Among the Pimas; online

rebel lines and thinking of the many lives sacrificed,
of the many homes made desolate, of the wounded at
times lying between the lines, suffering great agonies,
the thought came to me, how can it be that the Lord
permits all this ? I fell asleep and then thought I could
see far above the battle field, two beings, who had
power to stop the war at any time and power to pro-
tect the life of any single individual. This dream
greatly comforted me, and when some time after we
ceased shooting at each other on Sundays, and we
could hear the voice of prayer and praise, and the
preaching of the chaplains on both sides of the line, I
then thought that the war would soon end.

How much ill-feeling it would have saved on both
sides if we, like brave General Grant, had only looked
at the great war as a national punishment for sin.



22 THE PIxMA INDIAN MISSION.

After the war was over, I thought of settling on a
farm in Illinois, but stopped for a while at the home of
a comrade in New York state. There being no Pres-
byterian Church near, 1 joined the M. E. Church.
One day I accidentally cut my foot. Perhaps some of
my neighbors thought, that having come unhurt from
the war, vengeance was still following me.

After five months 1 was able to walk, though still
lame. I found work in a bank in Chicago and was led
afterwards into city mission work. I received a good
salary ; the Lord prospered my work and the outlook
was very promising.

At one time boarding near where they were excava-
ting the Washington street tunnel, I was sick with
diphtheria. I had no one to stay with me and so 1 was
alone most of the time. The medicine did not seem to
give relief and I was rapidly getting worse. I prayed
the Lord if pleasing in his sight that I should die, that
He might let me die with some other sickness. But
my throat kept getting worse, I could only breathe
with great difficulty. 1 then heard such heavenly music
as I never expect to hear again in this world. The
room seemed to be full of heavenly beings. I con-
cluded that I had died and began to fear that I might
get well again. After a little I could again feel the
pain in my throat but a few days after I got well. (I
have since learned that pure fresh air, an outward
appliance of sweet oil and croton oil mixed, and a
gargle of permangenate of potash is a good treatment
for diphtheria).

I read the life of David Brainard and often thought



THE PIMA INDIAN MISSION. 23

of him and his Indians. I think it was in 1868 or '6g
I got hold of a copy of the New York Evangelist. I
read in it an article from an army officer about the
Pima Indians of Arizona, and of their great need of
teachers and missionaries.

At first I did not pay much attention to it and I did
not ket'p the paper. I was thinking of preparing
myself and then to go as missionary to China. But
from that time forward, for a year or more, the article
which I had read without much thought would still
present itself to me.

V\ hen I prayed over the matter, T would always feel
more convinced that I ought to go to the Pima Indians.
In reading the Bible I was greatly surprised to find so
many passages in both Old and New Testament refer-
ing to the sending of the gospel to the heathen.

I saw some of my friends and brethren go away to
India and China with their necessary expenditures all
provided for and I was glad of it. But the M. E.
Church at that time had no money to spare for sending
the gospel to the Indians.

Inquiring at Washington as to the Indian affairs in
Arizona, I was informed that things were very un-
settled in Arizona and that it would not be safe to go
forth on such an enterprise at that time. The thought
then came to me that the same Lord who had pro-
tected me during the war could also protect me in
Arizona, and as to my temporal support, the same God
who provided for George MuHer's orphans must be able
to provide for me, as long as I was willing to work.

On my first journey to Arizona and often since, my
army experience has been of great help to me.



24 THE PIMA INDIAN MISSION.

September i, 1870, with a good supply of clothing,
tent, blankets, a small melodeon, a Winchester rifle,
some groceries and a few cooking utensils, I left
Chicago.

Through the kindness of a fellow-laborer of the Epis-
copal Church, I received railroad passes to Kansas City
where I stopped over Sunday. Attending church, I
unexpectedly met a former Chicago friend, who kindly
invited me to his house, and who on Monday procured
me a pass to Kit Carson, so that instead of being out
about $6.00 for keeping the Sabbath, I gained some
$15.00 or more. As we moved further west, towns
became fev/ and far between. On some part of the
railroad, troops were stationed to protect the road and
stations against hostile Indians. At some places we
could see buffaloes from the car windows.

Kit Carson, Kansas, my terminus on the railroad,
looked like a very hard place, yet near by we beheld a
small church and school house, showing how quickly
these railroads help to move forward christian civiliza-
tion.

