No. 339.
Mr. Romero to Mr. Bayard.
[Translation.]
Mexican
Legation,
Washington, April 13, 1886.
(Received April 16.)
Mr. Secretary: I have the honor to communicate
to you, for your information, a translation into English of those parts
of the message which the President of the Mexican United States read
before the Congress of the Union on the 1st instant, at the opening of
the present session, with reference to the unfortunate encounter that
happened at Teopar, in the Bavis Sierra, on the 11th of January of the
present year, between volunteers of the State of Chihuahua and exploring
Indians (scouts) of the Army of the United States.
Be pleased to accept, &c.,
Extracts from the speech which the President of
the Mexican United States read before’ the Congress of the Union
on the 1st of April, 1886, at the opening
of its present session, in reference to the encounter at
Teopar.
On the 23d of January last the governor of the State of Chihuahua, in
a report by telegraph to the war department, says that on the 11th
of said month the Mexican forces had had an encounter, at a place
called Teopar, in the Bavis mountains, with about 200 Indians,
commanded by foreign officers, and had killed five persons, among
them their captain (Crawford). On our side a number of persons were
also killed and wounded. Among the former were the major commanding
the troops and a lieutenant. This incident was somewhat distorted in
transmitting this news by the North American newspapers, and this
gave rise to a supposition in the United States that the killing of
Captain Crawford in said encounter had been intentionally caused by
our troops, as they (the papers) assert that the Mexican troops
fired against the officers of the United States Army knowingly.
Public opinion was somewhat excited in both countries, and the two
Governments were compelled to order a careful investigation of the
facts. For my part, and taking into consideration what has been
ascertained up to the present time, I have the conviction that in
said encounter our troops thought they were fighting the hostile
Indians, because they were following the tracks of the savages and
of the cattle which had been stolen, and they could not possibly
imagine that said Indians had been joined
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by others of similar aspect, and among whom
were very few soldiers or officers of the United’ States.
The killing of the courageous and deserving officers and citizens of
both countries is a very lamentable affair, but our troops, which
were composed of citizens of the State of Chihuahua, will always
have the excuse that they could not take as friends the Indians who
were in front, when they well knew that according to the agreement
for the passing of troops by the frontier only the regular troops of
both Republics can pass reciprocally the boundary line when they are
following the trail of the hostile Indians.
