Papers Relating to the Foreign Relations of the United States, Transmitted to Congress, With the Annual Message of the President, December 4, 1882
No. 233.
Mr. Frelinghuysen to Señor Romero.
Washington, April 27, 1882.
Sir: Adverting to previous correspondence touching reported depredations in Sonora, by Indians from the San Carlos Agency, I have the honor to inclose herewith, for your information, copies of two letters from the Secretary of War, of the 6th and the 18th instant, respecting the troubles complained of.
Accept, &c.,
Mr. Lincoln to Mr. Frelinghuysen.
Washington City, April 6, 1882. (Received April 7.)
Sir: Referring to the reported depredations in the State of Sonora by the Chiricahua Indians who escaped from the San Carlos Reservation, which was the subject of [Page 417] your communication of the 1st ultimo, I have the honor to invite your attention to the copy of a letter transmitted herewith, dated the 23d ultimo, from the commanding general of the Military Division of the Pacific, and the accompanying copy of his instructions of March 17, 1882, to the commanding general of the Department of Arizona on the subject; attention is also invited to the inclosed copy of a letter dated March 26, 1882, from the General of the Army, approving of the measures taken to prevent the incursions of these Indians.
Very respectfully, &c.,
Secretary of War.
General McDowell to General Drum.
Presidio, San Francisco, Cal., March 23, 1882.
Sir: I have the honor to acknowledge receipt of copy of a communication from the late Mexican minister at Washington reporting depredations in the State of Sonora by the Chiricahua Indians who escaped from the San Carlos Reservation, and asking that renewed vigilance be exerted in that quarter to prevent similar occurrence in future, and also reply of the War Department thereto, dated March 6, 1882, forwarded by your indorsement of the 15th instant; and in answer thereto, I herewith inclose copy of my instructions, of the 17th instant, to the commanding general Department of Arizona on the subject.
I call attention to the fact, that our troops were in close pursuit of these Chiricahuas when they crossed into Mexico, greatly crippled, and that the commanding officer was prepared and desired to continue the pursuit across the boundary line, but was prevented from so doing by the protest of the Mexican authorities.
Had the Mexican troops taken up the pursuit of these savages when they first entered Mexican territory, or had the military authorities permitted our troops to continue operations against these Indians instead of protesting against their crossing the boundary line, even to get water, the request of the Mexican Government for redoubled vigilance on the part of the United States military authorities to prevent the repetition of incursions would come with more force.
I may be pardoned for saying that newspaper reports received here stated that the Mexican authorities tried to make a treaty with these Indians, and it was only after their endeavor in that respect had failed, and after the Indians had repeated in Sonora their murders and outrages, that the Mexican troops were sent in pursuit of them.
Very respectfully, &c.,
Major-General, Commanding Division and Department.
Colonel Kelton to Commanding General Department of Arizona, Whipple Barracks, Ariz.
Presidio of San Francisco, Cal., March 17, 1882.
Sir: In reply to your telegram of the 15th instant, the division commander directs me to say that he thinks you should be the judge of what troops you can spare from Forts Apache and Thomas in the present quiet condition of the Indians on the San Carlos Reservation. But he also thinks if you can afford to take any troops from those posts you should not send them to Grant, but station them on the border, one troop at Huachuca, to replace Wagner’s, of the First Cavalry, and one at Camp Rucker. In a few weeks the troops at Huachuca will be able to get to Willcox Station or any place on the railroad sooner than they would from Grant, and certainly, to keep the peace on the border and satisfy the reasonable wishes of the people of the Territory and carry out the instructions of the Secretary of War, the new camp at Rucker should be as large as you can possibly make it. The division commander, therefore, directs that any troops which you can relieve from Apache and Thomas be sent into camp at Rucker and Huachuca. With the two camps, each of two troops, and one company of infantry and one of Indian scouts, with a camp of observation with some scouts between these posts, and one to the east of Rucker, patrolling the border, the earliest information of Indians entering the Territory would be obtained. In case of any Indians [Page 418] making away from San Carlos Reservation the troops at these camps would he in the best position to intercept them.
Of course these camps should be connected by telegraph or a system of seen signal stations with the general military telegraph system of the department, and that without delay.
The question of transportation will be but little affected by the change of station of troops. The transportation made necessary by the new camp at Rucker will be offset by the less demand for transportation at posts from which the troops at the camp came. But aside from this, should the reduction of your public transportation by one-fifth take place, there is no difficulty to be anticipated about supplying the troops at the new camp by contractors’ transportation. An additional object for getting a command at an early day at or near the permanent site of the new post near Rucker is that a reservation of suitable size, embracing wood for building and fuel, with grass, and a rifle range, may be set aside and surveyed before the occupation of the country by settlers and before the building timber is claimed.
The fact that the troops may be obliged to make a temporary camp near water, instead of occupying at once the site which is selected for the new post, is a matter which should not be taken into consideration as affecting the movement of the troops intended for the new post.
The division commander in presenting these views looks forward to the early abandonment of both Forts Grant and Bowie, especially the former, and the concentration of so much of their garrisons at Rucker and Huachuca as will make each a four-company post—three troops of cavalry and one company of infantry. These large posts will necessarily compel the Mexican Government to build large posts near the northern border, perhaps on the Blackwater and at San Luis Springs.
If, in addition to these posts, the General of the Army recommends a large post in New Mexico, near Deming, their several garrisons will present great obstacles to any formidable raids from Mexico, and should be able to prevent the raiders from doing any considerable damage in Arizona and from escaping.
Very respectfully, &c.,
Colonel, Acting Adjutant-General.
General Sherman to General Drum.
Fort Bliss, Texas, March 26, 1882.
General: Your letter of March 15 met me here, and the instructions you have given General McDowell are of course all right.
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The matter of which Señor Zamacona complains occurred some months ago, and next week I will pass over the very ground where this escapade of Chiricahuas occurred.
The new railroad now in full career will settle all these matters.* * * To-morrow I go 120 miles toward Chihuahua, and Governor Anthony has just been here and thinks the railroad will reach Chihuahua in all June, distance 225 miles, nearly all graded, and the track being laid at the rate of 1½ miles a day.
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Truly, &c.,
Mr. Lincoln to Mr. Frelinghuysen.
Washington City, April 18, 1882. (Received April 21.)
Sir: Referring to your letter of the 1st ultimo, inclosing a copy of a note from the-Mexican minister reporting depredations in Mexico by Indians who escaped from the San Carlos Reservation, I have the honor to inclose herewith, in connection with reports on the subject heretofore transmitted to you, copy of a letter from the General of the Army, dated Tucson, Ariz., April 11, 1882, to whom a copy of your letter and its inclosure was furnished.
Very respectfully, &c.,
Secretary of War.
General Sherman to Mr. Lincoln.
Sir: I beg to acknowledge receipt, through General McDowell’s headquarters, of a copy of the communication of March 1, 1882, from the honorable Secretary of State, transmitting a communication from the Mexican minister, reporting depredations in Mexico by Indians from the San Carlos Reservation, and to report that I have been in person to that reservation, as also on the Mexican border; that since October, 1881, there have been no Indians from the San Carlos Reservation in Mexico; that the Chiricahuas who then escaped fled from a supposed personal danger, and are now in Mexico, but that the Mexican military authorities were unwilling to permit our troops to pursue and capture them, expressing their ability to take care of them, and that since, up to the present moment, effectual measures have been taken by the military authorities of the United States to prevent any similar recurrences.
So far as my knowledge goes there is perfect peace along the national border at this time.
I have, &c.,
General.