Page 70 - Cooke's Peak - Pasaron Por Aqui

On April 27, 1851, Bartlett pulled out of Dona Ana for the copper mines in his four-mule carriage. He led a train of 12 wagons, each drawn by five or six mules, and the other members of his party, mounted on horses or mules. In crossing the Rio Grande at San Diego, one of the wagons mired in the quick- sand, and all six mules drowned before they could be freed. On April 30, Bartlett’s train stopped at
Cooke’s Spring an hour before noon to water the stockandrefreshthemselves. Hedescribedthe spring as forming “a pool, some 50 feet across, sur- rounded by rushes. The water is a little brackish, but
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the grass in the vicinity is excellent.”
Bartlett climbed a nearby hill to the south and
made note of the amount of chalcedony strewn there, some of which he collected. 26 After an hour’s wait for the mules to crop some grass, the party hitched up and moved on through Cooke’s Canyon. Bartlett recorded that: “This pass is quite hilly and stony, with some deep ravines to cross, but otherwise
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been with the Apaches only six months. The other, Jose Trinfan, who was slightly younger, had been a captive for six years and was considered by the Apaches to be a member of one of the Indian families. Bartlett’s action caused a fearful row and almost triggered open violence. The Apaches, espe- cially one called Ponce, became extremely agitated. During the following debates regarding the Commissioner’s actions, Bartlett insulted Ponce, callinghimsomethinglessthanaman,andrefused to talk further with the Indian. In the end, despite articulate and emotional appeals by the Apaches, the matter was “settled” with a p^ment of goods to
the Indians valued at about $250.
While at the copper mine headquarters, Bartlett
made “friends” with the Apaches, especially Man- gas Coloradas who had also visited Kearny when the Americans passed by the copper mines in late 1846. Bartlett had a full suit of blue broadcloth made for the Apache
which consisted of a frock coat lined with scar- let and ornamented with gilt buttons. His pan- taloons, at his request, were open from the knee downwards,afterthefashionoftheMexicans, with a row of small fancy buttons on one side, and a broad strip of scarlet cloth on the outer sidefromthehipdownwards. Awhiteshirt
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and red silk sash completed his dress.
Within two days, however, the Chief had modified his new outfit wrapping the gaudy pantaloons around his waist and moving one of the epaulets to dangle,accordingtoCremony,“bulliondown,be-
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tween the hind buttons of his coat.”
Until the Apaches learned to abuse the privilege,
Bartlett fed many of the head men at his table. However, he soon tired of their turning over their plates to another until several had eaten at the same meal. The Apaches displayed one precaution in that they would always ask what the meat was because they knew that the Whites killed and ate bear, which theApacheswouldnot. Bartlettrespectedtheir
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beliefs and never tried to trick them on this issue. On July 5, 1851, some of Bartlett’s men left to hunt for a cook who had fled the camp with a stolen horse, Colt pistol, and some extra clothing. After two days the pursuers overtook him, relieved him of the horse and pistol, and left him to find his way to the settle-
That night they camped on the Mimbres; Bartlett was
attended with no difficulties for wagons.”
disappointed in its size but not in its taste.
On May 2, 1851, Bartlett suffered a nearly dis- astrousaccident. Afterestablishinghisbasecamp at the copper mine, he had gone to see some peculiar rock formations.” While mounting his mule to returntocamp,hewaseitherthrownordraggedoff, and his mule kicked him in the left shoulder. It was later determined by doctors Thomas H. Webb and John M. Bigelow of the commission and White of the army that his arm was indeed broken near the
shoulder. Had Bartlett been kicked in the head, the incidentcouldhaveendedhislife. Itwasfortunate that he shared quarters with such a compassionate man as Colonel Craig. The Colonel got up frequent- ly during the night to turn Bartlett in his bed so that
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he might rest better.
Despite his broken arm, Bartlett took an extended
trip into Mexico shortly after General Conde arrived atthecoppermineheadquartersonMay5. OnJune 27, after returning to the mine, Bartlett was in- strumental in recovering a young Mexican girl held by New Mexicans who had traded for her with In- dians. Others evidently heard of his action, and the following day the Commissioner again exercised the powers granted him under Article 11 of the Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo when he confiscated two boys held in captivity by the visiting Apaches.
One, a 13-year-old named Saverro Aredia, had
ments as best he 34 could.
This was very close to a
The Joint Boundary Commission
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