Geronimo

by Geronimo

  “Headquarters Division of the Pacific,

  ”Presidio of San Francisco, Cal.

  “September 17, 1886.

  “ADJUTANT GENERAL,

  “U.S. Army, Washington, D.C.:

  “GENERAL: I have the honor to submit the following report upon military operations and the condition of the Division of the Pacific for the information of the Lieutenant General, and to make some suggestions for his consideration:

  “On the 17th of May, 1885, a party of about fifty of the Chiricahua prisoners, headed by Geronimo, Naiche, and other chiefs, escaped from the White Mountain Reserve, in Arizona, and entered upon a career of murder and robbery unparalleled in the history of Indian raids.

  “Since then, and up to the time of my assuming command of this division, they had been pursued by troops with varying success.

  “After the assassination of Captain Crawford, on January 11, by the Mexicans, the hostiles asked for a ‘talk,’ and finally had a conference on March 25, 26, and 27, with General Crook, in the Canon of Los Embudos, 25 miles south of San Bernardino, Mexico, on which latter date it was arranged that they should be conducted by Lieutenant Manus, with his battalion of scouts, to Fort Bowie, Ariz.

  “The march commenced on the morning of March 28 and proceeded until the night of the 29th, when, becoming excited with fears of possible punishment, Geronimo and Naiche, with twenty men, fourteen women, and two boys, stampeded to the hills. Lieutenant Manus immediately pursued, but without success.

  “Simultaneously with my taking command of the division Brigadier General Crook was relieved by Brigadier General Miles, who at once set out to complete the task commenced by his predecessor.

  “Geronimo and his band were committing depredations, now in the United States and now in Mexico, and, being separated into small parties, easily eluded the troops, and carried on their work of murder and outrage.

  “Early in May General Miles organized the hostile field of operations into districts, each with its command of troops, with specific instructions to guard the water holes, to cover the entire ground by scouting parties, and give the hostiles no rest.

  “An effective command, under Captain Lawton, Fourth Cavalry, was organized for a long pursuit.

  “On May 3 Captain Lebo, Tenth Cavalry, had a fight with Geronimo’s band 12 miles southwest of Santa Cruz, in Mexico, with a loss of one soldier killed and one wounded. After this fight the Indians retreated southward followed by three troops of cavalry.

  “On May 12 a serious fight of Mexican troops with the hostiles near Planchos, Mexico, resulted in a partial defeat of the Mexicans.

  “On May 15 Captain Hatfield’s command engaged Geronimo’s band in the Corrona Mountains, suffering a loss of two killed and three wounded, and the loss of several horses and mules, the Indians losing several killed.

  “On May 16 Lieutenant Brown, Fourth Cavalry, struck the hostiles near Buena Vista, Mexico, capturing several horses, rifles, and a quantity of ammunition.

  “The usual series of outrages, with fatiguing chase by troops, continued until June 21, when the Mexicans engaged the hostiles about 40 miles southeast of Magdalena, Mexico, and after a stubborn fight repulsed them....

  “About the middle of August Geronimo and his band were so reduced and harassed by the tireless pursuit of the soldiers that they made offer of surrender to the Mexicans, but without coming to terms.

  “Their locality thus being definitely known, disposition of the troops was rapidly made to act in conjunction with the Mexicans to intercept Geronimo and force his surrender.

  “On August 25 Geronimo, when near Fronteraz, Mexico, recognizing that he was pretty well surrounded, and being out of ammunition and food, made overtures of capitulation, through Lieutenant Gatewood, Sixth Cavalry, to Captain Lawton. He desired certain terms, but was informed that a surrender as prisoner of war was all that would be accepted.

  “The Indians then proceeded to the vicinity of Captain Lawton’s command, near Skeleton Canon, and sent word that they wished to see General Miles.

  “On September 3 General Miles arrived at Lawton’s camp, and on September 4 Naiche, the son of Cochise, and the hereditary chief of the Apaches, with Geronimo surrendered all the hostiles, with the understanding, it seems, that they should be sent out of Arizona.

  “I am not informed of the exact nature of this surrender, at first deemed unconditional....

  “I am, sir, very respectfully, your obedient servant,

  ”O. O. HOWARD,

  “Major General, United States Army.”

