The Apache Indians--Ideas Concerning God--A Statement Concerning
the Jesuits--Treachery of Kerker--Slaughter of the Apaches--The
Navajoes--Colonel Chavez' Horse Race--Loss of Government Horses--War
with this Tribe--The Yaqui Tribe--The Tarumaries--A Peculiar Custom.
This chapter will be devoted to what I have seen and learned about
Apaches and other southern tribes. The common supposition is that the
Apaches are by nature and desire a blood-thirsty people, and have
always been so. This is a mistake, but it is a fact that we have to go
back almost a century to find them a peaceable people.
Their own story is that they were once vegetarians. They were so
opposed to killing that they would say to the bear, "God made you; go
in peace, I will not kill you." And to the birds, "God made you with
feathers to protect you in cold air, and wings to fly. How good God has
been to you!" And even to the rattlesnake they would say, "You have
rattles and tell us where you are so that we can get out of your way.
We will not kill you."
I am giving this as the Apaches gave it to me. They believe in God the
Father, and in a God Mother; and that God dwells in a place where He
can see and understand what they do; that they once dwelt with Him, and
that when they die if they have done good they will go back to dwell
with their Father and Mother, but if unworthy they are sent away from
them in sorrow. They pray in the evening that they may be protected
from their enemies and have good dreams, desiring that their dead
friends may visit and talk to them.
They believe that they once had more power with God than they now have,
and acknowledged that they had done wrong in killing their own people;
saying that for that reason their prayers were not heard and answered
as formerly. They say that Americans do not honor God, but throw His
name at their mules and cattle the same as they do clods or rocks, and
that it is their duty to destroy the wicked blasphemers from off the
earth; that none have a right to live unless they honor their Father's
name.
They reckon that by killing white men at the ratio they have been that
eventually they will exterminate the white race. This was their belief
a few years since Possibly they are beginning to think differently by
this time.
They say that the cause of their fighting with the Catholic Mexicans
is that when Mexico was conquered by the priests, they wanted the
natives of Mexico to cease to worship the real Father God, and worship
gods made of wood and stone. Most of the natives submitted to this,
but the Apaches refused and went into the mountains away from the
priests; After a while the Indians that commenced to worship the wood
and stone gods made war on them by order of the priests, and drove them
to bloodshed. After a while they agreed to submit and made a treaty to
listen to the priests, but they soon found they were bad men and had
been enemies ever since.
Now for a little history, partly written and partly traditionary.
Some two hundred miles in a westerly direction from the city of
Chihuahua, among the Sierra Madre mountains, there is a beautiful
valley of about fifty thousand acres of land, well watered and
surrounded with timbered mountains. The Mexicans call this Paradise, or
Garden of Eden.
About eighty years ago the Jesuits planted a mission among the Apaches
in this beautiful valley. Everything went on happily for a season. The
head priest had considerable influence with the natives, using his
power for his own convenience.
In connection with many other selfish customs, the priests required of
the Indians one of their handsomest daughters to live at the mission,
making them believe that there was some religious ceremony, essential
to their welfare, that required the presence of this maiden. A daughter
of the chief was selected.
The priests had told the Indians that they lived pure lives before God.
After a while the daughter of the chief was missing. When the Indians
made inquiries for her, they were told that she had been taken to
heaven in a miraculous manner and was made a saint. The chief did not
believe the story and suspected treachery. There was an old woman who
had had charge of the Indian girl. The Apaches seized and tortured her
until she confessed the truth. The priest had lived with the daughter
as a wife. And when her condition became such as to betray him he had
her killed and buried. The Indians found her body and confirmed this
treachery. They then raised and killed all connected with the mission
and destroyed everything possible. They swore vengeance on the priests
and their followers and vowed that no Catholic should ever inhabit this
valley.
I have seen the ruins they made within the last few years, and heard
this story from the Mexicans living within a day's travel from this
valley. They all dread the Apaches to this day. No Mexican has ever
dared to make a home there. From that time until the present the
Apaches have been at war with the Mexicans.
