The Abbeville banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1847-1869, 1857-06-25
TRs es,onA rl1t,BusrrR yxprplr,oN

Vi the fate "i the trnhbr expedition:
The Expedition into Sonora, under the com.
mand Of n. a. taLh". has had most disastrous
rnl. Late in March, Ctabhcs rnrtv LEFT Snnuita,
and marched to Cuvorra, II small Mexican town
n"nr rnn, l."h"s, un III" Gelf Of California -.
The first intention was to hnTe prurcc,lr to Al.
tar, hut nrws of its partial foricntiom and s,,s.
ccpliGlity uf strong defense caused the diversion
On Cnvn"ca. On the morning of tho lst of
April, the party "f Americans entered the s,,.
hurbs Of the town. They were me! ly u i,udy
of Mexican tro"ps commanded 10y Rodriguez
1T Is sald Rodriguez advanced 10 speak to Crabbc.
when the Antr'ca"s opened fire, and killed tho
McSi""" commander und several others. Thc
MeNicnhs immediately rctrcatc,l-somc to tbn
mountains, but the majority to the church, which
had been placed III II state of dcnfcncr. nnJ Ind
I" the TIME Crabbe entered the town n number
OF beevcs roasting whole in front of il to, eroa
the Mexican truops
IL appears that here occurred Cr;,ble,s fro,
"''i iatai mistake Instead Of at once char,rinr
ana taking the church, which would have rivcn
n'ih the town, ne occupied several houses on the
corner OF the PInza i'll front Of the church.
lhc McXicans nt first deserted most Of H..
'ow" nut gradually being cmboldcned, returned
nn' gradually hcmmcd the Americans in F;.ni-
ing continued eight days, with a loss to the
Americans OF twenty-five killed. The Mexican
loss is reported by themselves to have been
twenty-five. but IS supposed TO have been much
greatcr-as hg', us two hundred. On tho eighth
day All -ttcr:rt was made by two of Crabbc's
men l" b'';" up the the church, by placing kce
OF powder under the portieo and firing it. The
devoted men who attempted it were both killed,
nnd Crahbr is said to have been wounded in SUI
Icrintending it. 1t is said that an offer was
made by Crahbc to retire if the Mexicans would
nllow it, lie had refused to retire when the
offer was made him, after the fighting had con-
timed two days, and now the Mcyicaus conf
dent of his weakness and their triumph, re-
fused The Americans were gradually but sure
~ caught IN snare. form which they saw ITO
escape.
BY breaking through the wall of the adjoining
houses, the MrNicans forced Cralbe and Ills nj en-
int" the corner buildings, which they repeatedly
set OH lire, but which the Americans It's often cX-
tinguishc'i y last = Papngo Indian shot into
The roof the main building, occupied by the url
happy fiilibusters, u lighted arrow. The flames
caught the roof, and in few moments the fire
was dropping i'll great flakes upon the heads of
the doomed men within. Worn OF, without con-
stunt fighting, exhausted with anxiety. famishcd
by probably days of starvation and thirst, and
without ammunition, Henry a. Crabbc and fifty
c'gnt men marched out Of the burning house
with a white flag before them laid down tbei.
arms and surrcndcred-it is supposed uncondi
tonally. This was i'll the night, or towards NOR. |
ming. They were Immediately lic.i-thcir hands |
behind thcnl-taken TO a corral near the Alcudes |
niice, where they We're kept until morning. when !
thcy were taken out III squads vi five and ten |
each aud shot. In the first executions il was !
!ound that the canncss Of the Americans dis. |
composed the eSecutioncrs, and they shot too |
high OF too low. in many cases only woundinr
their victims. The backs of the fated men were
then turned 10 the troops, and they succccl.d in
nnling with better effect.
McCoun tmay hc rest in pcace) owing to his |
great stature, was saved this torture-n b,u |
struck him full in the breast ut the first |
fire, aud he fell dead. Crabbe alone was TO-
served for solitary death. He was taken TO the |
AlcaIies office, questioned. allowed to write n |
letter TO his wife, and to have an interview with |
Dr. Evans, prisoner i'll the hands of the Meyi.
cans, who had been i'll confinement some weeks
on suspicion. The hour for execution having mr.
r'ved, he was led out, his hands stretched above
ms mead ana ticd TO post, in FRI mt of the Euil-
ding he had occupicd-hs face to the post and
hs back to his cNecutioncrs At the comnod.
'hre,' Mt least hundred balls were fired info
his body, and all that was mortal of Henry A,
Crabbe hung dead swinging by his tied hands.
Moxlcan stepped forward and with n Inr,,o
kntc, served his head from the body the warm
blood sp'rting half way across the street The
head was placed OH a table in front, or in the Of
flee OF the Jucz, exposed to the ccrs of the nom
nlace. 1t wus then placed in n jar of mcscai fur
preservation. Is there not something peculiarly
terrible i'll such a fate for n man who has one.
controlled almost the destiny of Il great State
like California;
Two Of the Ainsas (brothcrs-in law of Crabhe.A
are said to be killed. and also Rascy Biven. Nv
informant an intelligent man. and an eye-wii.
q
tlelnnn should calmly and quietly Ms il he were
going TO pleasant home.
four men, sick, had peen left at Sonota by
Erabbe. They nccupied the house of E. 4. Dun.
Gnr, Esq on the American side of the line On
the 18th of April, at night, party of twenty.
five Mexcans came up from San Juan. Went ~
LUMBAR house, took these poor sick men ont or
bed lied them, and at dawn of day carried them
to the foot Of the hill, shot them like dora On
american soil and left them TO rot. party of
fapngo Indians, more merciful, buried them.
una four solitary mounds now appeal. lone Wit
nesses Of beastly crime, to the American oov.
ernment for revenge. VIII such IN appeal no
nnheard? "fp'"' ~
MIR. Dunbar just escaped massacre having leh
eoholta on the afternoon previous. The Mexi-
nothing TO do with the pnrty, except to offer sbe.
ter on American soil, 10 four sick men in his own
house. 80 "'' wv"
a party OF about thirty recruits, under Cnp
ram Grant 0rrey. started fr"n: n J.h"
Of ao at ose oS Wnen within fifteen miles
rStis% f%S hundred red Ms*issas ec9Rte with
about forty. Capt Orrcy deserves great credit
for his skill At every watering place the biexi-
cans attempted to check him and subduc him by
thirst, but lie routed them on every OCCASION
Tho Inst eight miles was n continued running
fight and his fourth man lost was killed just at
tho line. rAHoCHeI purity Oi Tie SlIilc etIcHSInI
which left Tubac, has not yet been heard Of
II is believed that if Capt Orrey had been with
Crabbe. uditferent result might have been antic
ipatel AL was bad management want Of en-
pcrieaee. and a clear rushing upon deadly fate |
Ctabbe, entered Cavorca with eighty-four men.
all these were killed except the youngest, said
70 lave been spared by the Mexican commander,
Garc7a. Fhc name Of the survivor is unknown,
Int lie s said to be boy of sixteen seventeen.
The Mexlcans ut Cnyorca were about five hun
dred streug.
Theeeiok Bob Wood aud Major Tozer are safe
N. Wood. laiiaah Capt. Orrey's party. Col. r.
IL '-S "'fa' alncfDr ia among the
r'o" me San Franeiseo Herald, Aax Is.
TIE MATERIAL OF CRADLES PARTY.
Ne prominent citizen, at least in poI;tic,, mat
ters, was held in greater esteem, or was more in.
ftnential with his party than Henry A. Crabbe
lie represented San joaquin county in the Az.
Hrnhv