The semi-weekly miner. [volume] (Butte, Mont.) 1882-1886, 1883-06-13
General Crooks Report.

General Crooks Report.
SAN FRANCISCO, June l2.-The
following dispatch was received from
General Crook at military headquar-
tiers this afternoon
SILVER CREEK, IL miles north OF
the boundary, via Tombstone.-Left
here Nav first with 1913 Apache
scouts under Captain CrawIord anu
rot Wood Maekey with Chatee's
Company of forty-two men OF u
SIKH Cavalry with rations Tor two
months on mules and followed tne
hostiles. The country is lnde-
scribably rough. A number OF mules
lost their footing, slipping from the
nath and fell down the preciPlces
Ind were killed. The stronghold OF
~ Chiricahuas is in the
verv heart of the Sierra Mad,
res. their position finely watered
in a dense growth of timber, and
nIentv of grass. They had been
canred near the head ofthe Bavlspe,
o%cc,inving prominent elevated peaks.
a%ffnrding q fine lookout for miles,
rendering q surprise almost impos-
sible. and making retreats ecure
Through the rough adjacent canons.
Captain Crawford, with Inc lnolan
scouts, early on the morning OF May
5th. surprised the village under
Chata, the chief, who led the recent
raid into Arizona and New Mexico
The fight lasted all day, and the vii
LACE was wiped out. The damage
done cannot be estimated. A num-
her of dead bodies were found on the
field. but the indescribable
lOuphness of the country prevented a
couent:being made. The entire COM
pauy. together with the stock belong
ing to it were captured. tits learned
from prisoners taken that the Chlrl-
cahuas were anxious 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 appearance in their
Businesses and had scattered like
quail. They asked me to remrin here
until they get all their bands together
when they would go back to the res
ervation. Ey the terms of the treaty
my operations are limited to
the time of the fight and
I told the Chiricabuas to
gather up their women and chill
dren without delay. They answered
they could not get them to respond
to the signals, the fugitives fearing
they might be beset by our Apache
scouts, who would entrap them.
They told US they had a white boy
who was in the village, and who
jumped by our scouts aud had run
off with the squaws vino had es-
capped, and had not been heard from.
They assured me every n of the
band should come in if I would re-
main a short time. The terms of
the treaty embarrassed me, and being
in that rough region, with the ra-
tions rapidly disappearing, and there
being between 300 and 400 Chirica-
huas to feed 1 was compelled to
with the Chiricahuas. We
six Mexican captives, five wo-
men and one child, who were taken
early in May. They are now with
the command. These women they
say were captured near the Mexican
Central railroad ut Il place called Car
men. They further state that when
the Chiricahuas discovered the
scouts were in the country
they became greatly alarmed and
on the trail the 800 head
Of cattle they were driving away
from points in western Chirica-
hua. These cattle were afterwards
up and driven IF by a body
Of Mexicans. We marched back as
as the condition of the stock
and the strength Of the ONE aud
children would permit. We found
country depopulated for a dis
.ance of one hundred miles from the
stronghold. The Chiri-
insist that they have lived in
he Sierra Madres; that even when
nearly everybody went on the reser-
some remained behind in the
Of these now with us
here are some who state that
hey have never been on the
reservation. I have strong hopes of
icing able to clean the mountains of
he last of them. OF these now with
IS are Loco and Names, so often re-
killed, and the families of
'ther prominent chiefs. I saw no
Mexican troops, and after leaving the
ettlements in Ne Conora did not see
Mexican ether than the captives
escued. l nave such assurances
the Indians that the white boy
will be brought back alive that I am
ooking for him every moment, and
will inform you by courier.