Omaha daily bee., 1883-05-02
The CROOK CAMPAIGN.
Fighting the Redskins in tbs
Heart of the Sierra kadreH,
a Night with Apache Scouts
Their War Dances and
Singiug-The Tomb
stone Rangers.
srecIal Cor. Gl b~e. ptmoeta..

1 ~
WILCOX, A. T., April 27.-For the
past two weeks the headquarters of
the department Of Arizona have been
located here, a sandy, desolste, wind
swept plain, covered with cactus and
mesquite, but without springs or
wells. The town consists of a single
row Of story and a half stores, most of
them with saloon attachments. l left
FL Paso ten days ago, armed with q
letter Of Introduction to Gen. George
Crook, who was to leave that place on
the same train. ! walked through
tho coaches, closely s%crutinizlng the
passengers, expecting to find the sub.
duer of the Apaches q man Of war like
front and fierce presence. Failing to
recognize the general, I appealed to
the conductor, and was shown q stout.
ish gentleman, dressed In a pepper.
and salt suit. This was Gen. Crook,
and occupying seats on the opposite
side CT the car sat two gentlemen In
citizens dress, resembling professional
men from some eastern city, Ger
tainly the quiet trio would never have
been taken for General Crook and his
staff officers, Capt. Bourke and Lieut..
Flebeger. They we're returning from
Ohihushus, whittier the general had
gone to consult with the Mexican COM
manders as to the best course to be
taken In order to subdue
THE VIII ~CHIRACHAUs,
whose fierce raid through Ariz ma and
New Mexico has left a trail "I blood
from their point of entry into the
United States to their point of depart.
ure. From fifty to seventy. five miles
q day they marched. leaving behind
them many q CHASTITY corpse on the
cactus.covered plains. They seem to
have succeeded in obtaining fresh
horses every few hours from their
luckless victims, and passing or like q
pestilence, they left the whole country
In alarm and turmoil. There were
only seventeen In the band which
killed Judge McComas, aud eighty In
the band which committed the muir.
ders near Hermosilla and Nopalis, and
yet to the frightened ranohmen, pros.
peotors and freighters 1t seemed az
though the whole of the l. 800 warrior,
on the San Carlos reservation mus
have broken loose. They were moi
within the limits of the United States
over twelve days, and yet the press Of
the two territories has only just begu-
to rec over from fright, and to contra
dict the wonderful stories of massacre
and desolation which have been pour
Ing In on them ever since the raid be-
gan. Surely the truth was bad enough,
and the false stories were, to say the
least, most unfortunate. The few
troops were marched hither and thithel
until almost worn out. Gen. Crook
finally got to the truth of the matter
The San Carlos Indians were carefully
counted and found to be all present.
A Chirachaua deserted from the banG
and came into the reservation, giving
himself up, and explaining that he wal
q San Carlos Indian whose two wiveI
were of the Chirachua tribe, but had
been killed In a fight with the Me1i
cans, and he was anxious to return to
bis old home, and had taken the frs
opportunity of getting away. The
general questioned him closely, and hi
gave
IMPORTANT INFORMATION,
which has since been corroborated ir
all Joints where that was possible.
The general then visited Hermosillo,
and saw the Mexican generals there
He then went to chihuahua for the
same purpose. 10 the meantime cav
airy nupplies and In6i,n scouts were
being massed at Wilcox. On tn,
morning when l arrived at headqusr
tiers six companies of cavalry were or
the ground. This was IN April II.
but on the 23i the preparations wer,
all completed, and the army ready tc
move.
Last night the Apache scouts held a
war dance, and to eyes unused to such
scenes the effect was startling. Around
a great fire gathered the 1.-the formed
Indians, armed with Springfield rifles
and clad in all the gay colors obtain
able. They kept time to the beating
Of native drums and the shrill voiceI
of the chantera who sang:
We are the soldiers Of the Nan Tan Chav
: We are not women!
l We are not children!
Come, if you dare, Chirachuas!
Come, stand before the soldiers
or the Nan Tan Chsw!
:. The "Nan Tan Chsw" Is Gen. Crook
: and the songlasted till midnight, Will
the dancers leaped and yelled In thu
glare of the freight, discharging theil
guns at intervals and calling upon thu
Chirachuas:
They are coyotes!
Their home is in the rocks!
They are like the wind!
They are like the dust.storms!
They come and go like devils!
At 8 o'clock this morning the buglel
sounded shoots and saddles" and thu
camp was instantly In motion. Tit
Apache scouts, under Lieut.. @. B
Gatewood, 9th Cavalry, 12O strong
Il k - 49, o-l 49, Enak ao~a~atta,