Unfortunately the papers received at Silver Springs were full of inflammatory telegrams, stating that the intention of the government was to hang all the Chiricahua men, without distinction, and to parcel out the women and children among tribes in the Indian Territory. This news, getting among the Chiricahuas, produced its legitimate result. Several of the chiefs and many of the head men hid back in the mountains until they could learn exactly what was to be their fate. The Mexican troops went in after them, and had two or three severe engagements, and were, of course, whipped each time. When the road was clear the Chiricahuas kept their promises to the letter, and brought to the San Carlos the last man, woman, and child of their people. They have been quietly scattered in small groups around the reservation, the object being to effect tribal disintegration, to bring individuals and families face to face with the progress made by more peaceable Apaches, and at same time to enable trusted members of the latter bands to maintain a more perfect surveillance over every action of the Chiricahuas. Charlie McComas was never found; the Chiricahuas insist, and I think truthfully, that he was in the _ranchería_ destroyed by Crawford; that he escaped, terror-stricken, to the depths of the mountains; that the country was so rough, the timber and brush-wood so thick that his tracks could not be followed, even had there not been such a violent fall of rain during the succeeding nights. All accounts agree in this. Altogether the Chiricahuas delivered up thirteen captives,--women and children,--held by them as hostages. * * * * * * Transcriber’s note: Obvious typographical errors and punctuation errors have been corrected after careful comparison with other occurrences within the text and consultation of external sources. Except for those changes noted below, all misspellings in the text, and inconsistent or archaic usage, have been retained. Pg 10: ‘one was suprised’ replaced by ‘one was surprised’. Pg 11: ‘boldness, and sublety’ replaced by ‘boldness, and subtlety’. Pg 14: ‘the Cayote saw’ replaced by ‘the Coyote saw’. Pg 18: ‘the Amercan troops’ replaced by ‘the American troops’. Pg 23: ‘not infreqently the’ replaced by ‘not infrequently the’. Pg 24: ‘or millitary posts’ replaced by ‘or military posts’. Pg 34: ‘like the cayote’ replaced by ‘like the coyote’. Pg 51: ‘constantly patroled’ replaced by ‘constantly patrolled’. Pg 76: ‘dead Chiracahuas’ replaced by ‘dead Chiricahuas’. Pg 98: ‘and his beleagured’ replaced by ‘and his beleaguered’.