COPPER MINES. 
305 
But if the government of the United States, before 
receiving such notice from Mexico, should obtain intel- 
ligence through any other channel of the existence of 
Mexican captives within its territory, it will proceed 
forthwith to effect their release and delivery to the 
Mexican agents, as above stipulated.” 
With this authority before me I addressed a note 
to Lieut. Colonel Craig, commander of the escort, 
requesting him to demand the surrender of the female, 
and to prohibit the men, who intended departing at 
early dawn, from leaving their encampment until 
further orders. This request, which was made late in 
the evening, was promptly complied with under the 
immediate directions of Lieutenant D. C. Green. 
The ensuing day the three principal traders of the 
party were brought up to the fort, and separately 
examined, in reference to the manner in which they 
had obtained, and the right they had to the possession 
of, the captive girl and the animals. These three per- 
sons were Peter Blacklaws, a trader in Santa Fe, 
Pedro Archeveque, a laborer of Algodones, and Jose 
Faustin Yaldez, a laborer of Santa Fe. 
Their evidence was somewhat conflicting — more 
particularly with respect to the female. It appeared 
there was a party of about fifty men who had been 
trading' with the Indians north of the Gila ; a portion 
of them still remained there, whilst another portion 
(about twenty) were here, on their way back to Santa 
Fe. The whole had been trading under one and the 
same license^ although it .was acknowledged that the 
name of none of them, save Peter Blacklaws, was 
inserted in it; he, however, declared that he was 
VOL. I. — 20 
