January 19, 1861, The New York Herald
Our Tucson Correspondence.
TUCSON, Dec. 30, 1861.
On the 20th instant the Apaches murdered an American named Hoyt, who was cutting wood about a mile and a half from Fort Breckinridge. Hoyt’s partner escaped, but very narrowly. The Indians took a rifle, pistol and ammunition from the murdered man. Hoyt was from Virginia, where he has relatives. The Indians were not pursued, nor has there yet been any attempt to chastise them for numerous robberies and murders, notwithstanding they are constantly in the vicinity of the fort and their country is only three or four days’ march from the commanding officer’s quarters. The garrison of Fort Breckinridge consists of two full (or nearly full) companies of dragoons, and one company of infantry. The inactivity of the troops in this region fairly beats the celebrated inactivity of General Taylor’s forces on the Rio Grande. Indians stealing and killing all around us, and nearly five hundred United States soldiers doing nothing but attacking bacon and beans with a vigor such as is always displayed by our gallant army in such warfare.
Of course the fault is not in the rank and file nor the sub-officers; they can only do as they are ordered; the blame lies with the department commanders and the commanders of the posts. Col. Fauntleroy, in the tribulations of his Navajo campaign, seems to have forgotten that Western Arizona, although overrun by Apaches, has five hundred brave sons of Mars shut up in adobe houses, wasting their valor upon salt provisions and venerable sour krout. Yet such is the case. I imagine the Quartermaster and Commissary bills at Washington will satisfy people that troops are here if nothing else will, and if Col. Fauntleroy has forgotten the fact, it might be well for the Secretary of War to mildly remind him, and after the Colonel ascertains that we have soldiers among us he may conclude they are here for some purpose, and order them into the field. This is just the season for campaigning against the Apaches, for if they are vigorously and persistently followed up, they are bound to be starved and frozen into good behavior, even if none are killed.
Speaking of Indians reminds me of a serious error in the late report of Mr. Greenwood, Indian Commissioner. He says that the Gila Apaches are cultivating land, and have evinced great aptness, and desire to do so. What Indians are meant by “Gila Apaches” I am at a loss to conceive, since nearly all the bands live near or on the Gila, except the Apaches of the Sierra Blanco. One poor, broken, powerless remnant of an Apache tribe, has, by the aid of white men and Mexicans, hired by the Indian agent, raised a little green corn, each ear costing more than the same in New York city. This is the sum of the agricultural labors of this little family of Indians, while the Coyoteros, the Pinals, the Tontos, the Chirricabines and the Apaches still roam as free and wild as though a hoe was never invented. But the Pimos and Maricopas are agricultural Indians, raising every year grain for themselves and to sell, while the Popagos, with no tools except the few wretched things of their own manufacture, do almost as well. These are the Indians of Arizona, disposed to till the soil, and they should receive the presents instead of the murderous, thieving Apaches, who never did and never will work.
In Tubac, on Christmas day, a fight occurred between some Americans and Mexicans, in which P.H. McGovern, American, was wounded, one Mexican killed and several severely injured. Exaggerated rumors spread over the country of war and fighting, and a party of United States infantry was sent from Fort Buchanan to Tubac to keep the peace among hostile factions. Late information warrants the general belief that the Americans were at fault.
Colonel C.D. Poston, of New York, lessee of the Sonora silver miles, has a steam engine in operation, and is taking our plenty of silver. Those who leased the mines to Colonel Poston will soon find that they did a very foolish thing, as he will make himself a millionaire, while for ten years the stockholders’ profits will be represented by $0,000.