Geronimo's Story of His Life

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ooPMiiGiTr ntPosiT

GERONIMO'S STORY OF HIS LIFE

Geronimo

Geronimo's Story of His Life Taken

S.

M.

Down and

Edited by

BARRETT

Superintendent of Education, Lawton, Oklahoma

NEW YORK DUFFIELD & COMPANY 1906

.1

RL^^r.f..

GCY

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a xxo. N&

OOPYB KJ

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"

Copyright, 1905, by S.

M. Barrett

Copyright, 1906, by

DuFFiELD

&

Company

Published September, 1906

,l\(i>Gz

DEDICATORY Because he has given

my story

;

to tell

because he has read that story and

knows I try

to speak the truth; because I

believe that he

my

me permission

is

fair-minded and will cause

people to receive justice in the future;

and because he

is

chief of a great people, I

dedicate this story of

my

life to

Theodore

Roosevelt, President of the United States.

Geronimo.

PREFACE The this

idea

initial

work was

of

the

of

compilation

to give the reading public

of the

an authentic record of the private

life

Apache Indians, and

Geronimo

as a prisoner of captive,

i.

e.,

to extend to

war the courtesy due

the right to state the causes

which impelled him in civilization

anj^

his opposition to

our

and laws.

If the Indians' cause has been properly presented, stated,

the

captives'

and the general

defense

clearly

store of informa-

tion regarding vanishing types increased, I shall

I

be

desire

gestions Sill,

satisfied.

to

acknowledge valuable sug-

from Maj. Charles Taylor, Fort

Oklahoma; Dr.

Kansas

City, Missouri,

J.

M. Greenwood,

and President David

R. Boyd, of the University of Oklahoma.

PREFACE I especially desire in this connection to

say that without the kindly advice and assistance of President this

Theodore Roosevelt

book could not have been written. Respectfully, S.

Lawton, Oklahoma. August

14, 1906.

M. Barrett.

CONTENTS PAGR

CHAPTER

Introductory

xi

PART

I

The Apaches I.

II.

III.

Origin of the Apache Indians Subdivisions of THE

«

Apache Tribe

.

.

S

.

.

12

Early Life

IV. Tribal

17

Amusements,

Manners,

and

Customs

.

V. The Family

35

PART The

II

A[e.r leans

VI. Kas-Ki-Yeh

,

VII. Fighting under Difficulties

VIIL Raids that were Successful

... ...

IX. Varying Fortunes

43 55

69 79

X. Other Raids XI.

26

86

Heavy Fighting

98

XII. Geronimo's Mightiest Battle vii

.

.

.

105

CONTENTS PART

III

Men

The White CHAPTER 1'

PAGB

XIII. Coming of the

White Men

.

.

.

XIV. Greatest of Wrongs

XV. Removals

.

Il6 126

.

XVI. In Prison and on the Warpath

.

.

XVII. The Final Struggle

A

Prisoner of

.

.

.

.

War

PART

148 177

IV

The Old and

XX. Unwritten Laws

131

139

XVIII. Surrender of Geronimo

XIX.

113

the

New

of the Apaches

XXI. At the World's Fair

.

185 197

207

XXII. Religion XXIII. Hopes for the Future

Vlll

213

LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS Geronimo

How

.....

the book wns

Dressed as

Naiche tary

made

.

days of old

in

(Natches), son of of

chief

the

Frontispiece

...

Facing page

.

Cochise,

Chiricahua

vi

8

heredi-

Apaches.

Naiche was Geronimo's lieutenant during the protracted wars in Arizona

.

.

14

Last of the Bedonkohe Apache Tribe, Tuklonnen,

Nadeste,

Work

Porico

Nah-ta-neal,

... ....

(White Horse)

Apache corral The conquered weapon Apache princess, daughter of Naiche, chief of the Chiricahua Apaches Geronimo, Chihuahua, Nanne, Loco, Ozone Naiche, his mother, his two wives and his stock in

.

.

.

.

children

.

.

.

.

.

.

Asa Deklugie, wife and children Apache scouts Naiche, Goody, John Loco, Porico, Jasen, Asa Deklugie, Kelburn, Sam, Hugh, Captain Seyers Three Apache chieftains Naiche, son of .

.

18

22 30 38

46 50-

&&

—

—

...

70

Coche; Asa, son of Whoa; Charley, son Victoria

80.

X

LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS

Apache camp

.... —

Apache mission Fort

Sill

Military Reservation

Asa Deklugie imo,

son

Facing page 86

Valley of Medicine Creek,

of

(official interj^reter

Whoa,

chief

.

.

96

for Geron-

Nedni

of the

Apaches, chief elect to succeed Geronimo at the latter's death)

Geronimo, Apache war chief

.

.

.

Lone Wolfe, chief of Kiowas Geronimo, Apache war chief Quanna Parker, chief of Comanche Indians Gotebo, war chief, Kiowa Indians Kaytah and Nahteen, Apache scouts who were with General Lawton Emma Tuklonen W. F. Melton, at whose camp in Skeleton Canon Geronimo surrendered Chihuahua and family Mrs. Asa Deklugie, niece of Geronimo and daughter of Chihuahua, a famous Apache .

.

100 108

.

.

.

.

144

118

.

.

.

152

.

.

.

.

l63

.

.

172

.

.

.

.

19Q

200

chieftain

Eva Geronimo, Geronimo's youngest daughter,

Ready

16 years old for church

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

1.

200 210

INTRODUCTORY summer of

I FIRST met Geronimo in the

when I acted for him as interpreter of Enghsh into Spanish, and vice versa, in selling a war bonnet. After that he always had 1904,

a pleasant word for

me when we

met, but

never entered into a general conversation with

me

until he learned that I

As

soon as

he came to see

me and

been wounded by a Mexican. he was told of

this,

had once

expressed freely his opinion of the average

Mexican, and

his aversion to all

Mexicans in

general.

I invited

him

to visit

did,

and upon

his

tepee in the Fort

me

again, which he

his invitation, I visited Sill

him

at

Military res-

ervation.

In the summer of 1905 Dr.

J.

M. Green-

wood, superintendent of schools at Kansas

INTRODUCTORY City, Missouri, visited me,

to

the

see

and I took him

Geronimo was

chief.

quite

formal and reserved until Dr. Greenwood

am

said, " I

whom *'

have

I

Come,"

said

to a shade,

on

Howard,

a friend of General

heard

of

speak

you."

Geronimo, and led the way

had

brought for

seats

us,

put

war bonnet, and served watermelon

his

a VApache (cut

in big chunks), while he

When we

talked freely and cheerfully.

he gave us a pressing invitation to

visit

left

him

again.

In a few days the old

me and "

chief

my

came

to see

I said

father."

you mean the old gentleman from Kansas

City is

asked about "

—he has returned father? " said

you

said,

"

my

ago. Dr.

father

spoke again,

this

Geronimo.

"

is

only

silence

my

He

No," I

died twenty-five

Greenwood

After a moment's

"

home."

to his

years

friend."

the old Indian

time in a tone of voice in-

tended to carry conviction, or at least to allow no further discussion.

"

Your

natural

INTRODUCTORY father

man has been your friend from youth. By adoption he is

dead, this

is

and adviser

Tell

your father.

come

to

my home

him he

is

any time."

at

welcome It

to

was of

no use to explain any more, for the old man had determined not to understand my rela-

Greenwood except in accordance with Indian customs, and I let the matter

tion to Dr.

drop.

of that summer I asked of the old chief to allow me to publish some the things he had told me, but he objected,

In the

latter part

saying, however, that if I

and

if the officers in

he would

tell

me

would pay him,

charge did not object,

the whole story of his

life.