  STATEMENT OF W. T. MELTON, ANADARKO, OKLAHOMA

  From 1882 to 1887 I lived in southern Arizona, and was employed by the Sansimone Cattle Company.

  In 1886 I was stationed in Skeleton Canon, about 10 miles north of the boundary line between Arizona and Old Mexico, with J. D. Prewitt. It was our duty to ride the lines south of our range and keep the cattle of the Company from straying into Old Mexico.

  One afternoon, when returning from our ride, we discovered an Indian trail leading toward our camp. We rode hurriedly out of the hills into a broad valley so that we could better discover any attacking parties of Apaches and if assailed have at least a fighting chance for our lives. We knew the Apaches under Geronimo were on the warpath, but they were far down in Old Mexico. However, our knowledge of the Indians led us to expect anything at any time—to always be ready for the worst.

  When we reached the valley we struck a cavalry trail also headed for our camp. This was perplexing, for neither the Indians nor the soldiers seemed to have been riding fast, and both trails led toward our camp in Skeleton Canon. This canon was a natural route from Old Mexico to Arizona, and almost all bands of Indians, as well as detachments of United States troops, passed and repassed through this valley when going to Old Mexico or returning therefrom, but never before had two hostile bands passed through here at the same time and traveling in the same direction, except when one fled and the other pursued. What this could mean was a mystery to us. Could it be that the troops had not seen the Indians ? Were the redskins trying to head the troops off and attack them in their camp? Were the troops hunting for those Indians? Could this be Lawton’s command? Could that be Geronimo’s band? No, it was impossible. Then who were these troops and what Indians were those?

  Cautiously we rode to our camp, and nailed on the door of our cabin was this notice:

  “BE CAREFUL, GERONIMO IS NEAR BY AND HAS NOT YET SURRENDERED.

  “CAPT. LAWTON.”

  Then we understood.

  A short distance above our cabin we found the camp of the troops and we had just finished talking with Captain Lawton, who advised us to remain in his camp rather than risk staying alone in our cabin, when up rode the chief, Geronimo. He was mounted on a blaze-faced, white-stockinged dun horse.

  He came directly to Captain Lawton and through an interpreter asked who we were and what we wanted.

  As soon as the explanation was given he nodded his approval and rode away.

  Prewitt and I rode away with him. We were well armed and well mounted and Geronimo was well mounted, but so far as we could see unarmed. I tried to talk with the chief (in English), but could not make him understand. Prewitt wanted to shoot him and said he could easily kill him the first shot, but I objected and succeeded in restraining him.86 While we were arguing the chief rode silently between us, evidently feeling perfectly secure. All this time we had been riding in the direction of our horses that were grazing in the valley about a mile distant from our corral. When we came to a place about a half mile from Lawton’s camp, where a spur of the mountain ran far out into the valley, Geronimo turned aside, saluted, said in fairly good Spanish, “Adios, Señors,” and began to ascend a mountain path. Later we learned that he was going directly toward his camp far up among the rocks. We rode on, drove our horses back to the corral and remained in our cabin all night, but were not molested by the Indians.

  The next day we killed three beeves for the Indians, and th
ey were paid for by Captain Lawton. On the second day two mounted Mexican scouts came to Lawton’s camp. As soon as these Mexicans came in sight the Indians seized their arms and vanished, as it were, among the rocks.

  Captain Lawton wrote an account of conditions and delivered it to the Mexicans, who withdrew. After they had gone and their mission had been explained to Geronimo the Indians again returned to their camp and laid down their arms.

  A.C.S. Fly photograph of the hostiles1 camp at Caňon de los Embudos during the negotiations with General Crook. (COURTESY OF FORT SILL MUSEUM, FORT SILL, OKLAHOMA)

  On the next day word reached camp that General Miles was approaching and the Indians again armed and disappeared among the rocks. (Many of the Apache squaws had field glasses and were stationed every day on prominent mountain peaks to keep a lookout.87 No one could approach their camp or Lawton’s camp without being discovered by these spies.)

  Soon after General Miles joined Lawton’s command Geronimo rode into camp unarmed, and dismounting approached General Miles, shook hands with him, and then stood proudly before the officers waiting for General Miles to begin conversation with him.

