b'WHEN DEATH STALKEDTHE SANTA CRUZ VALLEYPART 1 By Bill Roberts Reprinted from The TravelerL IKE PRE-TERRITORY PIONEERS Bill Kirkland and Pete Kitchen more than a decade before them, the handful of farmers in the valley along the Santa Cruz River near Old Tucson Pueblo found death from Apaches or Mexican bandits their constant companion.This region of southern Arizona Territory, even beforeFarmer and Legislatorthe territory was formed in 1863 when Kirkland andRees Smith was one of the leading citizens of the Kitchen were neighbors there, was one of the mostSanta Cruz Valley in the 1870s. He was born in Ohio deadly to settle in anywhere in Arizona Territory.about 1829 and went to California in the gold rush When Mangus Colorados, the great Apache chief, andyears of the 1850s. He moved to what was then called statesman was tortured and murdered by a contingentthe Gadsden Purchase, later to become Arizona of California Volunteer Troops while camped with theTerritory, to the Middle Santa Cruz Settlement Walker Party in 1863, the lives of settlers for the nextin 1860 with his wife Alice and two children. The 20 years were taken in revenge by the Apaches for theproposed Territory of Arizona had a governor then,William Bill Kirklandmurder of their great chief. L.S. Owings under a newly adopted Constitutional Kirkland and Kitchen witnessed the first ApacheConvention at Tucson Pueblo in April 1860. Owingsalso took several sacks of barley belonging to rancher revenge in 1863. In the early 1870s, Rees Smith andappointed Smith as one of three district attorneysSabino Ctero and scattered the grain on the ground, his neighboring farmers around Tubac felt the sameproved for by the proposed government. making off with the grain sacks.Apache revenge daily as they attempted to grow theirSmith left the Santa Cruz Valley sometime after 1860 crops, tend their herds, and raise their families. Atbut when is not exactly known. He reportedly wentThen they attacked the ranch of Smith and his the same time, they were plagued by another deadlyto Napa Valley, California where he left his familypartner Francisco Madril again. Smith said they hit hazard, Mexican bandits who rode up from Sonora toand then returned to the Apache-infested farminghis place a day after an attack on the Sonoita right rob farmers, ranchers, mines, and miners. community near Tucson in 1867. The Pima Countynext to the Armys Camp Crittendon. They killed a sheriffs census that year shows Smith at Huababi,37-year-old Tennessean named David Holland and Arizona Territory. Three years later, Smith wastook a Mexican boy prisoner. In their eighth attack in reported in the federal census of the territory to bealmost as many days, the Apaches raided Calabazas living at Tubac as a farmer. He was elected to the 6thand killed some oxen. From there they attacked the Territorial Legislative Assembly which convened inranch of veteran pre-territory pioneer Peter Kitchen, Tucson in January 1871. killed his wagon driver, and took four yokes of oxen. They then went up the road to Sonora and hid in He was a man who had earned some prestige in thean ambush near the monument there attacking and infant territory and was known to be outspoken. Hekilling three Mexicans as they rode by.frequently criticized the military for not protectingCrossing the border, the Apaches rode into Agua the farmers along the Santa Cruz from raidingSarca and killed two men. From there they rode on to Apaches. Smith had firsthand knowledge of theseSeyraca where they killed a man, five women, and a raids. His farm and ranch some 15 miles out of Tubacchild. The marauders then crossed back into Arizona were the targets of frequent raids. In one battle withTerritory, fording the Santa Cruz at Gue Babe. That raiding Apaches in 1870, a Mexican worker was killedput them back at Rees Smiths ranch. He had just and Smith himself wounded in the fighting of thearrived there to clean up his corn crop with a crew of Indians. Apparently, the Apache losses were heavier.men. When Smiths men saw the Indians they refused Smith reported that after the Indians had fled, heto stop at the ranch to clean the corn and Smith was inspected the position where they had been in theforced to go back with them to Tubac, leaving his firefight and found it to be literally covered in blood. corn uncleaned.Heavy Raids in 1870 All of the raids Smith described came within a period Smith told of the Apaches beginning raids in earnestof six weeks. The Apache raiders were so confident in June of 1870, hitting the Agua Fria Ranch ownedthe U.S. Army would not attack them that they often by A. C. Ashton. The Indians stole three prize horsescamped within the site of the ranches they were that Ashton had recently imported from Californiaraiding. Smith charged that the Army post nearest the that were worth about $1000. That same day theranch was aware of the raids and the constant presence Peter Pete Kitchen apache raiders hit a ranch closer to the border calledof the Apache in the valley but failed to take any action the Palo Parado and stole four more horses. Theyto protect settlers. He said the Army had not made a 36 September 2021'