Upon inquiry I was told that a mule train had left a
little before for Prescott, Arizona. So I took the stage,
fare $16.00 or 25 cents per mile, to Bent's Fort, or trad-
ing place. During the night we saw a rainbow by moon-
light.

At the stage station I waited several days. The Pres-
cott train arrived on Sunday, but some lady passengers
objected to having a preacher travel with them.

Mr. Price, the kind station keeper learning of my
errand, instead of charging me $15.00, the usual price,
was well satisfied with a few sermons instead. It also



THE PIMA INDIAN MISSION. 25

pleased him to join in singing some of the old familiar
hymns, which he had not heard for years.

Monday evening a Mexican ox train came along ;
the train was not heavy loaded, and the wagon-master
was willing to take me to Santa Fe, N. M., at a reason-
able rate. No one of the Mexicans could talk English,
so I made good progress in the Spanish language.

We made good time with the ox train, traveling by
day and by night. We soon overtook the Prescott
train. The only difiticulty which I encountered was
that the Mexicans, like most whites out here, would
travel on Sundays.

On our first Sunday evening, a Mexican robber came
into camp. He eyed my Winchester rifle so sharply
that the wagon-master noticed it and cautioned me.
The next day, late in the evening he offered to help
bring in the oxen for the night journey. He then
imitated the howl of a prairie wolf to perfection, then
stole the wagon-master's mule and pony and decamped.
All of this undoubtedly would not have happened, had,
we not traveled on Sunday.

Traveling on the next Sunday and camping in the
mountains near Los Vegas, an ox was stolen and after
the following day we had to wait three days for the
wagon-master's brother, who was to take the train to
Santa Fe.

vSaturday, Oct. i. — Just one month from Chicagor
We encamped about fifty miles from Santa Fe. I con-
cluded to take a little clothing and rifle and to walk on
ahead of the train, until the stage should overtake me,
and then if there was room, 1 would go on with it to
the town. When the stage came up to me, I secured



26 THE PIMA INDIAN MISSION.

passage and thus reached Santa Fe, Saturday evening.
Rev. Dr. and Mrs. McFarland gave me a warm wel-
come. I preached for the good brother morning and
evening, the chapel being full each time. They also
had a large Sunday school. Here I learned that a good
Presbyterian sister was already employed by the church,
to labor among New Mexico's Indians. The thought
came to me, if a defenceless woman can live and labor
among the savages, there ought to be hope for a man
who had seen war.

Tuesday afternoon, Oct. 4. — Feeling much refreshed
and after Mrs. McFarland had supplied me with a good
three days' lunch, I left Santa Fe with another ox train
for Albuquerque, where we arrived Friday, Oct. 7, and
where I had to stay until Nov. 5. But this gave me
an opportunity to preach the gospel and to do other
kinds of missionary work.

During one Sunday a Union soldier traveling with a
mule train on that day, had fallen from the wagon and
was killed. The government agent requested me to
assist him in giving the departed a decent burial. This
we did, with a number of whites and Mexicans attend-
ing.

At Albuquerque, being now not far from the haunts
of the Apaches, my purse got so low that I had to
part with my Winchester rifle.

The kind postmaster, Mr. Herner, a German Catho-
lic, of whom I rented a room, did not want to see me
cook my own meals, so he only charged me $15.00 for
four weeks' board, instead of $10.00 a week, the usual
rate at that time.



The PIMA INDIAN MISSION. 2"]

Nov. 4, a large number of recruits arrived for the
regular army, in charge of four young officers, with one
officer's wife. They represented difTerent church
denominations, the officer in charge being a Methodist.

All were glad to have me travel with them and
insisted on my sharing their mess. This I did with
some misgivings, having doubts as to whether my purse
could stand the strain. This, however, subsequently
proved to be so light that I did not feel it at all. Here
I had opportunities to preach to the soldiers evenings.
Camping some four miles from Escondida, I started
out early one morning on an errand, and with some
books from an Albuquerque friend, to the house of a
Mr. Baca, who had been advised of my coming. He
could not talk English but, greeted me in polite Spanish,
" How do you do, my brother ? " He then introduced
me to his excellent wife and grown up children, and
soon we sat down to a good breakfast. I could see
at once that the brother was an educated and polished
gentleman as well as a noble christian. I asked him
how long he had been a Protestant ; he told me that he
had been such since boyhood in the city of Mexico.
The brother urged me to stop and stay with him :
gladly would I have done so. After promising him to
do all I could toward having a preacher sent to him
and his neighborhood, I bade him and his family
good-bye.

