Rensselaer Republican, Volume 14, Number 9, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 17 November 1881 — WHITE MOUNTAIN "ANGELS.” [ARTICLE]

WHITE MOUNTAIN "ANGELS.”

Gen. Geo. R. Crook Tells of Their Habits and Mountain Home—The Brush With Col. Carr. Omaha Bee. "At the time I assumed command over the Apaches they occupied a territory about two hundred miles square, and numbered 20,000. These *jvere devilled into twenty or more bands, over whioh Pedro—the Indian reported as leading tbe rnassacre—was chief. Of these 20.000, 6,00(1 or roore wer6 hostiles, and lived in the White Mountain country, from S.OOO 1 to 10,000 above the San Carlos country. "I took command In 1871, but the government restrained me from mak ing a campaign against them for more than a year later. When I did attempt to subdue them thcey showed a most desperate front, and fought with great bravery and skill until the middle of the following May, when they surrendered.

"The campaign was a hard one. The Country In whioh they live is almost inaccessible. The lava beds of tbfe Modocs in which Captain Jack and hts band made such a remarkable stand, are macadamized roads in comparison with the heights and crags where these hostile Apaches are at homo. They are very brave, desperate, and the most cunning Indians on the American continent, being far superior to the Sioux in intellect.

“During my campaign against them I found it very difficult to track them at times for considerable distances, as a band might travel fi:ty miles at (daces in the mountains and never eave a track or trace on the liaid laVat formation. I was assis’e’, hciwevAr, bv scouts from other bauds ot the saepe tribe, who knew their details and hiding place?,, so that I was able to search them out. "The old reservation of San Carlos included the country of the White Mountains. Since General Wilcox took oommand the mountain part of the reservation was cut off, aud an a'tempt was made to get the Indiaus ■inhabititing that part to go down into the lower lands. I think all did go except Pedro’s band. Subsequently the White Mountain Indiana were allowed to go back, and hey have remained there ever since. "What makes these Indians especially formidable is the fa”t that they can’t be starved out of their hiding places. These White Mountains abound in game, and also in tbe mescal. a plant somelhing like the aloe, or century plait. The plant grows very large, and frequently bear* a growth alarge as a barrel around its stal?£. The growth has a large outside, which can be peeled, aud a'stringy interior, <&v-si-itiDg of fibres, pulp, and an inside core or heart is exposed. This core is frequently six inches iu diameter. In appearance it is wlfte and about the consistency of aswet Lpotato.but wl’.eu found It is tisteless s>m d insipid. The Indians dig ahOle,b»/ld a fire in it.and then tlnow in kto’/es, whioh become heated through. They ptft Wet grass on the Stoues, fill up the ho!fe with mescal, putting grass and earth on top. Another fire .is kiudled this, and the mescal left for three of four days. It is then taken out. dried, and what is not wanted for immediate use is each* fd. The fruit if sudh it can be Called, i* then very eatable, and resembles in taste a sweet potato. There are hundreds of acres of this mescal growing in places in these mountains,aud a squaw can gather enough in a day to provide a family’s sustenance lor the euiire year. It is therefore evident that) he Indians cannot be starved out.

“As to water, they seem to l»e able to get atong without it. My troops frequently drove them to almost Inaccesioie heights, and the Apaches would camp sous r five miles from water aud seem to suffer no inconvenience. “At the time of this campaign Pedro was peaceable, and was at the head of only a small band. He appeared to be a very sensible Indian and a man of firetty good character. If he has gone nto this Ugbt as a leader of the hostiles, ho may prove a dangerous one,as he has more than ordinary knowledge of the military's tacticjs. fn appearance he is well built and nSSra Roman nose, in which he differsftartn most of Lis tribe, whose noiWsiare usually straight. He is a full-blooded Apache* aud probably acquired his name from the Jesuits, who a number of years ago weut amoug these ludiaus and left uianv names of the Spanish character. In fact, the Spaniards aud Mexicans from time to time have been amoug the Apaches, and very many of them speak Spanish fluently. “But with their intelligence, they are very treacherous, will steal upon the slightest opportunity, and are possessed of a dare-deviltry which is seldom equaled. I have known sixty of the bucks to flatten themselves on the prairie,right by the side of a trail, without even grass to entirely conceal them and the e cort of a train to go by without knowing of their presence. After the escoit had passed the Apaches rose up and captured the entire wagon train. “Of their terrible cruelty to captives I have known many instances. One of these horrible methods is to hang a Srieocer by the heels and kindle a slow re under his Lead, dancing about with fiendish yells while the victim writhes in the terrible agonies of death. They are merciless in the extreme and spare neither man, woman nor babe. “They have been hostile ever since the whites have had anything to do with them, and are |so by nature. Of corn se, the 13,000 or 14,000 who are living on the lower reservation are apparently peaceable by nature, but they are so mixed up and intermarried with the others that it is impossible to tell how' much they may be aiding the latter.

“It is difficult for a body of men. or even one man, to get into this mountainous country without the Apaches all knowing it, as they have a code of fire and smoke signals by which hey telegraph for fifty or a hundred miles. In a fight they are the most formidable ludiaus to meet that I know of. They never make a fighting stand unless they are sure of their forces and position, pnd then it usually means defeat and perhaps annihilation for the attaoking force. “The Apache’s heads are well formed and their physical powers are wonderful. Although not unusually very large, they are tough as iron and capable of any fatigue. One of the bucks will travel 60 miles a day over those rough mountains and seemingly not be tired. “All of the White fountain Indians are probably engaged in this outbreak, as Pedio has only a small band under him. Among the 6,000 hostiles there are probably 1,200 to 1,500 warriors. If they are engaged in this thing in earnest it means, in my opinion, a long and difficult campaign. If the rnmor that the Indiaus have captured Fort Apache be true, which 1 somewhat doubt, they have a good supply of amunition and it will take a strong force to subdue them. Infantry will be the most serviceable in the cam-

paign, and it will require a vigorous line of tactics to conquer the hostile*.”