Sill) I immediately called at the fort (Fort

and asked the

officer in

charge. Lieutenant

Purington, for permission to write the life I was promptly informed of Geronimo. that the privilege

would not be granted.

Lieutenant Purington explained to

me

the

depredations committed by Geronimo and his warriors, and the enormous cost of

many

INTRODUCTORY subduing the Apaches, adding that the old

Apache deserved spoiled

by so much attention from

A suggestion

from me

had paid many to

hanged rather than

to be

and

soldiers

and

Arizona

that our

civilians.

government

officers to

Geronimo and the

kill

Apaches, and that they did not seem to

how

to

do

it,

to the pride

go

know

did not prove very gratifying

of the regular army

officer,

and

I decided to seek elsewhere for permission.

Accordingly I wrote to President Roosevelt that here

was an old Indian who had been

held a prisoner of

war for twenty years and

had never been given a chance to

tell his side

of the story, and asked that Geronimo be granted permission to his

own way,

tell

for publication, in

the story of his

life,

and that

he be guaranteed that the publication of his story

would not affect unfavorably the

Apache

prisoners of war.

By

return mail

I received

word

granted.

In a few days I received word

from Fort

that the authority

Sill

that

the

had been

President

had

;

INTRODUCTORY ordered the

charge to grant per-

officer in

An

mission as requested.

interview was re-

quested that I might receive the instructions

of the

Fort

War

Sill

Department.

the officer in

When

went to

I

command handed me

the following brief, which constituted

my

instructions

Lawton, Oklahoma, Aug. Geronimo, S.

—Apache Chief—

M. Barrett, Supt. Letter

to

the

tioned desires to lished,

12th, 1905.

Schools.

above-men-

President stating that story that

tell his life

and requests permission

to tell

it

may

it

be pub-

in his

own

way, and also desires assurance that what he has say will in no

way work

a hardship for the

to

Apache

tribe.

1st Endorsement.

War Dapartment, The Military

Secretary's Office,

Washington, August

25th, 1905.

Respectfully referred, by direction of the Acting

Chief of Staff, through headquarters. Department of

XV

INTRODUCTORY Texas, to the Officer In Charge of the Apache prisoners of war at Fort

Oklahoma Territory,

Sill,

for

remark and recommendation. (Signed) E. F. Ladd, Military Secretary.

Sd Endorsement.

Headquarters Department of Texas, Military Secretary's Office,

San Antonio, August

29th, 1905.

Respectfully transmitted to 1st Lieut. George A. Purington, 8th Cavalry, In Charge of Apache prisoners.

(Thro' Commanding Officer, Fort

By Command

Sill,

O. T.)

of Brigadier General Lee.

(Signed) C. D. Roberts, Captain, 7th Infantry,

Acting Military Secretary.

Sd Endorsement.

Fort

Sill, O. T., Aug. 31st, 1905.

Respectfully referred to 1st Lieut. G. A. Puringtion, 8th Cavalry, Officer in

Charge of Apache

pris-

oners of war, for remark and recommendation.

By Order

of Captain Dade.

(Signed) James Longstreet, 1st. Lieut.

&

Sqdn. Adjt., 13th Cavalry. Adjutant.

INTRODUCTORY ^th Endorsement.

FouT Sill, O.

T., Sept. 2d, 1905.

Respectfully returned to the Adjutant, Fort

O. T.

I

Sill,

can see no objection to Geronimo telling the

story of his past life, providing he tells the truth.

would recommend that Mr. responsible for what

is

S.

I

M. Barrett be held

written and published.

(Signed) Geo. A. Purington, 1st.

Lieut. 8th Cavalry,

In Charge of Apache prisoners of war.

6th Endorsement.

Fort

Sill, O. T., Sept. 4th, 1905.

Respectfully returned to the Military Secretary,

Dept. of Texas, San Antonio, Texas, inviting attention to 4th

endorsement hereon.

It

is

recommended

that the manuscript be submitted before publication to Lieut. Purington,

who can pass upon

the truth of

the story.

(Signed) A. L. Dade, Captain, 13th Cavalry, Commanding.

6th Endorsement.

Headquarters Dept. of Texas,

San Antonio, September Respectfully returned to the

8th, 1905.

JNIilitary

Secretary,

INTRODUCTORY War

Department, Washington, D. C, inviting

at-

tention to the preceding endorsement hereon, which is

concurred

in.

(Signed) J. M. Lee, Brigadier General, Commanding.

7th Endorsement.

War Department, Office of the Chief of Staff,

Washington, September

13th, 1905.

Respectfully submitted to the Honorable the Secretary of

War,

foregoing

inviting attention to the

endorsements.

(Signed)

J. C.

Bates,

Major General, Acting Chief of

Staff.

8th Endorsement.

War Departmsnt, September 15th, 1905. Respectfully returned to the Acting Chief of Staff to

grant

through

the

oflBcial

necessary

authority

in

this

matter,

channels, with the express understand-

ing that the manuscript of the book shall be submitted to

Upon

him before publication.

receipt

manuscript the Chief of Staff will submit person as he

may

select

as

it

of such to

such

competent to make a

INTRODUCTORY proper and

critical inspection

of the proposed pub-

lication.

(Signed) Robert

Shaw

Oliver,

Acting Secretary of War. 9th Endorsement.

War Department, The Military

Secretary's Office,

Washington, September

18th, 1905.

Respectfully returned, by direction of the Acting

Chief of Staff, to the Commanding General, Dept. of Texas,

who

will give the necessary instructions for

carrying out the directions of the Acting Secretary

of War, contained in the 8th endorsement.

It

is

desired that Mr. Barrett be advised accordingly.

(Signed)

Henry

P.

McCain,

Military Secretary.

10th Endorsement.

Headquarters Dept. of Texas, Military Secretary's Office,

San Antonio, September 23, 1905. Respectfully referred to the Commanding Officer, Fort

Sill,

Oklahoma Territory, who

will

give

the

necessary instructions for carrying out the direction of the Acting Secretary of

endorsement hereon.

War

contained in the 8th

ITSTTRODUCTORY This paper will be shown and fully explained to ]\Ir.

Barrett,

By

and then returned

to these headquarters.

order of Colonel Hughes.

Van Horn Moseley,

(Signed) Geo.

Cavalry, Aide-de-Camp,

1st. Lieut. 1st

Acting Military Secretary.

Early

October I secured the services of

in

an educated Indian, Asa Deklugie, son of

Whoa,

chief of the

terpreter,

Nedni Apaches,

as in-

and the work of compihng the

book began.

Geronimo refused

to talk

when a

stenog-

rapher was present, or to wait for corrections or questions

Each day he had and

told

it

in

when telling the story. mind what he would tell

in a very clear, _hrie.f_inanner.

lie might prefer to talk at his

Asa Deklugie's ;lcll,

house,

in

own

tepee, at

some mountain

or as he rode in a swinging gallop across

the prairie;

wherever

his

fancy led him,

there he told whatever he wished to

no more.

On

the

day that he

first

tell

and

gave any

portion of his autobiography he would not

INTRODUCTORY be questioned about any details, nor would

add

he *'

another

word,

simply

but

Write what I have spoken," and

left us

remember and write the story without one

to

He would agree, however, another day to my study, or any

of assistance.

bit

to

said,

come on

place designated by me, and listen to the

reproduction (in Apache) of what had been told,

and at such times would answer

all

questions or add information wherever he

could be convinced that

He

it

was necessary.

soon became so tired of book making

that he

would have abandoned the task but

for the fact that he had agreed to

When

complete story.

tell

the

he once gives

his

word, nothing will turn him from fulfilling his promise. this

A very striking illustration of

was furnished by him early

1906.

