El Paso daily herald. (El Paso, Tex.) 1881-1901, 1900-02-17
FRIGHTFUL MASSACRE
Of Principal Carriza State of
Chihuahua, Mexico, n November, 1870 the Famous
Apache


; When neither party returned, then
indeed was there sorrow in the little
town of Carrizsl. For twenty of
her principal citizens had left, never
to return again. The last company
was composed of Jose M. Rodriguez,
captain, and Jesus Dominique, Jesus
Baca, Ynes Nunes, Guadalupe Ruiz,
Desiderio Sanchez, Julio Hernandez,
Fransito Cervantes, Santa Cruz Her
rera, Jesus Jose Noristia, Pautilo Frejo
and Manuel Aguirre, the last two be-
ing the ones who attempted to escape
on horseback.
It was several days beforethe people
| could get over the horrid reality, and
wives, mothers and sweethearts mourn
ed the loss of their dear ones. A rum
ner was sent to Ell Paso del Norte and
! they began to organize at once. Call
, ing on Saragosa, Tres Jacales, Gauda-
lupe and San Ignacio for their quota,
| they responded quickly and soon a
| hundred Mexicans were ready to take
the field.
A note was sent to me asking If the
| rangers would go with the command,
| to which readily agreed, for 1 knew
| il was only question of time when
oil Victoria would be on our side
! again numbering and robbipg. A
detachment of company G had been
in one fight, Is already related, and
the Mexicans had very kindly feel
ing for US. We crossed the river at
Saragoza, a little town opposite YsIeta,
and Joined the Mexicans under Senior
Ramos. We marched TO the ranch
of Don YnOcente Ochoa. to walt until
the volunteers from the other towns
came in to Ssmalsyuca Springs. Then
the rangers moved down, and our
ombined command amounted to one
p, Cd nd fnro hai
Texas rangers.
Here the MeXicans, after organic
ing, cent Senior Ramos to inform me
tn at on account of my experience as q
soldier, and as com Dllment to the
rangers, they had selected me to COM
mand the entire force. l thanked
him, but told him as the campaign
was on Mexican soil, and to rescue or |
bury MeXicans, it would be proper to |
appoint one of their own men, and |
would cheerfully serve under him. |
Senior Ramos returned after short |
time and told me they had selected Don |
Francisco Escaj edA, of Quad alupe, as
commander in chief, and myself as I
second in command. This suited me,
because there was an element that
might have caused some friction. Old
Chico Barela, the pueblo cacique, and
principal commander of the mob that
killed Judge Charlie Howard, Ellis
Atkinson land Mcbride at San EliZario,
WAS with US and we had at our head
quarters writs for the arrest of himself
and many others. So l gave the old
fellow to understand we we're now
fighting q common enemy and should
act in harmony together. 1 did this
the more willingly because l learned
that after Judge Howard and the
others were killed, the mob wanted
to kill all the rangers barricaded in an
adobe house. But Old Chico said it
could not be- done unless they killed
him first. Leaving one wagon at the
Ochoa ranch, and taking three days
rations cooked, and more in case of
siege, we went out il the night to
avoid VictOrio's spies seeing us.
Don Francisco Escajeda aud the
writer were at the head Of the column.
Sergeant Jas. 5 Gillet and my eight
followed in Indian file each
ranger with Mexican by his side,
showing they looked on us as volun-
teers in the Mexican service.
erode out on the hcrrid sand road be-
yond Ssmalsyuca, and sent spies abe ad
to locate the Apaches, if possible. Be-
fore we reached the Cand e arias, we
halted behind some untains TO await
the report of the spies, but they could
learn nothing certain. 1t was bit
terly cold night and a few of US made
fires in the deep arrOyos. We moved
on towards the mou ntains porth of the
and reached there early
next morning to find large fresh
trail about two days old, going in the
direction of Lake Santa Maria. But
for fear of some trick we divided our
men and some took the crest south of
the trail, where the massacre took
place, so as to have an even break, and
the others went to the right. 1t was
VII hot a ira MOI %
baud had left, and nothing remained |
for us to do, but the sad duty of col
lecting the bodies for burial.
They were scattered around, none
very far from where the attack had
1t was evident that the
last party had found the bodies of their
kinsmen and collected and put them in
gun to cover them with loose stones,
the Indians watching them all the I
time, just as cat plays with mouse
before killing it. They then opened
fire on them when all probably had
set their guns against the rocks and
we're busy in the last sad rites of bury ,
ing their loved ones, little dreaming
1t wss soon to be their own grave.
The saddest scen, that 1 ever wit
ed the bodies of the murdered men.
As each fresh discovery Of loved
friend, brother or father was made,
and the last hope fed that any had
a wall of sorrow went up, and
doubt If there was dry
eye either of Texan or
Mexican. 1t has been we'll said "a
touch of human nature makes all men
AKIN
While the immediate relatives were
hunting for those who had scattered
In attempting to escape, we moved
south to the main tank in the Can
1elarias. The ascent was up winding
path on the steep mountain eide to the
nonoh xUhora he nj sit |