THE INDIANS.
THE APACHE RAID.
BY GEN. C. H. HOWARD.
A private letter before me from a ranchman says: "Great excitement prevails all over this part of Arizona from the breaking out of the Chiricahua Apaches. We expected them here, as this is one of their old trails and watering places. We kept guard night and day. But they crossed into New Mexico, to the north of us."
The old roaming ground of the Chiricahuas was Southern Arizona. For many years they defied all attempts to subdue them. Their famous chief, Cochise, refused to make any treaty or even to parley with the representatives of the Government.
In 1873, under Grant's "peace policy," General O. O. Howard was sent to Arizona and New Mexico to make treaties with such of the Indians as could be reached. After he had visited many other tribes, including several of the Apache family, and located them peaceably, he determined to make one earnest effort to meet Cochise. The experience of twenty years proved that it would be vain to try to capture him. One white man was found, a scout and interpreter, known as Captain Jefferds, who spoke Apache and who was regarded by Cochise as a friend. He consented to try and bring about a parley with Cochise, but declared no troops must be near. General Howard took one aide-de-camp, and with Jefferds and two friendly Apaches, rode for two days until they came near the stronghold. Jefferds then sent forward the two Indians with a message. They went cautiously, kindling fires from point to point, and receiving answering signals. The next day one of them returned, bringing word that Cochise would see the General and his party, and that the messenger was to guide them to a designated place of meeting. Cochise was not there on the arrival of the party, but some of his head men appeared soon after, had a talk with Jefferds and were introduced to the General, all showing signs of a marked impression, from the fact that the General had lost his right arm and carried no weapons. His Apache name was ever afterwards the "The One-Armed Chief." Some of the Chiricahuas then mounted and rode away, and not long after a body of Indians came galloping up. A powerfully-built man, fully armed with rifle, revolvers and knife, dismounted and first took Jefferds by the hand, and then turned and frankly greeted the General. The details of that interview, of the stay of the treaty-party in the stronghold as Cochise's guests, for two days; their experience the first night, when they were awakened in the middle of the night and the entire camp was moved to a still more inaccessible natural fortification, far up in the mountains, owing to an apprehended attack from a militia company which had pursued some marauding Chiricahuas the day before—all would form an interesting and romantic chapter of Indian history.
The treaty stipulated that all raiding and marauding should cease; that the Chiricahuas should confine themselves to a certain defined tract of country; that Captain Jefferds, whom Cochise always called his brother, would be their agent, and that necessary food would be allowed them. A definite time was granted in which Cochise was to communicate the terms of the treaty to his absent chiefs, some of whom were in old Mexico or other distant places.