Skeleton Canyon Massacre

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The Skeleton Canyon Massacre was an ambush of the Mexican Smugglers carrying silver, in 1881. Skeleton Canyon is located in the Peloncillo Mountains, which straddles the modern Arizona and New Mexico state line border. This canyon connects the Animas Valley of New Mexico with the San Simon Valley of Arizona. Geronimo's final surrender to General Miles in 1886 occurred at the western edge of this canyon.

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[edit] First Skeleton Canyon Massacre

The first Skeleton Canyon Massacre occurred in 1879 when several Mexican Rurales were ambushed by rustlers.

[edit] Lead Up to Attack

In July of 1879, several rustlers attacked a Rancho in northern Sonora, killing several of them. After the attack on the Rancho, the survivors reported the attacks to Commandant Francisco Neri and a detachment of Rurales were sent out, among them Captain Alfredo Carrillo.

[edit] The Attack

As the Rurales entered in the canyon, bullets began to fly. Three of the Rurales survived the initial onslaught. Then the posse leader was killed by execution. No action was taken by the Mexican Government, but they did protest the killings to President Chester Arthur. Although the assailants were never positively identified, speculation has Old Man Clanton, Ike Clanton, Billy Clanton, "Curly Bill" William B. Brocius, Johnny Ringo, and Florentino Cruz as the murderers.

[edit] Second Skeleton Canyon Massacre

In July of 1881, Curly Bill William B. Brocius got word that several Mexican smugglers carrying silver were heading to the United States through Skeleton Canyon. Curly Bill, and several other men including Johnny Ringo, Old Man Clanton, Ike Clanton, Billy Clanton, Frank McLaury, Tom McLaury, Billy Grounds, and Zwing Hunt, hid in the rocks high above the trail. As the smugglers rode through the canyon the murderers opened fire, killing 6 of the 19. The rest were killed as they tried to get away.

[edit] Aftermath

In August 1881, while driving a herd of cattle through Guadalupe Canyon, a group of rustlers led by Old Man Clanton took out their bedrolls to sleep. At the crack of dawn several men opened fire on them while they were sleeping. Only two men escaped the ambush.

This attack was later known as the Guadalupe Canyon Massacre. Although who shot the rustlers remains a mystery, there are two speculations:

1. The attack was led by Captain Alfredo Carrillo and several Rurales from Fronteras, Mexico, in revenge for the Skeleton Canyon Massacre.

2. The attack was led by the Earp posse, and that Doc Holliday was nicked in the hip and Warren Earp wounded in the arm. This theory began as one of the men killed was Jim Crane, a stage robber that the Earps were looking for.

[edit] In Movies

  • In 1958 the attack was portrayed in the fictional movie Tombstone Territory: Skeleton Canyon Massacre.
  • In the 1993 film Tombstone the opening scene was supposed to be the Skeleton Canyon Massacre, but due to the injury of the character of Old Man Clanton, the scene was changed to a wedding massacre.