He

had agreed

on a certain

come

to

January,

my

study

date, but at the appointed

the interpreter

came

Geronimo was very

He

to

in

had come to

alone,

and

sick with cold

tell

me

that

hour

said that

and

fever.

we must ap-

INTRODUCTORY point another date, as he feared the old war-

was a

rior

had an attack of pneumonia.

cold

day and the interpreter drew a chair up

to the grate to

warm

posure of the long

It

himself after the ex-

ride.

Just as he was

seating himself he looked out of the window,

then rose

quickly,

and without speaking

pointed to a rapidly moving object coming

our way.

In a moment I recognized the old

chief riding furiously (evidently trying to arrive as soon as the interpreter did), his

foam and

horse flecked with exhaustion.

reeling

Dismounting he came

from

in

and

said in a hoarse whisper, " I promised to

come.

I

am

here."

I exi^lained to

him that I had not ex-

pected him to come on such a stormy day,

and that

in his physical condition he

not try to work.

He

stood for some time,

and then without speaking

mounted

his tired

must

left the

room,

re-

pony, and with bowed

head faced ten long miles of cold north wind

—he had kept

his promise.

INTRODUCTORY When

he had finished his story I sub-

mitted the manuscript to

Major Charles

W,

Taylor, Eighteenth Cavalry, commandant.

Fort

Sill,

Oklahoma, who gave

me some

val-

uable suggestions as to additional related

information which I asked Geronimo to

In most cases the old chief gave the

give.

desired information, but in

some instances

he refused, stating his reasons for so doing.

When

the added information had been in-

corporated I submitted the manuscript to President Roosevelt, from whose letter I

quote

:

" This

is

a very interesting volume

which you have in manuscript, but I would advise that

you disclaim

responsibility in all

cases where the reputation of is

an individual

assailed."

In accordance with that suggestion, I have appended notes throughout the book disclaiming responsibility for adverse

criti-

cisms of any persons mentioned by Ge-

ronimo.

On June

2d,

1906,

I

transmitted

the

INTRODUCTORY complete manuscript to the

The following quotation

ment. letter

War is

Depart-

from

the

of transmission:

" In accordance with endorsement number eight of

Brief

'

the

officer

submitted to

'

of Fort

Sill,

me by

the

commanding

which endorsement constituted the

of the Department, I submit herewith

instructions

manuscript of the Autobiography of Geronimo. "

The manuscript

dent,

and at

his

has been submitted to the Presi-

suggestion I have disclaimed any

responsibility for the criticisms

(made by Geronimo)

of individuals mentioned."

Six weeks after the manuscript was for-

warded, Thomas C. Barry, Brigadier General,

Assistant to the Chief of Staff, sent to

the President the following: "

Memorandum for the Secretary

" Subject:

Geronimo. to this office

of War.

Manuscript of the Autobiography of

The paper

herewith, which was referred

on July 6th, with instructions to report

as to whether there

is

anything objectionable in

it,

is

returned.

"

The manuscript

of a notable Indian,

is

an interesting autobiography

made by xxiv

himself.

There are a

INTRODUCTORY number of passages which, from the departmental point of view, are decidedly objectionable.

These are

found on pages 73, 74, 90, 91> and 97, and are indicated by marginal lines in red.

The

entire

manu-

script appears in a way important as showing the

Indian side of a prolonged controversy, but

it

is

believed that the document, either in whole or in part,

should

not

receive

approval of the

the

War De-

partment."

The memorandum objections of the

is

War

published that the

Department may be

made known to the public. The objection is raised to

the mention on

pages seventy- three and seventy- four of the manuscript of an attack upon Indians in a

Apache Pass or Bowie, by U. soldiers. The statement of Geronimo tent at

S. is,

however, substantially confirmed by L. C.

Hughes,

editor

The

of

Star,

Tucson,

Arizona.

On

pages ninety and ninety-one of the

manuscript,

Crook.

Geronimo

This criticism

private opinion of

is

criticised

General

simply Geronimo's

General Crook. XXV

We

INTRODUCTORY deem

a personal matter and leave

it

out comment, as

it

in

it

with-

no way concerns the

history of the Apaches.

On page

ninety-seven of the manuscript

Geronimo accuses General Miles of bad

Of

faith.

treaty with the well that he

the

made the Apaches, but we know very not responsible for the way

course. General Miles

is

Government subsequently treated the

prisoners of war.

However, Geronimo can-

not understand this and fixes upon General

Miles the blame for what he

unjust

calls

treatment.

One

War own

could not expect the Department of

to approve adverse criticisms of acts,

but

it is

its

especially gratifying that

such a liberal view has been taken of these criticisms,

ment of

and

also that such a

the merits of the

neither the President nor the is

in

Geronimo

state-

Autobiography

submitted in the memorandum.

ment

frank

Of

War

is

course

Depart-

any way responsible for what

says; he has simply been granted

INTRODUCTORY the opportunity to state his sees

own

case as

lie

it.

The in his

fact that

own way

Geronimo has is

told the story

doubtless the only excuse

necessary to offer for the

many unconven-

tional features of this work.

SXVll

PART

I

THE APACHES

GERON IMO CHAPTER ORIGIN OF

I

THE APACHE INDIANS

the beginning INwith darkness.

the world

was covered

There was no sun, no

The perpetual night had no moon

day.

or

stars.

manner of

beasts

the beasts were

many

There were, however,

and

birds.

Among

nameless

hideous,

all

monsters,

as

well

as

dragons, lions, tigers, wolves, foxes, beavers, rabbits, squirrels, rats, mice,

and

all

manner

of creejjing things such as lizards and pents.

ser-

INIankind could not prosper under

such conditions, for the beasts and serpents destroyed

all

human

offspring.

All creatures had the power of speech and

were gifted with reason.

There were two

tribes

of creatures: the

birds or the feathered tribe 3

and the

beasts.

GERONIMO The former were organized under

their

chief, the eagle.

These birds

tribes often held councils,

wanted

and the

light admitted. This the beasts

repeatedly refused to do.

Finally the birds

made war against the beasts. The beasts were armed with

clubs, but the

eagle had taught his tribe to use bows and

arrows.

The

could not

all

serpents were so wise that they

be

killed.

One took refuge

in

a perpendicular cliff of a mountain in Ari-

zona, and his eye (changed into a brilliant stone)

The

may

be seen in that rock to this day. killed,

would each be

changed into several other

bears, so that the

more bears the feathered

tribe killed, the

bears,

when

more there were. killed,

either,

The dragon

for

he

four coats of horny

scales,

would not penetrate most hideous,

vile

was

these.

could not be

with

covered

and the arrows

One of

the

monsters (nameless) was

proof against arrows, so the eagle flew high up in the air with a round, 4

white

ORIGIN OF THE APACHE stone,

and

let

it

on

fall

head, killing him instantly.

monster's

this

This was such

a good service that the stone was called sacred.

(A symbol of

game of Kah.^)

the tribal

for

many

this stone is

They fought birds won the

but at last the

daj^s,

used in

victory.

After

this

war was

over, although

some

remained, the birds were able to

evil beasts

control the councils,

and

Then mankind could

light

live

was admitted.

and prosper.

The

eagle was chief in this good fight therefore, :

his feathers

were worn by

of wisdom,

justice,

Among

the

many

emblems

and power.

few human beings that were been blessed

children, but these

had always

been destroyed by the beasts.

means she succeeded the dragon,

as

woman who had

yet alive was a

with

man

If by any

in eluding the others,

who was very

wise and very

evil,

would come himself and eat her babes. After many years a son of the rainstorm 1

See Chapter IV. 5

GERONIMO was born

to her

and she dug for him a deep

The entrance

cave.

and over the spot

to this cave she closed

built a

camp

fire.

This

concealed the babe's hiding place and kept

him warm.

Every day

she

would remove

the fire

and descend into the

child's

bed was, to nurse him; then she

cave,

where the

would return and rebuild the camp

fire.

