Breaking the Wilderness : $b The Story of the Conquest of the Far West, From the Wanderings of Cabeza de Vaca, to the First Descent of the Colorado by Powell, and the Completion of the Union Pacific Railway, With Particular Account of the Exploits of Trappers and TradersDellenbaugh, Frederick Samuel
History
Breaking the Wilderness : $b The Story of the Conquest of the Far West, From the Wanderings of Cabeza de Vaca, to the First Descent of the Colorado by Powell, and the Completion of the Union Pacific Railway, With Particular Account of the Exploits of Trappers and Traders
Dellenbaugh, Frederick Samuel
West (U.S.) -- Description and travel; West (U.S.) -- History
For amusements, Santa Fé occupied itself largely with bull-baiting,
cock-fighting, dancing, and gambling. A considerable trade was carried
on with the Apaches, war materials and whiskey being exchanged for mules
and other property stolen from settlements to southward. The Sonoran
Government issued a proclamation declaring all booty that might be taken
from savages to belong to the captors, which led a party of foreigners
under the lead of an American to visit a large camp of about fifty
warriors with their families. Among these was Juan José, a famous chief
who had been educated at Chihuahua, and who had harassed the Mexicans
terribly. José was willing to either fight or trade,
"but on being assured that it was a trading party a friendly
interview was immediately established. A small field-piece which
had been concealed was loaded with chain and canister and held in
readiness. The warriors were then invited to the white men's camp
to receive a present of flour which was placed within range of the
cannon. While the Apaches were dividing this they were fired on and
a number were killed. The remainder were then attacked, and about
twenty slain, including José and other chiefs. Those who escaped
became afterwards their own avengers in a manner which proved
terribly disastrous to another party of Americans who happened at
the same time to be trapping on the Rio Gila not far distant. They
massacred every one—about fifteen."[94]
[Illustration: A Rose of New Mexico.
Photograph by C. C. Pierce & Co.]
From this time forth the Apaches became the open, deadly foe of all
Americans as they had previously been of the Mexicans. It became all
round a war of extermination which ended only when General Crook, many
years later, finally captured the last famous warrior, Geronimo. The
Apache has been much reviled, and he certainly was a terror and made
that portion of the Wilderness a dangerous place for Mexicans and
Americans, yet, estimated judicially, he seems to have had some right
on his side, and he was not more cruel or treacherous than the whites.
He went under eventually because of the overpowering numbers of his
opponents, but, considering all the circumstances, it is doubtful if
any people ever made a braver or more determined stand against their
acknowledged enemies and oppressors than did the Apaches.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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