The Bolivar bulletin. [volume] (Bolivar, Hardeman County, Tenn.) 1865-1888, 1883-06-21
CHIRICAHUA CAPTIYEs.
General Crooks Campaign in the sierras
as Related in OfieIaI Reports to Military
Headquarters-Host Indians Surprised
in their Stronghold.

as Related in OhieIaI Reports to Military
Headquarters-HostiIe Indians Surprised
In their Stronghold. 1
TUCSON, i T., June IL.
A courier arrived at Tombsl one lastnight
from Crooks headquarters, at Silver Greek,
A T., bringing the first official information
/ of Crooks expedition. 1t left American
soil on the Sd of May, marching 200 miles
southeast from San Bernardino, on the
boundary line Of chihuahua and Sonora,
following the trail of the hostiles. Crook
was guided by the Apache NadosIi who
was captured near San Carlos, just previ-
GUS to the expedition. Leaving at point
about 200 miles south of the line the COM
mand crossed the Sierra Madre range, ad-
vancing fifty miles back on an indescriba-
bly, rough trail, eight mules being killed by
falling over precipices, and pressed on with
out delay and rendered nearly barefoot by
the sharp rocks. After fourteen days hard
marching night and day, the Indian camps
of Chato and BOnito were discovered in the
heart of the Sierra Madres, in an almost
impregnable position. The Apaches did
not dream of an attack, for entrance to the
trenches was next to impossible. The war
riors were principally out on a raid under
Juh, only thirty-seven bucks being in camp
with the women and children. The San
Carlos scouts, under Capt. Crawford and
Lieutenants Atwood and Mackey, with
Al Seball, Mcintosh and Mickey Free,
chiefs of the scouts, surrounded the camp
before the hostiles were aware of their
proximity and advanced from different
points and were near before they were dis
covered. The scouts secreted themselves
behind the rocks and commenced firing
upon the camp, creating a perfect panic
A number succeeded in escaping, though
nearly all surrendered. Seven were found
dead in camp. Five Mexican women and
a little girl were recaptured. They were
taken from Carmen to Chihuahua, and are
with Crook in good health. Everything in
the camp was burned or carried off by the
scouts. Among the property captured
were 100 ponies and mules, forty being
loaded with plunder, saddles, girdIes,
clothes, gold and silver watches and sew
Fral thousand dollars in gold, silver and
Ereenbacks, showing they had been very
successful in their raids. After the fight
most of those who escaped came in. Alto
gether 3S3 prisoners were taken. The
chiefs captured We're .ChatO, Bonlto, Ger
onimO, NacheZ, Loco and Mana. The two
latter were long reported dead. The chiefs
say an American boy, six years old, cap
tured month ago in New Mexico, is with
the squaws in the mountains. He is, no
doubt, Charlie McComas.
Crooks Operations in the sierras.
The following dispatch from General
Crook was received at military headquar-
ters this afternoon:
= SILVER CREEK, A. T., twelve miles
north of the boundary, via Tombstone
Left here May I, with 1913 Apache scouts
under Crawford. Got word Mackey was
with Chaffee's company of forty-tyvo men
and sixty cavalry with rations for two
months on mules. Followed the hostiles
into the Chiracahuas, country Of consid-
Ia a of
their footing in stepping from the trail,
falling down precipices, and were killed.
| The stronghold Of the Chiracahla is in the
very heart OF the Sierra Madres, a position
finely watered, with dense growth of tim
ber and plenty of grass. They had been
camped near the head Of the Bauispe, Oc-
cupying prominent elevated peaks afford
ing fine lookout. for miles, rendering a
surprise almost impossible, and making
their retreat SECURE through rough adjacent
canyons. Capt. Crawford, with Indian
scouts, early on the morning Of
May Il, surprised the village of
/ ChaIa, the chief who led the recent raid
! into Arizona and New Mexico. The fight
lasted all day. The village was wiped
out. The damage done can not be esti-
mated. There were, a number of dead bodies,
but the indescribabIe roughnesS of the
| country prevented a count being made,
| The entire camp, with stock and every
thing belonging to it, was captured. 1t was
learned from prisoners taken that the Chlra-
cahuas were unanimous for peace, and had
already two messengers out to try and
reach San Carlos. On the Il eth they began TO
surrender. They said their people were
much frightened by our sudden appear
ance in their Businesses, and had scattered
/ like quail. They asked me to remain until
they could gather all the bands together,
whe1 they would go back to the reserva-
tion. By the terms of thetreaty my opera
tiOns were limited to the time of the fight.
/ L told the Chiracahuas to gather up their
women and children without delay. They
/ answered they could not get them to re-
| spond to the signals, the fugitives fearing
| they might be beset by our Apache scouts,
| who would outrage them. They told us
( they had a white boy who was in the vtl-
/ lage 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 in
! if would remain a short time. The terms
| of the treaty embarrassed me greatly, and
| being in that rough region with ratiOns
! rapidly disappearing, there being between
/ 800 and 400 ChiracahuaS to feed, was
/ compelled to return with the Chira-
! cahuas. We found six Mexican cap
/ tives, five 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 Chiracahuas discovered the
| Apache scouts were in the country they be-
1 came greatly alarmed and abandoned on
the trail the 300 head of cattle they were
/ driving away from points IN w eStern
/ chihuahua. The cattle were afterward
/ picked up and driven off by body of Mex
/ leans. We marched back as rapidly as the
i condition Of the stock and the strength of
/ the women and children would permit We
i found the country depepulated for dis
4 tance of 100 miles from the Apache strong
/ hold. The Chiracahuas insist that they
I have always lived in Sierra Madres; that
even when the main body went on the
| reservation some remained behind in the
mountains. of those who went out
there are q number who state that they
/ have never been on q reservation. have
i strong hopes of being able to clear the
mountains of the last. OF those now with
us are Laco and Mana, so often reported
/ killed, and the families of other prominent
\ chiefs We saw no Mexican troops, and
i after leaving the settlements in the north
/ east of Sonoro did not see a Mexican other
\ than the captives resaHed. / have such as
suranees from the Indians that the white
I boy viii be brought back alive that am
/ looking for him every moment, and VIII
/ inform you by courier"
An Old Confidence Game.