Frequently the dragon would come and question her, but she w^ould say, " I have no

more

children;

When

you have eaten

the child

all

of them."

was larger he would not

always stay in the cave, for he sometimes

wanted

saw

to

Once

run and play.

his tracks.

Now

the dragon

this perjilexed

and en-

raged the old dragon, for he could not find the hiding place of the boy

;

but he said that

he would destroy the mother if she did not reveal the child's hiding place.

The poor

mother was very much troubled; she could not give up her

child,

but she knew the

power and cunning of the dragon, therefore she lived in constant fear. 6

ORIGIN OF THE APACHE Soon after

this

boy said that he

the

wished to go hunting. not give her consent.

The mother would She told him of the

dragon, the wolves, and the serpents but he ;

said, "

At

To-morrow I go." the boy's request his uncle

the only

man

then living) made a

(who was little

bow

and some arrows for him, and the two went

They

hunting the next day. far

up

the mountain and finally the boy

His uncle showed him how to

killed a buck.

dress the deer

broiled

trailed the deer

and

broil the meat.

two hind quarters, one for the

and one for

his uncle.

done they placed

it

When

the

They child

meat was

on some bushes to

cool.

Just then the huge form of the dragon appeared.

The

uncle was so

child

dumb

was not

afraid, but his

with fright that he did

not speak or move.

The dragon took and went

aside with

the boy's parcel of meat it.

He

placed the meat

on another bush and seated himself beside it.

Then he

said, "

This 7

is

the child I have

GERONIMO Boy, you are nice and

been seeking.

when I have eaten you." The boy said, so

me, and you

this

"

venison I shall eat

No, you

shall not eat that

shall not eat

meat."

walked over to where the dragon took the meat back to his

dragon

said, " I like

fat,

own

So he

sat

seat.

and

The

your courage, but you

you think you could

are foolish; what do

do?"

"Well," said the boy, "I can do

enough

to protect myself, as

Then

out."

the dragon took the

and then the boy retook all

you may

meat again,

Four

it.

the dragon took the meat,

find

times in

and after the

fourth time the boy replaced the meat he said,

"Dragon,

dragon like."

said,

will

" Yes, in

The boy

me?" The whatever way you

you

fight

said, " I will

stand one hun-

dred paces distant from you and you

me

have four shots at arrows,

provided

that

change places with shots."

"

with your

you

me and

8

bow and

will

then ex-

give

me

Good," said the dragon.

up."

may

four

" Stand

Dressed as

in

Days or Old

ORIGIN OF THE APACHE Then the dragon took his bow, which was made of a large pine tree. He took four arrows from his quiver; they were made of young pine tree saplings, and each arrow was twenty feet

in length.

He

took delib-

erate aim, but just as the arrow left the the

bow

boy made a peculiar sound and leaped Immediately the arrow was

into the air.

shivered into a thousand splinters,

and the

boy was seen standing on the top of a bright rainbow over the spot where the dragon's

aim had been

directed.

Soon the rainbow was

gone and the boy was standing on the ground

Four times this was repeated, then the boy said, "Dragon, stand here; it is my The dragon said, "All time to shoot." again.

right;

your

little

arrows cannot pierce

my

first

coat of horn, and I have three other

coats

—shoot away.'*

The boy

shot an ar-

row, striking the dragon just over the heart,

and one coat of the great horny to the ground.

The next

scales fell

shot another coat,

and then another, and the dragon's heart was 9

GERONIMO Then

the dragon trembled, but

could not move.

Before the fourth arrow

exposed.

was shot the boy

dumb

"Uncle, you are

said,

with fear; you have not moved; come

here or the dragon will fall on you."

His

Then he sped

uncle ran toward him.

fourth arrow with true aim, and

it

the

pierced

With a tremendous the dragon rolled down the mountain down four precipices into a canon

the dragon's heart.

roar side

—

below.

Immediately storm clouds swept the mounrolled,

and

When

the rainstorm

had

in the

canon below, they

tains, lightning flashed,

the rain poured.

passed, far

down

thunder

could see fragments of the huge body of the

dragon lying among the rocks, and the bones of

this

dragon may

still

be found there.

This boy's name was Apache.

taught him 2

Usen

cause their

it

is

the

how

Usen

^

to prepare herbs for medi-

Apache word for God.

It is

used here be-

implies the attributes of deity that are held in

primitive religion.

"

Apache 10

"

means " Enemy."

ORIGIN OF THE APACHE cine,

the

how

first

to hunt,

and how

to fight.

chief of the Indians

eagle's feathers as the sign

dom, and power. as they

To

He was

and wore the

of

justice, wis-

him, and to his people,

were created, Usen gave homes in the

land of the west.

11

CHAPTER SUBDIVISIONS OF

THE Apache

II

THE APACHE TRIBE

Indians are divided into

To

six sub-tribes.

one of these, the

Be-don-ko-he, I belong.

Our

tribe inhabited that region

tainous country which hes west

of moun-

from the

east

Hne of Arizona, and south from the headwaters of the Gila River.

East of us lived the Chi-hen-ne (Ojo

(Hot Springs) Apaches.

Caliente), tribe never

had any

Victoria, their chief,

me.

He

difficulty

Our

with them.

was always a friend

to

always helped our tribe when we

asked him for help.

He

lost his life in the

defense of the rights of his people.

He

man and a Charlie now lives

His son

a good

brave warrior.

was

here in this reservation

with us. 12

THE APACHE TRIBE North of us

lived the

White Mountain

They were not always on the best of terms with our tribe, yet we seldom had any war Avith them. I knew their chief,

Apaches.

Hash-ka-ai-la, personally, and I considered

him a good warrior. to that of the

Their range was next

Navajo

Indians,

who were not

of the same blood as the Apaches. councils with all

Apache

tribes,

with the Navajo Indians. traded with

We held but never

However, we

them and sometunes

visited

them.

To

the west of our country ranged the

They had two

Chi-e-a^hen Apaches. within

my time,

They were our

Co-si-to

chiefs

and Co-da-hoo-yah.

friendly, but not intimate with

tribe.

South of us lived the Cho-kon-en (Chiricahua) Apaches, whose chief in the old days

was

Co-chise,

tribe -wdth

and

later his son, Naiche.

This

was always on the most friendly terms us. We were often in camp and on

the trail together.

Naiche, ^^ho was 13

my

GERONIMO companion in

in arms,

now my companion

is

bondage.

To

and west of us

the south

Their chief was Whoa,

Ned-ni Apaches. called

by the Mexicans Capitan

They were our this

tribe

partly in Old Mexico and

lies

camped and fought

Whoa side

by

and I often

side as brothers.

my

enemies were his enemies,

friends.

He

Whoa.

The land of

firm friends.

partly in Arizona.^

JNIy

lived the

is

dead now, but

friends his

his

son

Asa

is

interpreting this story for me. Still

the four tribes

(Bedonkohe, Cho-

konen, Chihenne, and Nedni)

,

who were

fast

friends in the days of freedom, cling to-

gether as they decrease in number. destruction of

all

Only the

our people would dissolve

our bonds of friendshij?. 1

The boundary

lines

established at different times be-

tween Mexico and the United States did not conform to the boundary lines of these the

Apache

Indians soon saw and took

national questions arising

from

the two governments.

14

tribes,

of course, and

advantage of the inter-

the conflicting interests of

Naiche (Natches), son

t)f Cohise. Hereditary chief of the Chirieahua Apaches. Naiche was Geroninio's Ueutenant during the protracted wars in Arizona

THE APACHE TRIBE We

from the

are vanishing

earth, yet I

cannot think we are useless or Usen would

He

not have created us.

created

all tribes

of men and certainly had a righteous purpose in creating each.

