Arizona weekly citizen., 1886-02-06
OFFICIAL REPORT.
The Full Account of the Killing of
 Capt. Crawford.
Serious Charges against the Action of the
 Mexican Force.

!; after:
 h LAMP SEAR NACORI, SONORA, e January 2l, lSS6. | s captain c. 5. Roberts, 4. D. C.. Ia r. Bowie, A. IT,
 ! DIR: l have the honor to report in ' @ @thls command, under Captain Crawfor { ihird Cavalry, after a march of ciehfe, r hours, struck on Sunday. the 10th ins [ the hostile camp, about fifty miles soutl west or NacOrl and one mile north of q ? Ara rlyer or Rio Grsnde. The hostile
 evidently fearing m attack. had place
 'helt camp among the rocks, a con
 haniing position where few me
 could successfully resis. large fore.
 The Tour companies of this post were s dispcsed Ss to nearly surround the ho. } tile camp.
 The attack was to commence at day } hght. A company was assigned to eac cIhcer and one 10 each of the chic scouts.
 The camp was situated in country s,
 broken thHJ with difficulty the connau, vas able to move. Tho ground WA
 covered with broken rock. Every on,
 m the command, including officers. wa
 moccaslned, to avoil making noise.
 Some bUrros, however, belonging f,
 the Indians. and about 100 yards iron
 their camp, heard our ap
 proach andlcommenced praying. Some
 of the hOstiles came out to herd them
 and ran near to the company in com
 msnd of Lieut. Shipp, Tenth Cavalry.
 FIGHT AND FARLEY.
 Some shots were fired, and the shoot
 ing soon became general among all the
 companies. The Indians beat n hasty
 retreat, leaving their entire camp outfit
 and heard. with the exception of A few
 horses, which they were forced to Rban
 don under our fire. A running fight en- sued which was kept up for about two hours. None of the men were secured. | The only evidence that any of them were hIt was blood found ID two places on the ground. Some Of the scouts. sad the hUstiles wanted to send in a wo. man to talk. Capt. Crawford assented and had an interview, during which he agreed to see Natchez and others on the 1 following day.
 The interperte-, Mir. Horn, and myself were directed to be present. The hos. tiles were without any food or camp out iit, and had DO animals. Had this talk taken place. ] belleye most of the band would have surrendered. Our fen packs, left about eight miles distant, were sent for but did not arrive thas night. We went into camp about one hundred yards above the Indian camp, in the same line of rocks.
 ATTACKED BY TIE MExIcASs.
 At daylight the next morning-Mon- iay, .he lOth instant-the camp was al- armed by loud cries from some of lhe scouts. followed immediately by a show 5r of bullets into our camp. |, with Lieutenant Shipp and MT. Horn, ran forwerd to stop II as 1t wns supposed to be an attack by Capt Davis scouts through mistake. IL was soon discoy- cred, however, that the attacking party was large force of Mexican soldiers from Chihuahua, numbering as I after wards ascertainsd from them, l54 They wore no uniform.
 l suppose they were Nationals. AL though We tried in every way, waving hsndkerchiefs and calling out irr Span lsh who we were. they continued sharp fire for about fifteen minutes. It then seemed that We had made them under stand. that We were American soldiers and friends. A party of them approach ed and Captain Crawford and went on, about fifty yards from our position in the open and talked with them. They did not stop moving. l told them in spanish that we were American soldiers; called attention to our dress and said we would not fire. They answered they would Tot fire, but all the time moved towgrl s hill a short distance away. q little higher than our position, with some scattering oak wood.
 Captain Crawford then ordered me to go back and insure no more firing. started back when again
 vOLLEY WAS FIRED. Of course We al! sought shelter. nm sure they knew who we were perfectly well at this time. Lieutenant Shirp and MT. Horn were also shouting at another point, telling whom we were; that all was right. NIT. Horn speaks Spanish very well.
 When l turned again l saw the Cap tam lying on the rocks with a wound n hIs head and some of his brains upon | the rocks. This had all occurred in two | minutes. He was said to be waving his | when shot. NIT. Horn was | also wounded at the same time m the | left arm slightly. It is remarkable no | others were shot.
 There can be no mistake; these men | knew they were firing at American sol dIers.
 At this time took command and en- by all means-tO prevent more firing. l do not believe the scouts fired | more than was necessary to keep the Me1icans away. After about half an hour longer firing ceased and an an- swer to our cries came from the Mex jeans.
 sent MT. Horn to go out and talk with one of them who advance |, snd I soon followed him 10 a point some 3OO yards away. l had a talk with the man in command, their captain having been killed. l was told by many they were sure We were hostiles: that they took our trail for a hostile trail, and 1t being dark they could not tell. They seemed very sincere in their regrets and signed } paper stating 1t was all mistake, etc. They asked me for horses to take their V ounded away, and wanted ratIons. I to do what could. and also as they requested, to send a doctor to dress the wounded.
 The result ot this unfortunate affair WAS the loss tO us of Captain Crawford, Third Cavalry, mortally wounded; Mir. Horn, chief of scouts, slightly wounded; wo Ini;an scouts slightly and one se- -erely.
 Inc loss on the part of the Mezicans, 70 Tar as I could determine, was four Illed and five wounded. I saw the bodies of four carried away from within OO ysrls of our camp. examined .ach of them myself. l had to cause he men carrying them away 10 come without arms, ss I feared the scouts yOuld fire Gt them again, ard l re lained unti. they wer- carried off the .eld.
 IL seems hardly possible tha. these nen should continue tLis attack when | hey knew who We were, but l now be- ieye they expected to
 DRIVE Us OFF
 With an overwhelming force and secure . uT camp and effects. l do not believe hey had any idea We were so strong ! T had taken such a strong position, for Thich We were indebted to the hostiles, ' caring a fresh conflict. As the scouts seemed much excited