Omaha daily bee., 1883-04-26
THE PACH RAIDS.
AS Looked at from a Purely Military
Standpoint

<Ahi6She hOSoAAb hoSC oahihk kutoE
which distinguished the warfare on
both aides during our last war. Az
In those enterprises, tho msraudine
parry starts from q secure position,
circles round the conters Of the, enc.
my's strength, passing through an
important though not strongly guard.
ed territory, and after a cares of
which the apparent recklessness Ia
merely q careful adjustment Of bold
ness In attack to prudent provision for
retreat, returns to Its own quarters.
The Apaches left Sonora and crossed
the line apparently east of the Sonora
railroad, and their blow was struck at
q charcoal camp on the northern end
of the Huachuca montains, only seven
miles 1t Is said, from Camp Huachuca.
They then crossed westward to the
Santa Ritas and killed some wood
choppers, and striking northwest en-.
oountered and killed four men near
Winchester, and after that appear TO
have returned southwark to Sonora.
They are said to have picked up a
party of squaws from San Carlos In
their path, and either this band In
their circuit or another band coming
up from Sonora killed Judge McComas
and his family near the limo of New
Mexico
The exact details Of the march are
unknown, for the Arizona papers are
all too angry to hunt for and give the
true facts. Our account of their line
of march Is made out entirely from a
comparison Of the localities of their
successive murders, and not from the
contradictory stories told by the
press of the territory. The one fact
that seems indisputable is that they
swept around Tombstone, In the
southeastern corner of Arizona, near
Fort Huachuoa, always at q respecta.
BILE distance from that important
town, and probably returned to Sono.
rs, after committing a number of
murders, supposed to be about
forty, counting those In Sonora and
Arizona.
In all such movements there IL nc
advance after the first blow Is struck,
for then, whatever route may be
taken, the march becomes q retreat,
and 1t IL this which makes pursuit
futile. In the present raid, news oil
the attack on the charcoal camp sp,
pears to have been sent to the post In
the most slovenly fashion, delaying
action; but 1t Ii extremely doubtful II
successful pursuit could have been
made, oven II unusual promptitude,
both on the part of civilians and the
military had been made. In the wa,
no one dreamed Of making . stern
chase after raiders, but the necessities
Of the q make this the only resource
In an Indian raid, and It Il highly
probable that It will never succeed in
an open southern country. The mill.
tary posts are not en- the line, and dc
not al have the telegraph, the Iu-
dians are we'll acquainted with the
country, and the border can be
be crossed ut any point for miles of itl
extent. There Ii no certain track for
their operations, and thorough means
for meeting their raids by military
force would require much more com
plete preparations than are provided.
Still there can be no doubt that the
yearly murder of citizens by Indiunl
must be prevented. Many things
combine to make Arizona dapgerou.
ground at present.. In the first place,
It IL the last ditch to the southern
tribes. In the second place, 1t L. the
southern portion Of the territory next
the Mexican line that has always been
the habitable area, and Is now the
scene of violence. Thirdly, altering
climatic conditions have made this
country open at all seasons for
two years past. The high rainfall
which has been SO disastrous In
the eastern and middle states has e1-
tended to that territory, giving an
abundance of grass and water and
making every valley In the whole re-
zion, probably for 600 miles along the
border, ? practicable road where the
largest band of ponies and cattle can
be fed In any month in the year. 1t
seems quite probable that this heavy
rainfall may be repeated next year
and In years following, and If 1t Ia the
government will be called upon to
make special provision for the defense
Of the inhabitants of Arizona and
NewkMexico.
We have spoken Of Sonora as a sure
retreat for q marauding band. In that
state the Msxioans are making the
greatest effort to put down the hostili.
ties and with apparent success, though
at great cost of blood and treasure.
Bat II ID evident that when hard