready to make.
30:56
Speaker 1: After assuming a little coquetry, they receive presents, which the
31:00
Speaker 1: superintendent informs them are merely tokens of the high appreciation
31:05
Speaker 1: with which they are regarded by their great father at Washington.
31:09
Speaker 1: It is the opinion of Kikarson that the territory of
31:12
Speaker 1: New Mexico will continue to remain in its present impoverished
31:16
Speaker 1: state during the time that the Mountain Indians are allowed
31:19
Speaker 1: to run at large. The only true remedy, he says,
31:23
Speaker 1: for this great evil, is to compel the savages to
31:27
Speaker 1: form settlements by themselves. Then and there assist and teach
31:31
Speaker 1: them to cultivate the soil. In time, they will be
31:34
Speaker 1: able to gain a maintenance independent of the general government,
31:38
Speaker 1: and to a certain extent they will become responsible for
31:41
Speaker 1: their acts and of Section twenty nine, Chapter seventeen, Part
31:46
Speaker 1: one recording by Dianjin's Salt Lake City, Utah,