For each tribe of men Usen created He also made a home. In the land created for any particular tribe He placed whatever would be best for the welfare of that tribe.

When Usen created

the

Apaches

created their homes in the West. to

them such

needed to

grain, fruits,

To

eat.

disease attacked

find these herbs,

mate and shelter

was

Thus and

all

it

their

and game as they

restore their health

when

He made many differHe taught them where to

them

ent herbs to grow.

for medicine.

He also He gave

and how

He

to prepare

them

gave them a pleasant

cli-

they needed for clothing and

at hand.

was

in the

beginning: the Apaches

homes each created for the other

by Usen himself.

When 15

they are taken

GERONIMO from

these

long

will

^

homes they sicken and it

be until

it is

die.

How

said, there are

no

Apaches? 2

The Apache Indians held prisoners of war are greatly

decreasing in numbers.

There seems to be no particular

cause, but nevertheless their

numbers grow

16

smaller.

CHAPTER

III

EARLY LIFE

I

WAS

I

born in No-doyohn Canon, Ari- >\./^ zona, June, 1829.

In that country which hes around the headwaters of the Gila River I was reared. This range was our fatherland

;

among

these

mountains our wigwams were hidden; the scattered valleys contained our fields; the

boundless prairies, stretching away on every side,

were our pastures; the rocky caverns

were our burying I was fourth 1

Four

is

^

places.

of eight

in a family

chil-

a magic number with the Bedonkohe Apaches.

The dragon had four coats of

scales; he took little Apache's

meat four times; they (the dragon and Apache) exchanged four shots

—the

dragon rolled down four precipices.

are four moccasins used in the tribal

only four plays that can be made.

There

game of Kah, and

A

boy must accom-

pany the warriors four times on the warpath before he can be admitted to the council.

Geronimo

is

the fourth of a family of four boys and

17

^

GERONIMO dren

—four

boys and four

only myself,

family,

(White Horse), and

We

are yet alive.

war

in

that

my brother, Porico my sister, Nah-da-ste,

are held as prisoners of

Reservation

Military

this

Of

girls.

(Fort

Sill).

As

father's tepee,

name

my

a babe I rolled on the dirt floor of

my tsoch my mother's

hung

in

for cradle) at

suspended from the bough of a

warmed by

(Apache back, or

tree.

I

was

the sun, rocked by the winds,

and sheltered by the

trees as other

Indian

babes.

When

a child

my

mother taught

legends of our people; taught

and

sky,-

f(

girls.

'1

•

the

He

moon and

me

stars, the

me

the

of the sun clouds and

has had four wives that were full-blood

onkohe Apaches, and four that were part Bedonkohe

I

/

I

.ohe

and part other Apache blood.

e been killed

1

.

»ndage by the U. S. Government.

ilvstiny

and

in

Four of

his children

by Mexicans and four have been held

the magic

He

in

firmly believes in

of the number four.

Besides

(leronimo, only four full-blood Bedonkohe Apaches are

now

living.

They are Porico (White Horse), Nah-da-ste, Moh-

ta-neal,

and To-klon-nen. 18

i^

2:

>

^ ^ ^2 W

K

O

K 2

EARLY LIFE She

storms.

also taught

me

to kneel

and

pray to Usen for strength, health, wisdom,

and

We

protection.

any person, but individual

we

if

never prayed against

we had aught

against any

ourselves took vengeance.

We

were taught that Usen does not care for the petty quarrels of men.

My father had often told me of the brave deeds of our warriors, of the pleasures of the chase,

and the

With my about

my

glories of the warpath.

brothers and sisters I played

father's home.

played at hide-and-seek pines; sometimes

we

Sometimes we

among

the rocks

and

loitered in the shade

of

the Cottonwood trees or sought the shudock (a kind of wild cherry) while our parents

worked

in the field.

Sometimes we played

we were warriors. We would practice stealing upon some object that represented

that

an enemy, and

in

our childish imitation often

perform the feats of war.

Sometimes we

would hide away from our mother to she could find us,

see if

and often when thus con19

:;

GERONIMO cealed

go to

sleep

and perhaps remain

hid-

many hours. When we were old enough to be of real service we went to the field with our parents den for

not to play, but to

When

toil.

the crops

were to be planted we broke the ground with wooden hoes.

We

straight rows, the beans

planted the corn in

among

the corn,

and

the melons and pumpkins in irregular order

over the there

We cultivated these crops as

field.

was need.

Our

field

usually contained about two

acres of ground.

fenced.

It

The

were never

fields

was common for many families same valley and share

to cultivate land in the

the burden of protecting the growing crops

from destruction by the ponies of the or

tribe,

by deer and other wild animals. Melons were gathered

sumed.

as they

were con-

In the autumn pumpkins and beans

were gathered and placed

in

bags or baskets

ears of corn were tied together

and then the harvest was 20

by the husks,

carried

on the backs

— EARLY LIFE Here

of ponies up to our homes.

was

shelled,

and

the corn

the harvest stored

all

in caves or other secluded places to be

away used

in winter.

We

never fed corn to our ponies, but

we kept them up them fodder

we gave

in the winter time

We

to eat.

had no

if

cattle or

other domestic animals except our dogs and ponies.

We

did not cultivate tobacco, but found

growing

it

autumn, but

from the women.

if the

supply ran out the leaves

stalks left standing served our pur-

All

pose.

This we cut and cured in

wild.

No

Indians

smoked^

boy was allowed

to

—men

and

smoke

until

game Unmarried women were

he had hunted alone and killed large wolves and bears.

not prohibited from smoking, but were considered immodest if they did so.

Nearly

all

matrons smoked. 2

The Apaches did not smoke

the peace pipe, unless

was proposed by some other Indians. pipes;

in

fact,

they usually smoked

rolling the tobacco in

cigarettes

wrappers of oak

21

it

They had no large

leaves.

made by

GERONIMO Besides grinding the corn (by hand with stone mortars and pestles)

sometimes crushed it

it

for bread,

and soaked

had fermented made from

" tis-win," tion,

and after juice a

this

which had the power of intoxica-

and was very highly prized by the In-

dians.

and

it,

we

This work was done by the squaws

children.

be gathered

When the

were to

berries or nuts

small

children

and the

squaws would go in parties to hunt them,

and sometimes stay

all

When

day.

they

went any great distance from camp they took ponies to carry the baskets. I frequently went with these parties, and

upon one of these excursions a woman named Cho-ko-le got lost from the party and was riding her pony through a in search

of her friends.

following

as

she

Her

slowly

little

thicket

dog was

made her way

through the thick underbrush and pine

trees.

All at once a grizzly bear rose in her path

and attacked the pony.

She jumped off

and her pony escaped, but the bear 22

at-

EARLY LIFE tacked her,

so

she

fought him the best

she could with her knife.

Her

httle dog,

by

snapping at the bear's heels and detracting his attention

from the woman, enabled her

for some time to keep pretty well out of his

Finally the grizzly struck her over

reach.

the head, tearing off almost her whole scalp.

She

but did not lose consciousness, and

fell,

while prostrate struck him four good licks

with her knife, and he retreated.

After he

had gone she replaced her torn scalp and

bound

it

up

as best she could, then she turned

deathly sick and had to her pony came into

lie

down.

camp with

nuts and berries, but no rider.

hunted for second day.

her,

That night his load

of

The Indians

but did not find her until the

They

carried her home,

der the treatment of their medicine

and un-

men

all

her wounds were healed.

The Indians knew what herbs to use for medicine, how to prepare them, and how to give

the

medicine.

This they had been

taught by Usen in the beginning, and each 23

GERONIMO succeeding generation had skilled in the art

of healing.

