The western Democrat. [volume] (Charlotte, N.C.) 1852-1870, 1857-06-23
FULL PARTICULARS OF THE Exc
CLIFTON OF CRABB, AND PARTY.

! the entire destruction of Henry A. CrabOs
party, numbering about 100 men, by the
| Mexicans in Sonora. By the following
statement of tie facts, kindly furt+shed US
| by a gentleman just arrived from Fort
Yuma, it will be seen that the rumor has
! been confirmed. He says:
| The expedition into Sonora, under the
! command of III. A. Crabb, has had a most
| disastrous end. Late in March Crabb's
party left Son"ta, Sonora, and marched to
/ rayorea, small Mexican town near Point
| Lobos, aEJ on the G ulf of California. The
| first Infection was to have proceeded to
Altar, but news of its partial fertilization
and susceptibility of a strong defence caus-
ed the diversion on Cavorea. On the
morning of the first of April the party of
/ Americans entered the suburbs of the town.
/ The, were met by a body of Mexican
! troops, commanded by Rodriguez. 1t is
said Rodriguez advanced to speak to Crabb,
! when the Americans opened fire, and killed
! the Mexican commander and several others.
! The MexicanS Immediately retreated-some
| to the mountains. but the majority to the
! church, which had been placed in state of
| defence, AMI had at the time Crabb entered
! the town a number of beeyes. roasting
whole, in front of it, to feed tue Mexican
! troops.
1t appeared that here ACQUIRED Crabb's
! first and fatal mistake. Instead of ut once
charging and taking the church, which
would have given him the town, he occupi-
/ ed several houses on the corner of the
i Plaza, in front of the Church. The Next
/ cans at first deserted the most of the town,
! but gradually being em"odened, returned
! and gradually hemmed the Americans in.
Fighting continued eight days, with q loss
! to the Americans of % killed. The Mexi
supposed to have been much greater-as
! high as quo. On the eighth day an attempt
was made by two of Crabb's men to blow
up the church, by placing "A keg of powder
under the porticO and firing it. The de-
voted men who attempted this were killed,
and Crabb is said to have been wounded III
experimenting it. 1t is said an offer vas
made by Crabb to retire if the Mexicans
would allow it. He had refused to retire
when the offer was made him, after the ght
| ing had continued two days, and now the
Mexicans, confident of his weakness aud
their triumph, refused. The Americans
were gradually but surely caught in snare,
| from which they saw no escape.
BY breaking through the walls of the ad
! Joining houses, the Mexicans forced Crabb
! and his men into the corner buildings, which
they repeatedly set on fire, but which the
! Americans as often extingushe2. At last
Il Papago Indian shot into the roof of the
main building, occupied by the unhappy
| filibu~ters, a lighted arrow. The flames
caught the roof, and in a few moments the
fire was dropping in great fakes upon the
| heads of the doomed men within. Worn
out with constant fighting, exhausted with
anxiety, furnished by probable days of star
walton and thirs and without ammunition,
| II. A. Crabb, a. 6fty-eight men, marched
out of the burnins house, with a white flag
before them, laid down their arms and sur
rendered. 1t is supposed Internationally.
| This was in the night or towards morning.
They were Immediately tied. their hands
behind Them taken to q corral near the AL
cade's office, where they were kept until
! morning, when they were taken out i'll
| squads of five and ten each and shot. I'm
| the first executions it was found that the
| calmness of the Americans discomposed the
exccutioners, and they shot too high or too
| lew, in many cases only wOunding their vic
TINS. The backs of the fated men were
then turned to the troops. and thea they
succeeded in aiming with better effect.
McCoun (may he rest i'll peace.) owing to
! his great stature. was saved this torture, a
! ball STRUCK hirA fu!i in the breast at the first
! fire and he fell dead. Crabb alone was
served for solitary death. He was taken
to the Alcade's office, questioned, allowed
to write to his wife, and to have an inter-
view with DIR. Evans, a prisoner in the
| hands of the Mexicans, who had been in
| confinement some weeks, on suspicion.-
| The hour for his execution having arrived,
he was led out his hands stretched above
his head and tied to post in trent of the
building he had occupied, his face to the
/ post. and his back to his executioners. At
the command fire, at least an hundred balls
were fixed into his body, and all that was
mortal of Henry A. Crabb hung dead,
swinging by his tied hands. A Mexican
stepped forward and with large knife sew
cred his head from his body-the warm
blood spirting half way across the street.
The head was placed on o table in front, or
in the office of the Juez, exposed to the
jeers of the populace. 1t was then placed
in jar of mescal for preservation.
- We heartily endorse the following
paragraph which we copy from the RICH
mond (Va.) Wing, and commend it to the
parents of this place:
"Bo1s out at night.-It is one of the most