When white men first went to the region where the Apaches roam, the
Indians looked upon them as a different class of people and did not
make war upon the few white traders they met on the road to the city of
Chihuahua, but they would go in and trade with merchant trains owned by
Americans, and in no way molest them.
This peaceful state of affairs was broken up in the year 1843. At that
time the State of Chihuahua was having a hard time with the Apaches,
and the government offered a large reward for their scalps, ranging
from $100 to $150 per head.
This offer got to the ears of Colonel Kerker, of Texas. He raised a
company of Texans and went to the city of Chihuahua, and contracted
with the Governor for Apache scalps.
The Colt revolver had recently been brought into use. This company of
rangers carried these weapons concealed under their coats and went to
Galliana, a town on the Rio Santa Maria, in the north-western part of
Chihuahua, near the mountains where the Indians dwelt.
This Kerker arranged to have the Apaches come to a feast prepared
for them, agreeing to meet them unarmed, as friends. The Indians,
believing these white men real friends, came in without suspicion, and,
while partaking of the hospitality, the rangers commenced with their
revolvers and killed over a hundred of them. The Indians could make no
resistance, but were literally slaughtered. Kerker got his money, but
lost the respect of all decent men.
A few years after this I was in the Apache country. They were killing
both whites and Mexicans at every opportunity. Thirty-five years after
I was again in that country and it was still the same.
For many years when a white man was killed by an Apache, the whites
would remark, "There is another of Kerker's victims."
I saw this same individual in 1849 in Santa Fe, when he was there for a
few days. So indignant were the people at him that there was a strong
talk of lynching him.
Individually, I succeeded in making friends with most of these Apaches.
I have talked with them, but they have no confidence in the Mexican or
white man.
The move made by Gen. Crook that at the time proved a success, namely,
getting one band to fight another, finally ceased to work and the
scouts enlisted for the last few years have done but little killing.
By the whites these Apaches are considered the worst Indians on the
continent.
I have never heard an apology or excuse for their conduct by any one,
so, like the old miner who attended a Methodist revival, when the
preacher called on all who were for God to rise to their feet, all got
up but the old miner. When all for the Devil were called to stand up
the old miner arose. The parson asked him why he voted for Satan. The
reply was that he never liked to see any man without a friend.
The Navajoes.
A short sketch of this tribe may be interesting. They inhabit the
country west of the settled portion of New Mexico.
In 1847, when I first knew them, they were great thieves, but not
much given to killing. Their philosophy was to spare the herders so
that they could raise more stock. They were great sheep thieves,
often taking whole herds, and sometimes taking the herders along.
The Mexicans feared to follow them through the canyons, and when the
Indians once reached the mountains they were generally let alone.
After the U. S. government was extended and New Mexico became a
territory, the U. S. forces commenced to try to stop these raids and,
after many years, partially succeeded, and troops were stationed in the
Navajo country. There was a batallion of Mexican volunteers, cavalry,
under Col. Chavez, stationed at one of the outposts.
The Indians were seemingly subdued. They were always considered smart
and somewhat politic, as well as thrifty and industrious, so they
soon accepted the situation. When they found the U. S. government was
determined to make them behave, they made a treaty and agreed to quit
stealing and allow these troops to be stationed in their country and
live in peace.
This Colonel Chavez was a great gambler and horse racer. The Navajoes
were fond of racing also. The colonel had a fine horse that he
considered a "world beater." A race was gotten up with the Indians, who
were willing to bet anything on their horse.
So sure was Colonel Chavez of winning that he bet some five hundred
head of government horses, against the same number of Indian ponies.
The Indians looked upon the colonel as owner of these horses. When the
race came off, the Indians won. The Colonel was in a scrape. He refused
to give up the horses, so the Indians took them.