In gathering the and

men who were

herbs, in preparing them,

in administering the medicine, as

was held

faith

in

much

prayer as in the actual ef-

fect of the medicine.

Usually about eight

persons worked together in making medicine,

and there were forms of prayer and incantations to attend each stage

Four attended

of the process.

to the incantations

and four

to the preparation of the herbs.

Some of

the Indians were skilled in cut-

ting out bullets, arrow heads, and other missiles

with which warriors were wounded.

myself have done much of

mon

this,

I

using a com-

dirk or butcher knife.^

Small children wore very

little

clothing in

winter and none in the summer.

Women

usually wore a primitive skirt, which consisted

of a piece of cotton cloth fastehed

about the waist, and extending to the knees. 3

The only foundation for the statement, frequently made,

that

Geronimo was a medicine man.

24

EARLY LIFE INIen

wore breech cloths and moccasins.

In

winter they had shirts and leggings in addition.

Freqnently when the tribe was in camp a

nnmber of boys and

wonld

steal

girls,

away and meet

by agreement,

at a place several

miles distant, where they could play free

from

tasks.

all dajr

They were never punished

for these frolics; but if their hiding places

were discovered they were ridiculed.

25

CHAPTER

AMUSEMENTS, MANNERS, AND CUSTOMS

TRIBAL.

TO

IV

celebrate each noted event a feast

Perhaps

and dance would be given.

own

only our tribes

people, perhaps neighboring

would be

invited.

These

festivities

By

usually lasted for about four days.

we

feasted,

by night under the

direction of

The music

some chief we danced.

day

for our

dance was singing led by the warriors, and

accompanied by

beating the

No words were sung When the feasting and

(buckskin-on-a-hoop)

—only the

tones.

esadadedne

.

dancing were over we would have horse races, foot races, wrestling, all sorts

^

of games (gambling).

Among

these

games the most noted was

game of Kah foot) follows Four moccasins are

the tribal as

jumping, and

(

:

26

.

It

is

played

placed about

TRIBAL CUSTOMS four feet apart in holes in the ground, dug in a

row on one

of the camp, and on

side

At

the opposite side a similar parallel row.

camp

night a

started between these

fire is

two rows of moccasins, and the players are arranged on each

sides,

The score is kept by a bundle of from which each side takes a stick for

side.

sticks,

every point won.

bone

one or any number on

(

First one side takes the

a symbol of the white rock used by the

eagle in slaying the nameless monster

—

see

Chapter I), puts up blankets between the four moccasins and the posing team

fire so

that the op-

cannot observe their move-

ments, and then begin to sing the legends of creation.

The

side

having the bone repre-

sents the feathered tribe, the opposite side

represents the beasts.

senting the birds do

The all

players repre-

the singing,

and

while singing hide the bone in one of the moccasins,

down.

then

the blankets

They continue

as the blankets are

are thrown

to sing, but as soon

thrown down the chosen 27

GERONIMO player from the opposing team, armed with a

war

fire

comes to

ckib,

and with

their side

moccasin

his club strikes the

which he thinks the bone

in

of the camp

is

If he

hidden.

strikes the right moccasin, his side gets the

bone, and in turn represents the birds, while

opposing team must keep quiet and

the

There are only four

guess in turn.

the sticks are

having

the

When

and one that wins.

three that lose

plaj^s;

gone from the bundle the largest

number of

all

side

sticks

is

counted winner. This

game

seldom played except as a

is

gambling game, but for that purpose

game known

the most popular

Usually the game It

is

lasts

itors say, "

We

broken up.

to the tribe.

four or

five hours.

all finished

are satisfied," I

the other

Our

was always glad when the

young

life also

the vis-

and the camp

dances and feasts were announced. all

is

never played in daytime.

After the games are

is

it

So were

people.

had a religious 28

side.

We

TRIBAL CUSTOMS had no churches, no

religious organizations,

no sabbath day, no holidays, and yet we wor-

Sometimes the whole

shiped.

would

tribe

assemble to sing and pray; sometimes a smaller number, perhaps only two or three.

The songs had a few words, but were not formal. The singer would occasionally put words as he wished instead of the

in such

usual tone sound.

Sometimes we prayed

sometimes each one prayed aloud;

silence;

sometimes an aged person prayed for us.

At

to us

all

of

other times one would rise and speak

of our duties

Usen.

in

Our

When

services

^

to each other

were

and

to

short.

disease or pestilence

abounded we

were assembled and questioned by our leaders to ascertain

what

how Usen could be 1

evil

satisfied.

The Apaches recognized no was no

we had done, and Sometimes

duties to any

man

outside

enemies or to rob them.

their tribe.

It

However,

they accepted any favor from a stranger, or

if

sin to kill

allowed him to share their comforts in any way, he became

(by adoption) related to the tribe and they must recognize their duty to him.

29

GERONIMO sacrifice

was deemed necessary.

Sometimes

the offending one was punished.

If an Apache had allowed

his

aged par-

ents to suffer for food or shelter, if he

neglected or abused the

sick, if

had

he had pro-

faned our religion, or had been unfaithful, he might be banished from the

The Apaches had no

tribe.

prisons as white

men

Instead of sending their criminals

have.

into prison they sent

These

faithless,

members of the

them out of

their tribe.

or

cowardly

lazy,

ci'uel,

tribe

were excluded in such

a manner that they could not join any other

Neither could they have any protec-

tribe.

tion

from our unwritten

tribal laws.

Fre-

quently these outlaw Indians banded together and committed depredations which

were charged

However, the a hard

lot,

against life

and

the

regular

tribe.

of an outlaw Indian was

their

bands never became

very large; besides, these bands frequently

provoked the wrath of the their

own

destruction, so

tribe

and secured

THt:

CoNUL'tKKI) Wkai'on

;

TRIBAL CUSTOMS When

I was about eight or ten years old

I began to follow the chase, and to

was never

Out on

me

this

w^ork.

the prairies, which ran

up

to our

mountain homes, wandered herds of antelope, elk,

deer,

and buffalo, to be slaughtered

when we needed them. Usually we Iiunted buffalo on horseback, killing them with arrows and spears. Their skins were used to make tepees and bedding their flesh, to eat.

It required

more

skill to

than any other animal.

We

hunt the deer never tried to

approach a deer except against the wind. Frequently we would sj)end hours in ing upon grazing deer.

steal-

If they were in the

open we would crawl long distances on the ground, keeping a weed or brush before us, so that our approach would not be noticed.

Often

w^e could kill several out

of one herd

before the others would run away. flesh

was dried and packed

w^ould

keep in

this 31

Their

in vessels,

condition

for

and

many

GERONIMO The

months.

hide of the deer

was soaked

in

water and ashes and the hair removed, and then the process of tanning continued until

was soft and

the buckskin

Perhaps

pliable.

no other animal was more valuable to us than the deer.

In the forests and along the streams were

many

wild turkeys.

These we would drive

to the plains, then slowly ride

them

they were

until

When they began to drop ride in side

tired

out.

and hide we would

upon them and by swinging from the

of our horses, catch them.

started to fly

him and

we would

In

many wild

If one

ride swiftly

him with a short

kill

ing club. as

almost

up toward

stick,

under

or hunt-

way we could usually get turkeys as we could carry home this

on a horse. There were many rabbits

and we

also

in

our range,

hunted them on horseback.

Our

horses were trained to follow the rabbit at full speed,

and

as they

would swing from one 32

approached them we side

of the horse and

TRIBAL CUSTOMS strike the rabbit with lie

our hunting club.

If

was too far away we would throw the

stick

and

we were

kill

him. This was great sport

lx)ys,

when

we seldom

but as warriors

hunted small game.

There were many as

we

fish in

did not eat them,

catch or

kill

the streams, but

we

did not try to

Small boys sometimes

them.

threw stones at them or shot at them for practice with their

bows and arrows.

