The New York herald., 1877-10-03
NO BATTLE WITH THE INDIANS
The Mexican Troops Follow the Ameri-
cans at a Safe Distance.
RAIDED PROPERTY RECOVERED.
Official Report Of Colonel Shafter
to General Ord.
VIEWS AT WASHINGTON

LIZ w ~ ~ l w 1AO1144N VI O1N
BY TELEGRAPH TO THE HERALD.1
SAN ANTONIO, Texas, Oct. q 1877.
At last we have authentic and Official Information
respecting the movements OF the Bulls command
and those or the force under the direction OF Lieu
tenant Colonel Shafter, a despatch having been
received from the latter officer From the report
made by Colonel Shafter it appears that the sen.
sational dispatches to the San Antonio papers,
abstracts Of which were duly iorwa ried yesterday
to the HERALD, have no foundation in fact, and
were merely based on idle rumors, which were In
circulation at Fort CLARK and other points on both
sides the border.
NO FIGHTING AT ALL.
There has been no engagement between Ameri-
can and Mexican troops, nor has there been any
fighting with the marauding Indians, In whose pur
suit Lieutenant Bulls and his men crossed over
into Mexican territory. The fact that such wild
reports were forwarded to the newspapers here,
and the partial reliance placed in them by the
military, only shows how easily these border
troubles can be magni1ed. Now that the real facts
are known the position Of affairs assumes totally
different aspect, and prospective hosties SO con-
ndently looked for yesterday, are further or than
ever.
MEXICAN ARMED NEUTRALITY.
Judging from the report OF Colonel Shafter to
General Ord the Mexican troops merely acted as a
marty of obsarvatlon and followed rho Amavicana
at safe and respectful distance. just as General
Falcon, their commander, had instructed them.
An outline OF these instructions was telegraphed
you yesterday. The story that over one thousand
Mexcans (ctzens) had left the towns OF Sarragossa
PiedrasNegras and villa-Neuva, was evidently
drawn from the imagination OF the excited cor.
respondent, for nothing was apparently seen Of
them by either Lieutenant Bulls or Colonel Shalter,
for neither Of their commands were surrounded,
much less In peril.
QUESTION OF PRUDENCE. i at..
But the current Of opinion here is that the rea-
son no attack was made by the Mexican cavalry
was due to the tact that the presence OF Colonel
Skaters command made it prudent for them to
supporting column so near him the Mexicans
might have acted differently and assumed an often
sive position instead OF the neutral AS you will
see by Colonel Skaters report, both he and Lieu
tenant Bulls evidently believed they were about to
be attacked, Tor they prepared for such an attempt
as soon as the Mexicans appeared in sight.
INsINcERITY OF THE MExICANs.
No dependence is placed on the sincerity Of the
Mexicans in their promises to cooperate with our
forces in pursuing and arresting raiders, and
should 1t hereafter be deemed necessary for our
troops to cross the line in pursuit OF cattle and
horse thieves they may find themselves opposed to
Mexican force sufficiently numerous to prevent
them going FAR for in that case there is every prob
ability that the Mexicans would make an offensive
demonstration, II not decided attack. That they
are hostile in feeling there cannot be any doubt,
and the troops in full sympathy with the people
on the question OF preventing The pursuit OF
raiders across the border.
COLONEL snAFrER's OFFICIAL REPORT
The following is copy OF the official report made
by Lieutenant Colonel William X. Shafter, Twenty
fourth infantry, to General Ord, commanding the
Department.
CROSSING OF THE RIO GRANDE, Oct. !, 1871
TO Adjutant General TAyLoR:--
On Wednesday, the 2Gth inst, information hay
ing been received OF the location OF a camp Of
Lipan Indians, Lieutenant Bulls, acting under pre-
vous instructions, with a detachment OF the Sixth
cavalry, under Lieutenant Phelps, and OF the
Tan cnv Sow
Seminole scouts-ninety -one men in all-crossed
the Rio Grande and started for the camp.
On Thursday night they reached the vicinity the
Rcmolino, where Bulls expected to meet an Indian
trader with whom arrangements had been made 70
conduct him to the camp.
The Mexican who had agreed to guide Lieutenant
Bulls command TO the camp had notified the In
dans that Bulls was in pursuit OF them. SO all the
property not already removed was destroyed -Four
squaws and one boy were captured. however, with
twelve horses and two mules. was at Lieutenant
Buis' camp on the RIO Grande at the time he
started, and as the Indian camp was reported to
have forty men in 1t and was close to a Mexican
town with 200 Mexican soldiers In 1t. notified him
l would be on saturday morning at tho head OF the
San Diego River with force OF cavalry SO as to
help him on, in case he had any wounded.
On the night Of the 2sth | crossed with seven
companies, reaching the head OF the san Diego
about ten o'clock. l remained there all that day
and night, and the next morning learned that
Lieutenant Bulbs had come In during the night and
camped about two miles higher up tho stream
Discovering q party of IRON 1fty to seventy.lve
Mexican cavalry following toward the head or the
river on Lieutenant Bullis trail, the assembly was
sounded, and in a few moments afterward Lleuten-
ant Bulls made his appearance. He having dis
covered them at the same time did, he had broken
camp and started for the Rio Grande, but not in
haste My companies were soon formed and
the line Of march was taken up. on our
return one company OF cavalry was sent out In the
direction OF the Mexican troops, who were then