Thursday, Nov. lo, we arrived at Fort Craig ; Major
Coleman commanding, I pitched my tent outside with
the recruits. But the major although a Catholic, soon
came to me and insisted that I should be his guest
during my stay at the fort.



28 THE PIMA INDIAN MISSION.

On the following ^Sunday, I had the privilege of
preaching to the infantry companies in the forenoon,
and to the cavalry in the evening, the major as well as
the other officers and their wives, attending both
meetings.

Some of the officers and recruits stopped at that
place.

Tuesday morning, a few hours before starting again,
three Mexican brethren from Peralto had come some
seventy miles or more, requesting me earnestly to go
back with them and be their preacher. With a nearly
empty purse and with about 6oo miles before me, this
was a temptation tome. I told them that I was on my
way to the Indians, but that it would not be long until
they could have a Protestant preacher. They then
requested me to accept some nice apples, (nearly a half
bushel,) this I did, and then bade them God speed.

At Fort McRae we were kindly received by Captain
Shorkley and others. Saturday, November iQth, we
arrived at Fort Sheldon. Captain Fachet kindly enter-
tained me. Being a Frenchman and a Catholic, he
was afraid that the soldiers were too rough for Sunday
services. However, he attended three meetings and
was agreeably surprised at the good behavior of his
soldiers.

November 23 we arrived at Fort Cummings ; here
Captain Hedberg, a German, took care of me. Here
I bought some groceries and the post-surgeon kindly
gave me a little medicine, some bacon and tea. Cash
on hand, 25 cents, with about 400 miles of road still
ahead of me ; this made me feel a little blue and I was
thinking of Christ feeding the five thousand.



THE PIMA INDIAN MISSION. 29

Arrived at the town of Mimbers, (not very far from
the present Deming,) November 24. Here I had to
bid farewell to my liind army friends. As I had plenty
of good clothing, they probably thought that my purse
yet contained several hundreds of dollars.

Having a message to a Jewish firm from Albu-
querque, they kindly invited me to make my home with
them. After preaching in the evening, I received sev-
eral invitations by good sisters to stay at their homes,
or at least to come and eat with them on the next day.
Providentially on the next day, a Mexican ox train was
ready to start for Fort Bowie. The kind wagon-
master, though heavy loaded, was willing to take my
baggage free. I persuaded him to keep my watch
chain until redeemed. I walked nearly all the time,
from twenty to thirty miles a day ; this, however, made
me lame on the foot which I had cut. Stopping over
one day not far from a large mining camp, I visited it.
Upon inquiry I was told that the men would like to
have me preach to them in the evening. It being a
little cold they had transformed a large saloon into a
chapel, all the bottles, etc., having disappeared behind
the counter. The place was crowded, the singing
demonstrated that many of the miners had been at
church before. At the close, one of the men took his
hat and said that the service was not complete without
a collection. I was thus enabled to pay the freighter
well and still have $6.40 on hand.

Arrived at Fort Bowie, Sunday, December 5, at
8 A. M. Here I met Captain Russell. I had once
fought side by side with this brave officer, before he



30 THE PIMA INDIAN MISSION.

was promoted. He was an Irish Catholic, the son of
a pious mother, whose prayers, I have no doubt, fol-
lowed her son all his life. The captain was very glad
to see me and glad to have me share his quarters and
table for some twelve days. He would accompany me
Sundays and other evenings, preaching to the soldiers
and in all devotional exercises. At times he would tell
me of his exploits and often narrow escapes from that
great warrior, " Cochise," and I would tell him of my
exploits as city missionary at Chicago, how at times
some of his zealous country women would try and drive
me away with a broomstick, or poker, while others
would invite me to dinner and at times to have prayers
with them.

Dec. 17, I had an opportunity to travel to Tucson.
Capt. Russell not only supplied me with all necessary
rations, but also handed me $10, telling me to take it, as
I might need it. I have since had the pleasure of
meeting the captain at this place.

