The true northerner. [volume] (Paw Paw, Mich.) 1855-1920, 1883-06-22
CROOKS VICTORY.
A Modest Dispatch from the General
Announcing His Success.
The March to the Stronghold Of the
Chiricahuas in the Sierra Madres.
Excellent Work Done by the Apache
Scouts Under Capt. Crawford.

Under date of Silver Creek Arizona, Gen
Crook furnishes the following brief and
modest account of his successful campaign
against the Apache hostiles:
left here May with 1913 Apache scouts
under Crawford and Wood Mackey, WITH
Chaffee's company of forty-two men OF the
Sixth cavalry, and rations for two months
on mules We followed the hostile Chraca-
huas to a country of indescribabe rough
ness A number Of mules lost their footing.
stepping from the trail, fell down the prec-
the Chiricahuas was in the very heart of the
Sierra Madres. The position is finely
watered and has a dense growth OF timber
and plenty Of grass. They had been
camped for months near the head OF
Bavispe, occupying prominent elevated
peaks affording a fine lookout for miles,
rendering surprise almost impossible and
making their retreats secure through the
rough adjacent canyons Capt. Crawford,
with the Indian scouts early on the morn
ing of May l. surprised the village of Chata,
the chief who led the recent raid into Arr
IONA and New Mexico The fight lasted all
day, and the village was wiped out The
damage done cannot be estimated num-
Der of dead bodies were found, but the in
describable roughness of the country pre-
vented count being made The entire
camp, with the stock and everything belong
ing to it, was captured. 1t was learned from
the prisoners that the Chiricahuas were unan-
imous for peace and had already sent two
messengers to try to reach San Carlos. On
the 18th they began TO surrender. They
said their people were much frightened by
our sudden appearanc In theirfastnesses and
had scatt red like quail. They asked me to
remain until they could gather all the bands
together, when they would go back to the
reservation. By the terms of the treaty my
operations were limited to the time of the
fight and told the Chiricahuas to gather
up their women and children without delay.
They answered that they could not get them
to respond to signals the fugitives fearing
they might be set by our Apache scouts to
had white boy, who was in the
village jumped by our scouts. He
had run off with the squaws who escaped
and who had not yet been heard from They
assured me every one of the band should
come III if would remain short time The
terms of the treaty embarrassed me gre ally,
and, being in that rough region and rations>
rapidly isappearing-there being between
500 and AGO Chiricahuas to feed was com
PEELED to return with the Chiricahuas We
found six Mexican captivos, live women and
one child, taken in Chihuahua early in May.
They are now with the command. These
women say they were captured near the
Mexican Central Railroad, at place
called Carmen. They further state
that when the Chiricahuas discovered
became greatly alarmed, and abandoned on
the trail the 800 head of cattle they were
driving away from points in Western Chi
huahua The cattle We're afterward picked
up and driven off by body Of Mexicans
We marched back as rapidly aS-the condi-
ton of the stock and the strength of the
women and children would permit and
found the country depopulated for dis
tance of 100 miles from the Apache strong
hold The Chiricahuas insist that they have
always lived in the Sierra Madres; that even
when the main body went on the reservation
some remained behind in the mountains
OF these now out there are number who
they state have never been on the reserva-
ton | have strong hopes of being able 10
clear the mountains of the last of these
Now with us are Loco and Mana so often
reported killed, and the families OF other
prominent chiefs / saw no Mexican troops,
and after leaving the settlements in North
east Sonora did not see a Mexican other
than the captives rescued | have such as
surances from the Indians that the white
boy will be brought back alive that | am.
looking for him every moment, and will in
form you by courier.