Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1857-06-16
THE LAST SONORA EXPEDITION.
I'LL PARTICULARS OF THE EXECUTION or

THE LAST SONORA EXPEDITION.
FULL PARTICULARS OF THE EXECUTION or
CRABB AND His PARTY.
From the San Diego (Cal) Herald, OF May Th)
IL uur last issue puhIt-h-d u ru'n"r I'll i"e q"
tire destruction of Henry A Crabb's parry, nunopr
ing ab,ut 100 men, by the Mexcans in Sonora by
the following statement of the thcts kinnly lm'n
us by gentleman just arrived from Fo.t 'i'" ~
will he seen That the rumor has been cohh'ii'eu ~
ssys: ond of
H. a. Crabb has had q most disastrous end. Ls's
in March Crabb's party leff Snnolta, Snhora' GU"
marched TO Cavorea, a small VI '1can town nea,
Point Lobos aud on the Gulf OF California lhe NE,
n,an;,nn was to h.ve procseded TO Altar, but news
of it's partial forfcaon aud susceptibility OF sfos
d.fepce caused the diversion on Cavorea. va the
morning of the irst of Apfi, the party oil h
entered the suburbs of the town. lhey were '!i' W
body of Mexican troops, commanded oV hout nsIs
1t is said Rodriguez advanced to spehk ~ W NJ;
when the Americans opened fire. and kiiea Tue .eN
can commander and several others. IN ~; 49,.
Immediately retrea,ed-some to the nioun'H'is, ~.
the rnsorty to the church, when nau "noh antsad
state of defence and had at the time 'ia1o en,eiei
the town number of beeves, roasting "hoe' " 'ion'
Of it, TO feed the Mexican troops. 80, I'D
In appeared that her. occurred Crabos nrst ana
fatal mistake. Instead of at once cha1@s o.u 'aas
the church. which would have gwen nun tle ,o"u
he occupied several houses on thu corner Oh ne aZa'
in front of the church. The Me1cans AT h,s ueser'
I'D the most of the town, but granuaNy oe'.s ON
bodened returned and gradually he''hfu 'ns Aine''
cane in. Fighting continued e'gml W. Wv" a ,eia
TO the Americans Of - killed. The Mr3'cah 1883 Is
reported nv Themselves To have been p OUT 10 sup
posed TO have been much greater-as nign as ~"
On tn. eighth day an attempt was maze ny TWO OF
Crabb's men to blow up ,he church, ny pachE neg
NJ nor,,ar nnder the por,ico and firing it. The de
vosd m.n who attempted this were killed, and Crabo
ia said 10 have been wounded IN experimenting H.
II ia said an offer was made by Craoo 10 ret'rs tns
Mexicans would allow it. He had REFUSED TO retire
L. atfIrf hII Hyhftn haH
when the offer was made nun, al'sT tns nghlng ,au
continued two days. and now tho Mexlcans, confident
of mi. weakness and their triumph refused. The
Americans were gradually but surely caught IN
| snare, from which they saw no escape.
By breaking through the walls ot the ADJOINING
bouses the Maxcans forced Crabb and his msn into
The corner buildings which they repeatedly set on
6re but which the Americans AS often ex,uguished
A. Isat a Papspo Indisn shot into the roof of the
| main bu,idny occupied by The unhappy hibusfer',
lighted arrow. the flames caught the roof and IN
few moments the fire Was dropping in great flakes
| mon the heads OF the doomed men within. Worn
out with coustant fighting. exhausted with anxiety,
fsmsl.d BY probable days OF starvation and thirst
aud without ammunition, Henry A. Crabo ana nity'
eipht men, marched out OF thu burning house, with
white flag before them, laid down their arms and sur
rendered. Ii is supposed Internationally. This wns
| in the night or towards morning. They were mIne
diatey tied their hands behind them, taken to COR
raj near the Alcnde's office where they were KEPT
| until morning. when they were taken out in squads
Of i've and ten each and shot In the first executions
il was found that the camness of the Americans ds
composed the executoners and they shot 100 neh or
too low, in many only wouniing their Victims.
