The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1883-06-19
GEN. CROOKS CAMPAIGN.
Disarmament of the Little Army After
Brilliant Piece of Work.
The Prisoners En- Route to San Carlos-Ihe
Half-Hearted Assistance Rendered
by the Mexican Forces.
No.. powis sneoial to Chicago Times.

in the morning" This morning the COM
NAMES which have been stretched along the
line for the past ten weeks accordingly broke
camp and began the march to the forts in
Arizona where they are stationed, while the
General and his staff left for Wilcox, whence
they will proceed to visit two or three OF the
posts in the southern part of the Territory
Captain Chaffee's company alone will remain
on Silver creek a fortnight longer. supply
train is ready to come out, for the purpose of
looking after struggling Indians from Mexico.
The whole body of Indians, under command
of Captain Crawford and Lieutenant Gale
wood, have begun the march for San Carlos
through Sulphur Springs, west of Wilcox,
and will probably reach the agency next Sat-
urday with Chiefs Loco, Chato, Beneto, Mana
and others of less note. 1t is expected that
seven or eight days Signal fires have been
lighted every night on the mountains for In
dams coming in from Mexico, who are ex-
pected to overtake the main body soon. 1t
is also expected that some will make their
way through New Mexico up into the reser-
vation The Chricahuas who made the raid
through Arizona and New Mexico in May
last, mainly members of Chato's band, are
nearly all in the party proceeding to the
reservation. There is a tacit understanding
that they will be allowed to go back on the
reservation under certain restrictions with
out military or civil trial. Should this plan
be carried out, the army officers believe that
the Indian troubles in these Territories are
ended, and that Mexico will no longer be
sought as a hiding place
While in camp yesterday inspecting his
expedition, General Crook said to your cor
respondent:, "After the raid last spring
wa, satisfied that the Chiricahuas were plan
ming another invasion, which would have
been far more destructive to life and prop
erty than the first one. Chato's people did
not get much ammunition, and all the rene
gades in the mountains would probably save
theirs and come up a second time Now,
YOU can't catch an Indian on a raid He
knows the country perfectly, where every
ranch is located, and where supplies are to
be secured. He comes without baggage or
supplies of any kind. After riding horses
ell day he steals fresh ones at night and is off
again don't care how good the troops in
pursuit are, they can never catch him. The
only way is to find the Indian stronghold
and to attack that. 1 was satisfied in this
way only the Chiricahuas could be
subdued, and determined to follow
them into the mountains before they
could pour out again and swOop
down on the Territory. The Mexlcans had
suffered more than We had from raids.
went to Sonora and chihuahua and consult
ed with the military authorities. They man
age the Indian troubles in those States, and
not the civil authorities. At Sonora they
were willing for me to make the expedition.
AtChihuahua did not get as much satisfac
ton, but they did not put obstacles in nv
way. Then came back and organized the
expedition, not knowing with certainty that
our troops would be allowed to cross the
line. April 80 at San Bernardino, the tele
gram. came from the War Department warn
ing me not to violate the treaty, which 1
never intended to do"
"Was there not great risk in entering Mex
ico as you did,"
Gus one, and we had only one man with us
who knew anything of the country. How
much he knew he could not be sure, but the
raids could be stopped in no other manner
and | was determined to stop them at all
hazards. The country through which
our course was full of danger. Some
days we could not possibly make a
march of more than eight miles. There was
plenty of water but no game of any kind
and we had to depend entirely on our rations
for supplies. If the Indians had surprised
us don't suppose many would have come
back to tell the story, but we penetrated into
never could get. When they found our
troops there the fight was practically won.
The way to beat the Indians is to surprise
them in their own camp. You get the
bulge on them, and they stampede worse
than Texas cattle. They know when they are
whipped, and they want peace. Then it
turned out as | supposed. The Indians were
not all hostile. Many of them like old Loco,
had been almost under duress. Even the In
,dians find it hard living in these mountains.
There is absolutely nothing for them to eat
there except mescal plant, and they had to
raid in Sonora and Chihuahua constantly for
cattle, but they could get no ammunition IN
these States, and were forced to cross the
line to obtain it. A few years of this sort
of life will make the bravest of them
weary and it was not remarkable to
find when the chiefs came in TO talk with me
that the majority were anxious to get back
to the reservation. l told them to gather up
their bands, come back and behave them
selvesn
':Your San Carlos scouts came up to your
expectations did they not?'
''Yes, l never doubted them. They were
little nervous at first, but they got over
that"
would the Mexican troops be able to
handle the Indians if any remain in the
country"
81 don't believe they would Somehow
the Mexican troops never seem to get in close
quarter with the Indians. l could not find
that any had been killed in that fight, where
it was claimed that eleven were killed. The
Indians told me that they saw the Mexican
soldiers coming for three days, looking down
the,side of the mountains. Indeed, think
the Mexican plan of fighting Indians is a
mistake. They kill the women and children,
which only leaves the bucks free from i'm
pediments and in better shape to fight Then
the Mexicans have not always kept their
word with the Indians and the latter won't
trust them, but the magnificent grazing lands
along the lope of the mountains are GER
tainly worth fighting for''
Did you expect to find the Chiricahuas as
FAR north in the mountains as they were?'
No; thought we should have to go fur
Their SOUTH"
rs there any doubt that Geronimo and
the other chiefs will return from Mexico,