Democratic Sentinel, Volume 6, Number 15, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 12 May 1882 — The Arizona Indian War. [ARTICLE]

The Arizona Indian War.

Maj. Tupper, of the Sixth Cavalry, had a fight with Apaches at Cloverdale, on the boundary line between Arizona and New Mexico. He reports one man lost and two wounded, while the savages left fifteen dead on the field, including a son of Loco, and seventy-five horses were captured. Tupper then joined Col. Forsyth’s command.—The report of CoL George A. Forsyth, detailing his operations against the savages, is an interesting recital of a campaign gallantly pushed in the face of formidable obstacles and disadvantages. One of the most serious of the adverse conditions which the troops have to contend against is the scarcity of water. Springs and water-courses are things unknown for long distances in that arid and desolate region. Col. Forsyth’s horses covered seventy-eight miles, and were forty hours without water, and, after dispersing the Indians and forcing them to quit the trail and take to the. mountains, the command was under the necessity of retracing its steps over many weary miles and return to the railroad station, to which water had been brought in tanks on the cars.— Gen. Sheridan has ordered the Third Cavalry to Arizona. The first detachment will have to march 150 miles to the railroad, the second 220 miles.

A courier arrived at Santa Fe, and reported that a column of Mexican troops, under command of Col. Garcia, met the Indians whom Col. Forsyth is in pursuit of and killed seventyeight of them, also taking thirty-three prisoners. All the available troops in the Department of the Platte are to be sent to New Mexico and Arizona to aid in suppressing the hostile Apaches. The Pima Indian polioe, in Arizona, were sent to arrest drunken and disorderly Indians and return them to the reservation. Having arrested eight of them the village rallied to their rescue, which resulted in a running fight of nine miles. Two Indians were killed and one badly wounded. A hone also was killed. Capt. Harris, of the First Cavalry, and command, who reached Tombstone May 3, report that all the hostiles had escaped to Mexico. There were no hostiles in the Dragoon mountains or anywhere else within fifty miles of Tombstone. A careful summary shows a total of 141 whites and Mexicans killed by Indians during the recent raid. Five hundred head of stock were killed and captured, and over 475,000 worth of property destroyed. Capt Tupper and his troops had a second encounter with the Indians about forty-five miles south of Cloverdale, killing forty Indians and recapturing about 200 head of stock. Tupper lost one killed and one wounded. The reported, killing of Indians by Mexican troops is fully confirmed. The engagement was a most sanguinary one. The number of redskins slain was seventy-eight and of soldiers twenty. Thirty-three Indians were captured. Loco, with twentyfive warriors, escaped. The work of a few Mexican troops in thus killing and capturing the Indian baud that our own army could not catch causes much ill-concealed mortification in army circles. The Secretary of War informs Congress that there are in Arizona 2,273 enlisted men and 140 officers, in addition to the forces under Gen. Forsyth. It is believed at Washington that the war is ended.