On our way to Tucson, we were overtaken by a great
snowstorm. When within twenty miles of Tucson, we
picked up two wounded Mexican teamsters , they had
been wounded and one of their number killed on vSun-
day forenoon, and their oxen had been driven off by
Cochise's warriors, all of which, likely, would not have
happened, had they not traveled on Sunday.

Friday, Dec. 23, 1870, I arrived at Pima Agency,
with nearly as much cash on hand as I had when I left
Albuquerque. Capt. (irossman, a German and an army
officer, was the agent. He and his noble christian
^ife gave me a hearty welcome,. The agent took me



THE PIMA INDIAN MISSION. 3 1

over the reservation, and on Jan 1, 1871, I received an
appointment as goverment teacher.

My health was excellent, and the journey, especially
that part of it when I had little or no means of my own,
through the wild Apache country, had benefited me
greatly.

During the time since I had left the railroad, I had
preached twenty-two times, I had given many other
addresses, and had many conversations with individuals
on the subject of religion, so that the scanty provision
for my long journey and my frequent straits turned out
" rather to the furtherance of the gospel." It was not
until several months after I reached the agency at
Sacaton that I learned that there were others beside
myself, who were anxious to have the gospel and chris-
tian civilization brought to a people, who are perishing
for want of it. You had been trying for two years, to
find somebody to go to these Indians, while I had been
trying for that length of time to find an opportunity
to go.

On receiving the circular, referring to a mission to
the Pima Indians — I read it with the deepest interest
and felt like saying the Lord bless our sisters in their
noble work and may none of us grow weary in well-
doing, knowing that the promise is sure. " In due
time ye shall reap, if ye faint not."



Twenty-five .years after the interview be-
tween General Alexander and the Chief of the
Pimas, Antonio Azul, [to which reference has
been made,] and to whom the general gave



32 THE PIMA INDIAN MISSION.

his promise that teachers should be sent to
his people, Mr. Cook received a visit from

the now aged chief, of which he writes as

follows :

Sacaton, Ariz., March 29, 1S93,
Antonio Azul, (or '' Koe Wadthk," Chief of the
Pimas and Maricopas,) has just paid me a visit. He is
probably about seventy-tive years of age. lie still
works his own farm, with some grandchildren assisting
him. Among other things, I asked him " if he remem-
bered an army officer by the name of General Alex-
ander ?" This question seemed to have a wonderful
effect upon him and at once seemed to bring before him
vividly, the scenes of the past. He gave me quite a
piece of history, of those early days in Arizona. Among
other things, he told me something like this : I remem-
ber the general very well ; I remember his long beard ;
he was a very, very good man. (Se, se, aw-aw-tam). I
was with him on two campaigns in the mountain region,
back of Fort McDowell. In the first scout, alter trav-
eling mostly nights, over very difficult trails and steep
mountains and mountain sides. We came upon a camp
of Apaches, engaged in a drunken feast. The Apache
lookout saw us, but not in time to prevent our attack
upon them, which resulted in the loss to them of nine
of their number, including their chief warrior.

In our second expedition we were also successful and
the Apaches lost seven of their band, besides some
who were taken prisoners. I captured a bright looking
boy, some twelve years of age.

The general then requested me to take good care of



THE PIMA INDIAN MISSION. . 33

the captive ; not to sell him into slavery in Sonora,
Mexico, but to treat him as one of the family, to teach
him to work and how to earn a living without stealing
and murdering people as the Apaches were doing ; and
above all to see to it that none of the Pimas would harm
him. I promised the general I would do so.

Some time after this, a large herd of Texas cattle
passed through our country on the way to California.
Many of our people, being hungry, stole some fifty
head of them.

General Alexander, with a small company of cavalry,
came here to look into this matter. Kiho Chimkum,
one of our war-chiefs, in a council, advised the Indians
that as they were unable to pay for the cattle, they had
better arm at once, and fight the N. Y. troops.

He soon had some three hundred warriors ready,
armed and painted for war, with the thirty or forty sol-
diers of the general. After a few days of delay and
plenty of good advice from the general, who told them
that the U. S. Government only sought the toelfare of
the Indians, and not their destruction and my telling
them the same, our people were persuaded to desist.

Those of us who had been with General Alexander,
fully believed that whatever he would advise us, would
be for our good. After this, all our people thought even
more of the general, than before, and as his name was
rather difticult for most of us to remember and to pro-
nounce, we called him Chue-wa-oespo (long beard).