Usen

did not intend snakes, frogs, or fishes to be I have never eaten of them.

eaten.

There were many eagles These we hunted for quired great

in the mountains.

feathers.

tl:keir

skill to steal

upon an

besides having sharp eyes, he

is

It re-

eagle, for

wise and

never stops at any place where he does not

good

view

I have killed

many

have

a

of

the

surrounding

country.

was never injured

bears with a spear, but

in a fight with one.

I

have killed several mountain lions with arrows, and one with a spear. S3

Both bears and

GERONIMO mountain

good for food and valu-

lions are

able for their skin.

we

them home on our

carried

often

When we

made

killed

them

horses.

We

quivers for our arrows

skin of the mountain lion.

from

These were

the

verj^

pretty and very durable.

During missionary

my

minority \ve had never seen a

or a

seen a white man.

priest.

Thus

Be-don-ko-he Apaches.

S4

We

had never

quietly lived the

CHAPTER V THE FAMILY

MY

grandfather, Maco, had been our

me of

often told

father

my

never saw him, but

I

cliief.

great

the

size,

strength, and sagacity of this old warrior.

Their principal wars had been with the icans.

They had some wars with

of Indians

also,

Mex-

other tribes

but were seldom at peace

for any great length of time with the

Mex-

ican towns.

Maco

died

young

warrior,

came

chief

1

Maco was

^

be-

Bedonkohe Apaches.

of the

Nedni Apaches. His son (Geron-

had married a Bedonkohe Apache (Geron-

mother)

rigiit to rule

father was but a

and Mangus-Colorado

chief of the

imo's father) imo's

my

when

and joined her

by heredity.

By

tribe,

thereby

this it will be seen

losing

his

Geronimo

could not become chief by hereditary right, although his

grandfather was a chieftain. imo's

It is also

shown that Geron-

father could not be chief, hence

Mangus-Colorado.

35

the

accession

of

GERONIMO When

I

was but a small boy

my

father died,

after having been sick for some time.

When

he passed away, carefully the watchers closed

him

in his best

clothes, painted his face afresh,

wrapped a

his eyes, then they arra5''ed

around him, saddled

rich blanket ite horse,

his favor-

bore his arms in front of him, and

led his horse behind, repeating in wailing

tones his deeds of valor as they carried his

body

to a cave in the mountain.

slew his horses, and

Then they

we gave away

all

of his

other property,^ as was customary in our tribe, after

which

his

body was deposited

the cave, his arms beside him.

His grave

in is

Wrapped in

splen-

and the winds

in the

pines sing a low requiem over the

dead

hidden by dor he

lies

piles

of stone.

in seclusion,

warrior.

After 2

my

The Apaches

deceased relative.

father's death I will not

assumed the

keep any of the property of a

Their unwritten tribal laws forbid

it,

because they think that otherwise the children or other relatives

when

of one who had much property might be glad

their father or relatives died.

36

;

THE FAMILY of

care

my

She never married

mother.

again, although according to the customs of

our tribe she might have done so immediately after his death.

widow who has

Usually, however, the

children remains single after

her husband's death for

two or three years

but the widow without children marries again immediately.

After a warrior's death

his

widow returns to her people and may be given away or sold by her father or brothers. JNIy

mother chose to

live

with me, and she

never desired to marry again. near our old

home and

We

lived

I supported her.

>,

In 1846, being seventeen years of age, I

was admitted

Then

I

to the council of the warriors.

was very happy, for I x^ould go

wherever I wanted and do whatever I I

liked.

had not been under the control of any

individual, but the customs of our tribe pro-

hibited

me from

sharing the glories of the

warpath until the council

When

admitted

opportunity offered, after

could go on the warpath with 37

my

me.

this,

tribe.

I

This

GERONIMO «

would be

my

I hoped soon to serve

glorious.

people in battle.

I had long desired to

fight with our warriors.

Perhaps the greatest joy to

now

that

I could marry the fair Alope, daughter

of No-po-so. girl,

me was

She was a slender,

delicate

but we had been lovers for a long time.

So, as soon as the council granted

me

these

went

to see her father concern-

ing our marriage.

Perhaps our love was of

privileges I

no

interest to

him; perhaps he wanted to

keep Alope with him, for she was a dutiful daughter at any rate he asked ;

for her. I

made no

appeared before

reply, but in a

his

of ponies and took

was our

all

many

wigwam with me

ponies

few days

with the herd

Alope.

This

the marriage ceremony necessary in

tribe.

Not far from my mother's tepee I had made for us a new home. The tepee was made of buffalo hides and in it were many bear robes, lion hides, and other trophies of the chase, as well as

my 38

spears, bows,

and

Apache Prixckss Daughter of Naiche, chief of the Chiricahua Apaches

THE FAMILY arrows.

Alope had made many

rations of beads skin,

which she placed in our tepee.

home.

We

dren came to us

followed the traditions

and worked money from

vahie, and either gave it

Three

—children that played, as I

Beads were obtained from

threw

also

walls of our

of our fathers and were happy.

also got

She

She was a good wife, but she was

never strong.

tered,

deco-

and drawn work on buck-

^

drew many pictures on the

3

little

loi-

had done. tlie

Mexicans.

the Mexicans, but it

chil-

The Apaches

deemed

it

of no

to their children to play with or

away.

39

PART

II

THE MEXICANS

CHAPTER

VI

KAS-KI-YEH

—The

Part I

N

I all

the

summer of

Massacre

1858, being at peace

with the Mexican towns as well as with the neighboring Indian tribes,

south into Old JNIexico to trade.

we went

Our whole

(Bedonkohe Apaches) went through

tribe

Sonora toward Casa Grande, our destinabut just before reaching that place w^e

tion,

stopped at another Mexican town called by the Indians " Kas-ki-yeh."

Here we stayed

for several days, camping just outside the

Every day we would go

city.

trade, leaving our

tion

camp under

of a small guard so that

plies,

into

oiu'

town to

the protec-

arms, sup-

and women and children would not be

disturbed during our absence.

Late one afternoon when returning from

town we were met by a few women and dren

who

told us that

chil-

Mexican troops from

43

GERONIMO some other town had attacked our camp, killed all the warriors all

of the guard, captured

our ponies, secured our arms, destroyed

our supplies, and killed

and

Quickly we separated, con-

children.

cealing ourselves nightfall,

many of our women

as

we could

best

when we assembled

pointed place of rendezvous the river. sentinels

Silently

we

young

wife,

and

were among the in

at our ap-

—a

thicket

my

slain.

my

by

one by one:

stole in

were placed, and, when

counted, I found that

until

were

all

aged mother,

my

three small children

There were no

camp, so without being noticed I

turned away and stood by the

river.

lights

silently

How

long I stood there I do not know, but when I saw the warriors arranging for a council I took

my

place.

That night I did not give against any measure but ;

it

my

vote for or

was decided that

as there were only eighty warriors left, as

we were without arms

or supplies,

and and

were furthermore surrounded by the Mex44

KAS-KI-YEH icans far inside their

own

we

could

So our

chief,

territory,

not hope to figHt successfully.

Mangus-Colorado, gave the order to

start at

once in perfect silence for our homes in Ari-

upon

zona, leaving the dead

I stood until

all

the

field.

had passed, hardly know-

ing what I would do

—I had no weapon, nor

did I hardly wish to fight, neither did I con-

template recovering the bodies of ones, for that

was forbidden.

my

loved

I did not

pray, nor did I resolve to do anything in particular, for I

followed the

had no purpose tribe

left.

silently,

I finally

keeping just

within hearing distance of the soft noise of the feet of the retreating Apaches.