  The interpreter said to Geronimo, “General Miles is your friend.” Geronimo said, “I never saw him, but I have been in need of friends. Why has he not been with me?” When this answer was interpreted everybody laughed. After this there was no more formality and without delay the discussion of the treaty was begun. All I remember distinctly of the treaty is that Geronimo and his band were not to be killed, but they were to be taken to their families.

  I remember this more distinctly, because the Indians were so much pleased with this particular one of the terms of the treaty.

  Geronimo, Naiche, and a few others went on ahead with General Miles, but the main band of Indians left under the escort of Lawton’s troops.

  The night before they left, a young squaw, daughter-in-law of Geronimo, gave birth to a child. The next morning the husband, Geronimo’s son, carried the child, but the mother mounted her pony unaided and rode away unassisted—a prisoner of war under military escort.

  On the afternoon of the day of the treaty Captain Lawton built a monument (about ten feet across and six feet high) of rough stones at the spot where the treaty was made. The next year some cowboys on a round-up camped at the place, and tore down the monument to see what was in it. All they found was a bottle containing a piece of paper upon which was written the names of the officers who were with Lawton.

  After the Indians left we found one hundred and fifty dollars and twenty-five cents ($150.25) in Mexican money hidden in a rat’s nest near where the Indians had camped.88

  About ten o’clock on the morning after the Apaches and soldiers had gone away twenty Pimos Indians, accompanied by one white man, surrounded our camp and demanded to know of Geronimo’s whereabouts. We told them of the treaty and they followed the trail on toward Fort Bowie.

  That afternoon, thinking all danger from Apaches past, my partner, Prewitt, went to ride the lines and I was left in camp alone. I was pumping water (by horse-power) at the well, when I saw three Indians rounding up our horses about half a mile away. They saw me but did not disturb me, nor did I interfere with them, but as soon as they had driven that bunch of horses northward over the hill out of sight I rode quickly off in another direction and drove another bunch of horses into the corral. The rest of the afternoon I stayed in camp, but saw no more Indians.

  Geronimo. From a photograph by DeLancey Gill, 1905. (COURTESY OF THE SMITHSONIAN INSTITUTION: NATIONAL ANTHROPOLOGICAL ARCHIVES)

  The next day we rode over the hill in the direction these Indians had gone and found that they had camped not three miles away. There were evidently several in the party and they had kept scouts concealed near the top of the hill to watch me, and to shoot me from ambush had I followed them. This we knew because we saw behind some rocks at the crest of the hill in the loose soil the imprints left by the bodies of three warriors where they had been lying down in concealment.

  At their camp we found the head and hoofs of my favorite horse, “Digger,” a fine little sorrel pony, and knew that he had served them for dinner. We followed their trail far into Old Mexico, but did not overtake them. We had been accustomed to say “it was Geronimo’s band,” whenever any depredation was committed, but this time we were not so positive.

  We do not wish to express our own opinion, but to ask the reader whether, after having had the testimony of Apaches, soldiers, and civilians, who knew the conditions of surrender, and, after having examined carefully the testimony offered, it would be possible to conclude that Geronimo made an unconditional surrender?

  Before passing from this subject it would be well also to consider whether our Government has treated these prisoners in strict accordance with the terms of the treaty made in Skeleton Cañon.

  A Selected Bibliography

  Andrist, Ralph K. The Long Death: The Last Days of the Plains Indians. New York: Macmillan, 1964; Collier Books, 1969.

  Clum, Woodworth. Apache Agent: The Story of John P. Clum. Boston: Houghton-Mifflin, 1936.

  Davis, Britton. The Truth about Geronimo. New Haven: Yale University Press, 1929.

  Debo, Angie. Geronimo: The Man, His Time, His Place. Norman : University of Oklahoma Press, 1976.

  Drinnon, Richard. Facing West: The Metaphysics of Indian-Hating and Empire-Building. Minneapolis: University of Minnesota Press, 1980; New York: Schocken Books, 1990.

  Farb, Peter. Man’s Rise to Civilization as Shown by the Indians of North America from Primeval Times to the Coming of the Industrial State. New York: E. P. Dutton, 1968; second edition, 1978.

