[Inclosure.]
Mr. Tweedale to
Secretary of State.
War
Department,
Washington
City, June 13,
1883.
Sir: I have the honor to transmit herewith for
your information a copy of a telegram, without signature, dated Silver
Creek, Arizona, 12 miles north of boundary, June 11, 1883, but which is
accepted as being from Brig. Gen. George Crook, United States Army, it
having been repeated from his headquarters at Prescott, Department of
Arizona. Said telegram relates to his operations against the hostile
Chiricahuas since the 1st ultimo, and also sets forth that after his
fight on the 15th ultimo the entire village of Chata was destroyed and
everything captured, and that Laco and Nana and the families of other
prominent chiefs are among the captives.
A copy of the inclosed telegram has to-day been furnished the honorable
the Secretary of the Interior.
Very respectfully, your obedient servant,
JOHN TWEEDALE,
Chief Cleric (for the Secretary of War, in his
absence).
[Telegram.]
Silver
Creek, Ariz.,
Twelve Miles north
of Boundary, June 11,
1883.
Adjutant-General, United States
Army,
Washington, D. C.:
Left here May 1 with 193 Apache scouts under Crawford, Gatewood, and
Mackay, with Chaffee’s company of 42 men, of Sixth Cavalry, and rations
for two months on pack mules. Followed the hostile Chiricahuas. The
country was of indescribable roughness. A number of mules lost their
footing, and, slipping from the trail, fell down precipices and were
killed.
The stronghold of the Chiricahuas was in the very heart of the Sierra
Madre, in a position finely watered, having a dense growth of timber and
plenty of grass. They had been encamped for miles near the head of the
Barispe, occupying the prominent elevated paths, offering a fine lookout
for miles, rendering surprise almost impossible, and making retreat
secure through the rough adjacent cañoñs. Captain Crawford, with Indian
scouts, early on the morning of May 15, surprised the village of Chata,
the chief who led the recent raid into Arizona and New Mexico. The fight
lasted pretty much all day, the village being wiped out. The damage done
cannot be estimated. A number of dead bodies were found, but the
indescribable roughness of the country prevented count from being made.
The entire camp, with stock and everything belonging to it, was
captured. Learned from prisoners taken that the Chiricahuas were anxious
for peace, and had already sent two messengers to try to reach San
Carlos. On the 17th they began to surrender. They said that their people
were much frightened by our sudden appearance in their fastness, and had
scattered like quail. They asked me to remain until they could gather
all the bands together, when they would go back to the reservation. By
the terms of the treaty my operations were necessarily limited to the
time of the fight. I told the Chiricahuas to gather up their women and
children without delay. They answered that they could not get them to
respond to signals, the fugitives fearing that they might be sent by our
Apache scouts to entrap them. They assured me that every one of
[Page 662]
the band would come in if I
remained a short time. The terms of the treaty embar rassed me greatly,
and being in the rough region, with rations rapidly disappearing there
being between 300 and 400 Chiricahuas to feed, I was compelled to return
with the Chiricahuas.
We found six Mexican captives—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 a place called Carmen.
They further state that when the Chiricahuas discovered that Apache
scouts were in the country, they became greatly alarmed and abandoned on
the trail the 300 head of cattle they were driving away from points in
Western Chihuahua. These cattle were soon afterwards picked up and
driven up by a body of Mexicans in pursuit. We marched back as rapidly
as the condition of our stock and the strength of women and little
children would permit. We found the country depopulated for a distance
of 100 miles from the Apache stronghold. The Chiricahuas insist that
they have always lived in the Sierra Madre, that even when the main body
went on the reservation some remained behind in the mountains. Of those
now with them are a number who state that they have never been on a
reservation.
I have strong hopes of being able to clear the mountains of the last of
them. There are now with us Loca and Nana, so often reported killed, and
the families of other prominent chiefs.
We saw no Mexican troops, and after leaving the settlement in Northeast
Sonora didn’t see a Mexican other than the captives rescued.
[No signature.]
