Page 127 - Cooke's Peak - Pasaron Por Aqui

was coming with 15 wagonloads of presents, but
when Steck arrived he had only 3 wagonloads for
distribution among Cochise’s Chiricahuas. Accord-
ing to Tevis, Cochise was disappointed and angered
at the quantity and quality of the gifts, insulted Steck,
and gave the Agent an hour to hitch up and get out
of Apache Pass, a task that Steck accomplished in 22
minutes. InviewoftheApaches’lackofaggression
against the Overland Mail during the next two years,
it is probable that Tevis’s account is the less accurate
162 of the two.
Again, things were not totally quiet. In early February 1859, Lieutenant Henry Martyn Lazelle and a company of Mounted Riflemen from Fort Bliss had a sharp engagement with some Apaches near Cooke’s Spring. It was later reported the In- dians were led by Manuelito (of the copper mine confrontation) and Jose de la Luz.
Pass, and Smith continued with only 13 men. Con- tact was made with several different groups of Apaches, but each time the peaceful surrender of a couple of head of cattle precluded any violence. In return Smith claimed that the Indians helped water the cattle.
Three of Lazelle’s men were killed, and he and six other
Smith stopped over one day at Cooke’s Spring to rest the stock and then proceeded by way of Picacho to the Rio Grande and down river to the Fort Bliss sutler, Frank R. Diffenderfer, having lost or given away only about 20 cattle.
soldiers were wounded, Lazelle seriously. reported that the Indians’ losses were even greater. The 30 or more warriors were reinforced during the
Other people were also becoming involved in sup- plying the military stationed in the Southwest. In 1859, William Sullivan Grant sold his shipbuilding business in Maine and joined with Californian Theodore W. Taliafero to form a new company, based in Tucson, to compete with Hart and the firm of Majors, Russell, and Waddell. The new business became operative on March 8, 1860, and underbid other contractors by 12 percent to furnish supplies to Fort Buchanan and Fort Fillmore. Later, Fort Breckenridge and Fort McLane would be added.
After disposing of the cattle at Fort Bliss, Smith bummed around El Paso a few days and then joined a group of miners who supposedly had researched old Spanish records in El Paso and were convinced they knew where to find undeveloped gold sources in the vicinity of the old copper mines. Smith left El Paso for the Pinos Altos Range with 12 to 14 others, led by Jacob Snively. They almost certainly went to
16
the mountains by way of Cooke’s Spring.
The prospectors separated into smaller teams and scoured the ridges and streams looking for traces of
color. About May 1, 1860, the group composed of Snively, Henry “Three-Fingered” Burch, and James W. Hicks discovered gold in Bear Creek when Burch
170
The word of the strike spread rapidly, as might be expected, and would-be miners flocked in from everywhere. Within 2 1/2 months at least 1,168 people were living in the area that comprised the Santa Rita copper
mine, Hanover copper mine, and Pinos Altos mining 171
district.
night, however, and the troops had to withdraw.
163
A few months later in 1859, Brevet Major William
Hamilton Gordon of the Third Infantry led an ex-
pedition from Fort Fillmore to the Burro Mountains
and back. His mission was to select a site for a
military post to “overawe” the Apaches. He left on
June 27 with more than 100 men and returned to the
fort on July 17. It is not clear whether he went
through Cooke’s Canyon, though this is highly likely.
What is important is that, after dividing his com-
mand on July 5 and later reforming, he visited the
camp of Mangas Coloradas, “where he was cordially
164
received.”
Steck’s cordial relations with the Mimbres, Gila,
and Chiricahua Apaches continued, and he made another journey west in October 1859 with more presents. Steck met about 800 of the Gila band southwest of Stein’s Peak. Here he again distributed presents and received three animals from Cochise that had been stolen. The Apache Chief promised that he would watch over the travelers and mail
165 coaches on the southern road to California.
At about this time, “Hank” Smith was detailed by William C. Wordsworth to deliver 1,200 cattle to Fort Bliss on the Rio Grande adjacent to Franklin,
166
Things were quiet with the Apaches, so the commander at Fort Buchanan furnished an escort only as far as Apache
stopped for a drink of water.
by then also called El Paso.
It was
Chapter 4
113
At Ojo la Vaca, he further claimed that the Apaches provided information about available water along the trail and helped guard the cattle that night. Smith indicated that the band was led by none other than Mangas Coloradas and that they slept at the same camp that night. He paid the Indians $10 for their help and gave Mangas Coloradas’s wife a blanket.