  Faulk Odie, B. The Geronimo Campaign. New York: Oxford University Press, 1969.

  Goodwin, Grenville. The Social Organization of the Western Apache. Chicago: University of Chicago Press, 1942.

  Lockwood, Frank C. The Apache Indians. New York: Macmillan, 1938.

  Matthiessen, Peter. In the Spirit of Crazy Horse. New York: Viking Press, 1983; second edition, Viking Penguin, 1991.

  Opler, Morris E. An Apache Life-Way. Chicago: University of Chicago Press, 1941.

  ————. Myths and Tales of the Chiricahua Apache Indians. Philadelphia: American Folk-Lore Society, 1942; Lincoln: University of Nebraska Press, 1994.

  Roberts, David. Once They Moved like the Wind: Cochise, Geronimo, and the Apache Wars. New York: Simon & Schuster, 1993, 1994.

  Schellie, Don. Vast Domain of Blood: The Story of the Camp Grant Massacre. Los Angeles: Westernlore, 1968.

  Thrapp, Dan L. The Conquest of Apacheria. Norman: University of Oklahoma Press, 1967.

  Worcester, Donald E. The Apaches: Eagles of the Southwest. Norman: University of Oklahoma Press, 1979, 1992.

  1 Typical of Geronimo’s behavior in the late years of his captivity. He had learned the hard way how much money counted in the white man’s culture and would do little for the whites without pay. (FT)

  2 This is the style of so many extended Indian narratives that I venture to call it characteristic. It has long been clear that there are important differences between the styles of oral and written narratives. (FT)

  3 A symbol of this stone is used in the tribal game of Kah. See Chapter IV. (SMB)

  4 In the Chiricahua creation myth which Geronimo tells here the woman’s name is White Painted Woman. The heroic child is called Child of the Water since his father was Water in the form of a rainstorm. The other principal character is Killer of Enemies, usually referred to as the child’s brother rather than his uncle as here. Interestingly, Geronimo portrays Killer of Enemies as cowardly, for in another episode of this myth this character chooses the things which the whites will use in life while Child of the Water chooses those things for the Chiricahua. (FT)

  5 “Usen” is the Apache word for God. It is used here because it implies the attributes of deity that are held in their primitive religion. “Apache” means “Enemy.” (SMB)

  6 Throughout this complicated discussion Geronimo
is largely talking about the various bands and local groups of the Chiricahua Apaches; one such band was sometimes (and confusingly) called the Chiricahuas. A band, according to Opler (An Apache Life-Way) “is a division of the tribe based on territory, including within its borders those local groups near enough to unite for military action if the need arises or to cooperate for any important social occasion.” The Bedonkohe whom Geronimo calls his own people appear to have been such a band. (FT)

  7 Killed by Mexican troops, October 14, 1880, after several months of running warfare. Faulk (The Geronimo Campaign) writes that one Mauricio Corredor killed Victoria (also, and more regularly, Victorio); this same individual is said to have killed Captain Emmet Crawford, January 11, 1886, while the latter was pursuing Geronimo in the Sierra Madre. (FT)

  8 The boundary lines established at different times between Mexico and the United States did not conform to the boundary lines of these Apache tribes, of course, and the Indians soon saw and took advantage of the international questions arising from the conflicting interests of the two governments. (SMB)

  9 Whoa, also called Juh and Who, died in late May or early June, 1883, when returning from a peace mission at Casa Grandes. Some reports say that he was drunk when he fell from his mule into a stream and drowned, but his son Asa, who was with him at the time, says that he died of a heart attack. (FT)

  10 The Apache Indians held prisoners of war are greatly decreasing in numbers. There seems to be no particular cause, but nevertheless their numbers grow smaller. (SMB)

  11 Geronimo is the fourth of a family of four boys and four girls. He has had four wives that were full-blooded Bedonkohe Apaches, and four that were part Bedonkohe Apache and part other Apache blood. Four of his children have been killed by Mexicans and four have been held in bondage by the U.S. Government. He firmly believes in destiny and in the magic of the number four. Besides Geronimo, only four full-blood Bedonkohe Apaches are now living. They are Porico (White Horse), Nah-de-ste, Mah-ta-neal, and To-klon-nen. (SMB)