I don't remember whether a fight ensued immediately, or not, but I
believe there did. At any rate the report was circulated that the
Indians had declared war, and had run off all the soldier's horses.
A war of extermination was declared against these Indians, and troops
were sent into their country. Their ranches, farms, and stock were
destroyed, and many of them were killed. The remainder were stripped of
everything. They were taken prisoners and put upon a reservation in the
eastern portion of New Mexico. Here they remained in poverty for some
years.
I do not know whether the facts were ever known by the government or
not, but I beleive they were. After a time the Indians were allowed to
go back to their old country, a reservation set apart for them and some
stock was given them to make a start. Being industrious and thrifty,
they soon began to pick up. They made blankets and traded them for
ponies.
Many of them about the years 1874-75 came into the Mormon settlements,
some few carrying enough blankets on their backs to buy a mare pony.
An Indian that could load a little Mexican donkey with blankets was
considered a good trader.
It was not many years until these Navajoes had large bands of horses
and sheep. They are again quite rich and prosperous.
Yaquis.
A few words about the Yaquis might be interesting also. They inhabit
the Rio Yaqui in Sonoro. They are an agricultural people and were
occupying this same country at the time of the Conquest and were
peaceable and quite numerous.
After the government under Spain was well established they offered
to make a grant of the Yaqui country to the inhabitants. The Indians
declined the offer, saying the country was and always had been theirs
and that they did not ask it to be granted to them.
This was rather an insult to the arrogant Spaniard. The offer has been
repeated from time to time, but the Indians have always declined the
grant on the same old grounds. So the Yaqui country stands on the maps
of Mexico as government lands.
Efforts have been made several times to oust these Indians from their
lands. Grants have been given from time to time as was the Brannan
grant, but the Indians have never given up their idea of prior rights.
There are a great many of the best citizens of Mexico in sympathy with
the Yaquis.
Tarumaries.
This tribe inhabits the mountain country in the western part of the
state of Chihuahua. There are many villages situated in the Sierra
Madre mountains, accessible only by very difficult pack-trails.
At the time of the conquest these people occupied, not only these
mountain villages, but many of the fertile valleys along the foothills.
Many of the present towns of western Chihuahua bear the old Indian
names and are inhabited by people descended from the ancient
inhabitants. With a little foreign mixture, the pure bloods greatly
predominate.
In many of these towns there are bands of these people who keep up
their old customs, name, and language, but are recognized as citizens.
They submitted to Catholicism in form, but of late years have almost
entirely lost respect for the _padres_; saying that they cared more for
their coppers than they did for their souls.
These people, both natives and mixed are very hospitable and
industrious, and are more honest and virtuous than are the average
Mexican.
The villagers of the mountains are peculiar They seem to have a dread
of mixing or associating much with anyone, even the Mexicans whose
neighbors they are. It is their habit, when anyone approaches their
village, for all the inhabitants to leave their houses and retire a
short ways, leaving their doors open and everything exposed so that if
anything is wanted by the travelers they can help themselves. But one
thing must always be done. The pay for the article taken must be left
in sight or without grace the party taking ever so small an article
without pay, will be waylaid and will be very lucky if he escapes,
with his life. So positive are these rules that no one dare take the
risk, and the people have commanded the utmost respect for ages by all
who pass through their country. Unless imposed upon and insulted they
molest no one.
These mountain Indians are excellent hunters. Deer, turkey and bear are
plentiful in the mountains. They often go into the city of Chihuahua
to trade. They pack most of their trade on their backs, traveling in
single file, paying no attention to anyone except to do their trading
and go straight back home.
Some years since, at the town of Santa Rosa, these Indians, while on a
trading trip, were insulted and abused by the inhabitants. The Indians
went home, gathered some four hundred armed men, marched back through a
number of settlements, attacked the place and almost exterminated the
people, then went home satisfied. They were never called to account for
the act.
An account of the affair has been given to me several times by
different Mexicans, who invariably tell it in honor of the character of
these Tarumaries.