the body to the buttes at the point where the Maricopa and Phoenix railroad now crosses the Gila and left it tied to a post. The Apache who ran away led a party of his people to recover the body, but it was afterwards ascertained from the tracks that they turned back just before reaching the spot.
A Pima was killed by the Apaches while the California Column was at the villages and a squad of soldiers accompanied the pursuing party of Pimas as far as the Estrellas, but the enemy escaped. The raid was in the saguaro fruit season "as shown by the red on the dead Pima" [or the month of June, 1862].
Blackwater. Two medicine-men, father and son, were killed during the year because of their supposed machinations against the people.
1863–64
Gila Crossing, Salt River. For a short time there was peace between the Pimas and Apaches. During this period the Maricopas killed two old men and captured a boy from a party of Apaches who came to the Maricopa village. The boy was sold to a half-brother of the trader A.M. White [named Cyrus Lennan], known to the Pimas as Satcĭny Vâ, Chin Beard.
This man took the boy with him on an expedition against the Apaches. There was a Mexican in the party who understood the Apache language, so that communication was opened with the enemy as soon as they were discovered. The whites placed flour, sugar, and other rations on blankets, and the Apaches, believing that the food was intended as a peace offering, came up to them. The soldiers were accompanied by three Pimas, but they had concealed them under blankets. They had stacked their guns, but retained their side arms concealed. At a signal from the leader of the party the Apaches were fired upon and nearly all of them were killed. Lennan was killed while following the escaping Apaches, but the Pimas killed the man who had thrust a lance into his breast.[1] The place has since been known as Yatâkit ku Kâkûta, Place where the snare was set.[2]
- ↑ Owl Ear states that Lennan shot the man who struck him and they fell dead together.
- ↑ As we have independent white testimony, it is interesting to compare it with the Piman account. In his Adventures in the Apache Country J. Ross Browne describes the engagement in which Cyrus Lennan was killed. It was at the "Bloody Tanks" and is known in history as King Woolsey's (infamous) "pinole treaty." A party of 26 whites had been pursuing a band of Apaches with stolen stock for several days until they ran out of provisions and sent to the Pima villages for supplies. They were joined by 14 Maricopas under the leadership of Juan Chivaria and Cyrus Lennan. The entire party under the command of King Woolsey camped on the Salt river in a small valley which could not have been far from the upper end of the Salt River canyon. As soon as the smoke of their camp fire arose they were approached by Apaches to whom "Woolsey sent Tonto Jack, an interpreter, to learn what they had to say, and at the same time to tell them it was not the wish of his party to fight them; that he wanted them to come down and he would give them some pinole." The Apaches were finally prevailed upon to enter the camp to the number of 30 or 35. After the display of some insolence on the part of the Apache chief Woolsey drew his pistol and shot him dead. "This was the signal for the signing of the treaty. Simultaneously the whole party commenced firing upon the Indians, slaughtering them right and left. Lennan stood in advance of the Maricopas and was warned by