Antonio gave me a detailed account of all the inci-
dents in the war with the Apaches. He, as well as
many others of his tribe, has lost many relatives, killed



34 I'HE PIMA INDIAN MISSION.

by them. I need not remind you of the influence for
good or evil, military men, as well as civil officers and
employes of government often exert upon the Indians,
a matter too often lost sight of. When I kept school
here, Antonio, who kept his promise concerning the
captive, sent him here to attend school. Louista, the
Apache, was one of my best scholars ; a very faithful
worker and perfectly honest and reliable. He mar-
ried a Pima girl and lived happily with her and it was
a great grief to him, as well as to his young wife,
when her father took her away from Louista and gave
her to a wicked trader for pay. Louista, for a long
time, felt very badly about this, as also did his young
wife, and after General Howard's treaty of peace
between the Apaches and Pimas, he went to the San
Carlos Reservation where he married an Apache
woman. His children are now attending a government
school and Antonio told me, that Louista, his former
slave, has since his going to the San Carlos Reserva-
tion, prevented by his wise counsel, an outbreak of
the San Carlos Apaches.

I once had hopes of seeing Louista become a mission-
ary to his people. Perhaps, in his present relations to
his tribe, he may be to them now, a true missionary, a
messenger of peace and a promoter of " good-will to
men." He has doubtless accomplished for the welfare
of his people far more than we are now aware of, and
all with the blessing of God, through the few kind
words spoken in his behalf, by General Alexander.
Respectfully,

CHARLES H. COOK.




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CHAPTER II.

Mrs. Cook's Missionary Life.

Mrs. Chas. H. Cook was born at Berlin,
Germany, June, 1854. Her maiden name was
Anna M. Bath. Her mother was a faithful
and sincere christian. She had been disin-
herited for marrying a Protestant, as she was
brought up in the Roman Catholic church.
The parents of Miss Bath, desirous of givmg
her a good education, sent her to the Ursuline
Convent, one of the best schools in Berlin.
Here she studied the common German
branches and the French and English lan-
guages. She also learned to do all kinds of
needle and fancy work.

After emigrating to America, the family,
except the mother, united with the German
M. E. Church, in Chicago, 111. In July, 1872,
Miss Bath became my wife and since that
time, with the exception of three visits to her
parents, her home was with the Pima Indians
of Arizona.

In those early days, travel out here was
very expensive, and often tiresome. We took
a train from Chicago to San Francisco, thence



o



6 THE PIMA INDIAN MISSION.



by steamer via Gulf of California to the
mouth of the Colorado river, and from there
by a river-boat to Yuma. From Yuma we
had to travel by stage i8o miles, which took
fully two days and nights. On our first trip
we had a delightful time until we reached
Yuma. On our first night out, we were over-
taken by a terrible thunder storm, during
which we reached a small way-station near
midnight. Here we found a number of Mex-
icans, drmking, gambling and quarreling.
At one of these stations, a short time previous,
the Mexicans had killed a man, his wife and
two children, and had taken the stage-horses
and other valuables to Sonora, Mexico. After
the storm had passed, fresh horses were put
on, and we were thankful to be on the road
again. We reached the agency, as may be
supposed, tired and sleepy. Mrs. Stout, the
agent's wife, had arrived a year before and
thus we had two white ladies for several years
at this place. At that time there were prob-
ably not more than fifty or sixty white ladies
in the whole country, even including the
wives of army ofiftcers.

During the first year, Mrs. Cook was em-
ployed by the government as assistant teacher.



THE PIMA INDIAN MISSION. 37

Previously, most, if not all of the sewing and
weaving had been done by men. Being an
expert in dress-making, &c., it was not long
before she had more than thirty school girls
busy at work with the needle. Hencefor-
ward, for about eight years, most of the dress-
cutting and much of the sewing, for young
and old, was done by Mrs. Cook. After the
first year, however, having tiie care of a fam-
ily, she would receive no more salary, though
she often worked hard, to help in school and
other work.

Besides being a loving and faithful wife
and devoted mother, she possessed many qual-
ities that fitted her for her position. There
was no such thing as cowardice in her nature.

While visiting our relatives one summer,
the agent neglected to send our check when