The Black range., 1883-06-22


very heart Of the Sierra Madres. posi-
tion finely watered, dense growth Of
timber and plenty Of grass. They had
been camped near the head of the
Ban, psccupying prominent elevated
peaks, Sfordlng fine lookout for miles.
and rendering surprise almost impos-
sible. and making The retreats through
the rough adjacent canyons. Captain
Crawford. with Indian scouts, early on
the morning of May 18th. surprised the
village, and Chata, the chief who led
the recent RAID into Arizona and New
Mexico. The fight lasted all day and
the village was wiped out. A number
of dead bodies were found, but the in
desCribable roughneSs of the country
prevented a count being made. The
entire camp, with stock and everything
belonging to it were captured. llearn-
ed from the prisoners taken that the
Chiricahuas are clamerous for peace,
and had already sent messengers to try
and reach San Carlos. On the 18th
they began to surrender. They said
their people were much frightened by
our sudden appearance in their fast
nesses. and scattered like quail. They
asked me TO remain until they could
gather all their bands together and
they would go back to the reserva-
ton. By terms of treaty my oper-
ations were limited to the time of the
fight. l 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 beset
by our Apache scouts and be entrap-
ped by them. They told us they had a
white boy who was in the village, and
he had ran off with the squaws, who
had escaped, and who had not yet been
heard from. They assured me that
every one of the band should come in,
if | would remain a short time. The
terms Of the treaty embarrassed me
greatly, and being in rough region
with rations rapidly disappearing, there
being 800 and 400 Chiricahuas to feed,
| was compelled to return. With the
Chiricahuas we found six Mexican
captives, five women and one child,
taken by the Chiricahuas early in May.
They are now with the command.
These women say they were captured
near the Mexican Central, at place
called Carmen, and further that when
the Chiricahuas discovered that the
Apache scouts were III the country
they became greatly alarmed, and
abandoned on the trail the 800 head of
cattle they were driving away from
points IN western Chihuahua The cat
tie were afterwards picked up and
drove off by lot of Mexicans, and
marched back as rapidly as the condi-
ton of the stock and the strength of
the women and children would per-
nit, / found the country depopulated
distance of one hundred miles from
the Apache stronghold. The Chiric-
haus insist that they have always lived
in the Sierra Madres, and that even
when the main body went off to the
reservation some stayed III the noun
tains. OF those now with us, there are
number who state they have never
been on the reservation. | have strong
hopes of being able to clean the noun
tains of the last Of these Indians.
There are now with us Loco and Mana,
so often reported as killed, and the
families of other prominent chiefs.
saw no Mexican troops, and after leav-
ing the settlements in northern Arizona
did not see Mexican, other than the
captives rescued. | have such assur-
ance that the white boy will be brought
back alive that | am looking for him
every moment, and will inform you by
courier"