The backs Of the fatsd were thsn turned 10 tue
| troops, and then they succeeneu III a'u"h WIN o0'
ter effect.
staure WAS saved this torture ball struck MN full
in the breast at the first fire and he fell dead Craoo
slona WA re.eryed for solitary death. He was to
kan 10 the Acalde's office, questioned, allowed to
write 10 his wife. and to hav. an interview with q
! Dr. Evans prisoner in the hands of the Me1cans,
who had been in confinement some weeks, on suspl
cion The hour for his execution having arrived, he
vas led out hi. hands stretched above iis head and
tied 70 post in front of the building hs had oocu-
pied his face to the post and his back to HIS eIecu-
tions. At the command fire, at sast All hundred balls
we're fixed into his body, and all that wac mortal Of
Henry A. Crabb hung dead, swinging by his tied
hands. Mexican stepped forward and with large
knife severed his head from the body-fhe warm
blood spirting half way across the street, The head
placed on table in front, or 10 the ONCE OF Inc
Juez exposed to the eers of the populace. 1t was
| then placed in jar of mescal for preservation
Two of the Ansas, bro,hers in.aw Of Crabb.l are
said to be killed, and also Rasey BVen. My inior'
| mant an intelligent man and sn eyewitness OF these
horrors said Crabb died as gentleman should. as
calmly and quietly as il he we're going TO pleasant
home. Four men, sick, had been left at Sonora by
Crabb. They occupied the house owned by Z
Dunbar ESQ.,, on the American side of the line On
The 18th OF April, ut night, party OF twenty-five
Mexcans came up from San Juan, went 10 DUNBAR
house took these poor sick out of bed, tied them,
and at dawn OF day carried them to the foot OF the
hil shot than like dogs On American soil, and lett
them to rot. party OF Pspago Indians, more mer'
cifu buried them. and four solitary mounds now ap.
peal, lone witnesses of bsas,y crime TO the Amn.
| rcan Government for revenge. Will such an appeal
| 70 unheardi
MIR. Dunbar Just escaped massacre. having left
Sonorita on the afternoon previous. The Mexlcans
were furious at his escape, although he had nothing
| to do with the party except to offer shelter on Anne
rican soil, to four sick man, in his own house.
| A party of about 81 recruits, under Capt Grant
Drew started from Tucson 10 join Crabb al CAvOrea
When within fifteen miles OF the latter place they
we're attacked by about 2OO Me1icans. Capt. Grey
rereated fighting, aud regaintd the American line,
with loss of only four killed The Mexican loss
was about 40. Capt ORGY deserves great credit for
| mis- skill. At every watering place the Me1icans at
tempted to check him and subdue him by thirst but
| he routed them every occasion. The last eghr
miles was continued running fight, and his fourth
of the same strength which left Tubac, has not Yet
been heard Of 1t is believed If Grant Grey had
been with Crabb, different result might have been
anticipated. All was bad management, want Of eI
perience, and clear rushing upon deadly fate.
| Crabb entered Cavorea with 81 men. All these
we're killed except the youngest, said 10 have been
spared by the Mexican commander, Garcia. The
name of the survivor is unknown, but he Is said Ia
| be- boy Of sixteen or seventeen. Major Bob Wood
and Major Tozer are saie. They were with Capt
1
tor. is among the dead
| Ell CLamor Pnbiico, Of the 25tb Of April, says:
| person. who left with the French company, writes
Us from Lower California under date of the Sd VI
April Last, that the company has discovered in San
Antonio, several mines VI copper, whose product is
from Is to % per cent Of The pure orc.
FURTHER NEUTRALITY-SUSPICIOUS. OF AN EYE
WITNESS
| From the Alta Californian of May 90
| II ia d.uhtle.s still fresh in the recollection of our
readers, that few days after the murder Of CrabU
and hs party at Cavorca, the MeIicans, contrary IL
the rule OF cvzsd warfare. and in direct violation
nf the law of nations, crossed into American territory
and captured at the house of MIR. K. E. Dunbar, in
his absence, fonr invalid men, whom they consigned
to the same ignomiuous death visited upon the re-
mainder of the expedi,ionists. On Friday, WIN. E
Darling, Esq of this city received letter from Mr.
Dunbar. dated "Rio Colorado, May |, 1857, from
which we have been kindly permitted to make the
sati lined extracts which cannot fail of being pc
rused with intense interest as their authenticity is un
questionable:
AZ was about leaving this place early in March,
Mr.. Crabb and party arrived. During the brief con.
versation that had with Mr.. C.. and the leaders, !
learned nothing respecting their purposes, except the
genera. stsement, that they intended to 90 on, pay
for what they wanted and settle in SonuTa, accord
ing to negotiations made with and extended by "Pis.
| cara" the present Governor and other influential
citizens of the State. On arriving at my trading
post, near Sonoita, found Jesus Ainsa, with whom
| MIR. Beiknap had come time previously agreed 10
come and act as clerk. Ainsa could not enghteu me
much respecting the negotiations" and "nvitations'
referred To, aud on obtaining possession OF all the
facts possible in relation 10 the state of affairs below,
persuaded him not to join his brother.!n.law, M
could discover proper foundation for the enterprise,
and from the blindness of the leaders, considered it
doomed TO destruction.
leaving tbs business, 10 charge of Ainsa, | went TO
Caleyasas with mule train of goods aud on nv re.
nh, ,,f T-,b