No. 335.
Mr. Hunter to Mr. Nelson.
Department
of State,
Washington, July 31,
1872.
No. 272.]
Sir: I transmit herewith a copy of a letter
from the Secretary of the Interior, under date of yesterday, and of the
communication addressed to him by the Commissioner of Indian Affairs,
relative to twenty-one captive Apache Indian children now understood to
be in Mexico, whose return to their tribe has been stipulated for by
General Howard on behalf of this Government. You are requested to inform
the government of Mexico that it is expected that no obstacle to the
return of the children will be interposed, and that the Mexican
authorities will promote that object by all proper means.
I am, &c,
W. HUNTER,
Acting Secretary.
[Inclosure.]
Mr. Delano to Mr.
Fish.
Department of the Interior,
Washington, D. C., July 31, 1872. (Received July
31.)
Sir: I have the honor to transmit herewith,
for your information, copy of a communication from the Commissioner
of Indian Affairs, dated the 26th instant, in relation to the
captivity of twenty-one Apache Indian children, who were taken
captive at the time of the Camp Grant massacre in April, 1871.
General Howard having pledged the faith of the Government for the
return of these children to their tribes, and the propriety of the
recommendation of the Commissioner being approved by the President
as well as this Department, I have the honor to invite your
attention to the subject, and respectfully to request that you take
such steps as, in your judgment, may be deemed proper and advisable,
to inform the Mexican authorities of the views of this Department in
the premises.
Very respectfully, your obedient servant,
C. DELANO,
Secretary of the
Interior.
Mr. Walker to Mr.
Delano.
Department of the Interior, Office of Indian Affairs, Washington, D.
C., July 26,
1872.
Sir: I deem it my duty to ask the attention
of the Department to the matter of the captivity of a number of
Apache Indian children, taken from their parents and their tribe in
the attack made by a party consisting of white citizens of Tucson,
Mexicans, and Papago Indians, upon a party of Apache Indians, near
Camp Grant, Arizona Territory, in April, 1871.
[Page 447]
The general facts of that outrage have been fully communicated to the
Department. I need now but refer to the capture of the children on
that occasion. It has been reported that twenty-nine of these were
carried away by the attacking party. From persons most interested it
has been ascertained, to the satisfaction of this Office, that two
of the children escaped, and succeeded in returning to friends, and
that of the remainder, six who were with citizens in Arizona have
been returned to Camp Grant, to be delivered up to the Indians. The
twenty-one remaining unaccounted for are reported to be in Sonora,
Mexico, and to be held in bondage by citizens of that country.
Humanity and justice, as well as wise policy in regard to the
management of Indian affairs in Arizona, I respectfully submit,
demand that prompt steps be taken by the Government to obtain the
recovery of these twenty-one captives, for restoration to the
Indians from whom they were forcibly taken.
General Howard promised the Indians the return of the children, and
pledged the faith of the Government for the accomplishment of that
object. With a view to the fulfillment of that promise, and to
answering the natural and just expectations of the Indians, I
respectfully recommend that the matter be referred to the Department
of State, that the necessary representations may be addressed to the
department of foreign affairs for the republic of Mexico.
Very respectfully, your obedient servant,
F. A. WALKER,
Commissioner.
