John P. Clum and the Origins of an Apache Constabulary, 1874-1877

Abstract

Listen

Translate article

John P. Clum's assumption the agent's duties at San Carlos, Arizona Territory on August 8, 18744 closely coincided with a major government attempt to solve the southwestern Indian question permanently. Commissioned by the Dutch Reformed Church as part President Grant's Peace Policy,1 the twenty-two year old New Yorker reached his post at a time when the national experiment with consolidated reservations faced its most crucial test. Recent conclusion Brigadier General George Crook's successful Tonto Basin campaign and follow-up operations had forced more than 800 disgruntled Indians onto the San Carlos Reservation and their willingness to remain there rested primarily on the abilities agents to treat them firmly and fairly. Outwardly Clum seemed a poor choice for the difficult position since he brought to Arizona little more than an intense desire to improve reservation conditions. This praiseworthy motivation alone hardly seemed equal to the rigorous demands the job, however, since he possessed no experience with Indian affairs. His knowledge the Southwest, furthermore, was limited to a three-year stint with the meteorological service at Santa Fe, New Mexico. Yet, for the present, he manifested unparalleled confidence and carried the backing prominent citizens such as Commissioner Indian Affairs Edward P. Smith, Brigadier General Oliver Otis Howard, and Arizona's congressional delegate Richard C. McCormick.2 Clum's arrival at San Carlos occurred without much fanfare and the young agent expressed mixed reactions about what he found. While the desert panorama, surrounding the Gila and San Carlos Rivers provided scenic beauty he remarked that the camp was of the crudest and most primitive character. Agency buildings consisted a few dilapidated