The next morning some of the Indians killed a small amount of game and we halted long enough for the tribe to cook and

when

the

march was resumed.

as well as

this place I

to

I had killed

During the first while we were camped at

no game, and did not

march

eat,

eat.

spoke to no one and no one spoke

—there was nothing

me

45

^N,

to say.

GERONIMO For two days and

three nights

we were

on forced marches, stopping only for meals, then der,

we made where we

a

camp near

the

Mexican bor-

Here

two days.

rested

I took

some food and talked with the other Indians

who had

lost in the massacre,

lost as I had, for I

had

but none had

lost all.

Within a few days we arrived

at our

own

There were the decorations that

settlement.

—and there were the play-

Alope had made things of our all,

er's

even our tepee.

I burned

ones.

little

I also burned

tepee and destroyed

all

True, I could

visit

my

my father's grave,

thing to remind heart

Mex-

who had wronged me, and

whenever I came near

my

moth-

in our quiet

but I had vowed vengeance upon the ican troopers

them

her property.

I was never again contented home.

^

me

his

grave or saw any-

of former happy days

would ache for revenge upon

Mexico. 1

According to custom he should not have kept the prop-

erty of his deceased relatives, but he was not compelled to

destroy his

own

tepee or the playthings of his children.

46

—Revenge

II

^Part

As

soon as

we had again

collected

some

arms and supplies Mangus-Colorado, our chief, called a council

and found that

all

our

warriors were willing to take the warpath

I was appointed to

against Mexico.

solicit

the aid of other tribes in this war.

When

I went to the Chokonen (Chiri-

cahua) Apaches, Cochise, their chief, called a council at early dawn. riors

Silently the war-

assembled at an open place in a moun-

tain dell

and took

their seats

on the ground,

arranged in rows according to their ranks. Silently they sat

smoking.

At

a signal

from the chief I arose and presented

my

cause as follows: "

Kinsman, you have heard what the Mex-

icans

have recently

You

are

brothers.

my

done without cause.

relatives

—uncles,

cousins,

We are men the same as the Mex47 H:

GERONIMO icans are

—we can do to them what they have

done to

them

—I

attack

Let us go forward and

us.

will lead

them

me

avenge

to

these JMexicans

—you "

will all

—

their city

homes.

the front of the battle

follow

—we

you to

in their

will

—I only ask you to wrong done by

this

you come?

the rule in

may young men are

war

return or they

be

these

killed I

from

their

It

is

—^men

killed.

well

may

If any of

want no blame

kinsmen, for they themselves

have chosen to go.

If I

need mourn for me.

am

My

killed

no one

people have

been killed in that country, and die if

will

I will fight in

come.

Remember

trail

all

I, too, will

need be."

my own settlement, reported this success to my chieftain, and immediately I returned to

departed to the southward into the land of the

Nedni Apaches.

heard

me

Their chief.

Whoa,

without comment, but he im-

mediately issued orders for a council, and

when

all

were ready gave a sign that I 48

KAS-KI-YEH might speak.

I addressed

addressed the Chokonen

promised to help

was

It

in the

as I

had

and they

also

them

tribe,

us.

summer of

1859, almost a

year from the date of the massacre of Kaskiyeh, that these three tribes were assembled

on the IMexican border to go upon the warTheir faces were painted, the war

path.

bands

fastened upon their brows,

^

long scalp-locks

^

ready for the hand and

who

knife of the warrior

them. in a

their

could overcome

Their families had been hidden away

mountain rendezvous near the Mexican

With

border. posted,

these families a

guard was

and a number of places of rendez-

vous designated in case the camp should be disturbed.

When Strips

2

all

of

were ready the chieftains gave

buckskin

about

two inches

wide

fastened

around the head.

At

3

in

this

time the Mexican Government offered a reward

gold for Apache scalps

—one

rior's scalp, fifty dollars for

dollars for child's scalp.

M

hundred dollars for war-

squaw's scalp, and twenty-five

^9

GERONIMO command

to

go forward.

None of

us were

mounted and each warrior wore moccasins and

also a cloth

wrapped about

his loins.

This cloth could be spread over him when he

and when on the march would be ample

slept,

In

protection as clothing. fight

battle,

was hard, we did not wish much

if

the

cloth-

Each warrior carried three days' rations, but as we often killed game while on the march, we seldoni were without food. ing.

We traveled in three divisions

:

the Bedon-

kohe Apaches led by Mangus-Colorado, the

Chokonen Apaches by

Cochise,

and the

Nedni Apaches by Whoa; however, there was no regular order inside the separate tribes.

We usually marched about fourteen

hours per day, making three stops for meals,

and traveling forty to

forty-five miles a

day.

I acted as guide into Mexico, and we fol-

lowed the river courses and mountain ranges because

we could

better thereby keep our

movements concealed. 50

We

entered Sonora

7.

KAS-KI-YEH and went southward past Quitaco, Nacozari, and many smaller settlements.

When we

were

camped, and eight

almost at

men

city to parley with us. killed,

and

scalped.

we

Arispe

rode out from the

These we captured,

This was to draw the

troops from the city, and the next day they

came.

The skirmishing

lasted all

day with-

out a general engagement, but just at night

we captured

their

supply

train, so

we had

plenty of provisions and some more guns.

That night we posted

sentinels

and did

move our camp, but rested quietly all night, for we expected heavy work the next not

day.

Early the next morning the warriors

were assembled to pray

—not

that they might have health

for help, but

and avoid am-

bush or deceptions by the enemy.

As we had in the

came

anticipated, about ten o'clock

morning the whole Mexican force out.

There were two companies of

cavalry and two of infantry. the cavalry as the soldiers 51

I recognized

who had

killed

my

GERONIMO people at Kaskiyeh. chieftains,

and they

This I told to the

might

said that I

direct

the battle.

and never had been, but

I was no chief

because I had been more deeply wronged

than others,

honor was conferred upon

this

me, and I resolved to prove worthy of the I arranged the Indians in a hollow

trust. circle

near the

their infantry

alry in reserve.

river,

and the Mexicans drew

up

two

in

lines,

with the cav-

We were in the timber,

and

they advanced until within about four hun-

dred yards, when they halted and opened

Soon

fire.

I led a charge against them, at the

same time sending some braves their rear.

In

all

to attack

the battle I thought of

murdered mother, wife, and babies father's grave

and

and I fought with

my vow of fury. Many

—of

my my

vengeance, fell

by

my

hand, and constantly I led the advance.

Many

braves were killed.

The

battle lasted

about two hours.

At

the last four Indians were alone in the 52

KAS-KI-YEH center of the field warriors.

—myself and three other

Our arrows were

gone, our

all

spears broken off in the bodies of dead ene-

We

mies.

had only our hands and knives

with which to fight, but

who had

all

stood

Then two armed soldiers came upon us from another part of the field. They shot down two of our men against us were dead.

and we, the remaining two,

fled

toward our

own warriors. ]My companion was struck down by a saber, but I reached our warriors, The one who seized" a spear, and turned. pursued me missed his aim and fell by my spear. With his saber I met the trooper who had killed my companion and we grappled and

fell.

I killed

him with

my

knife and

quickly rose over his body, brandishing his saber,

seeking for other troopers to

There were none.

Over the bloody

seen.

the

But

bodies

kill.

the

Apaches had

field,

covered with

of JNIexicans, rang the

fierce

Apache war-whoop. Still

covered with the blood of 53

my

en-

GERONIMO emies, still

still

my

holding

conquering weapon,

hot with the joy of battle, victory, and

vengeance, I was surrounded by the Apache

and made war chief of

braves

Then

Apaches.

the

all

I gave orders for scalping

the slain/

I could not call back

my

loved ones, I

could not bring back the dead Apaches, but

could

I

rejoice

Apaches

in

The

revenge.

this

had avenged the massacre

of

" Kas-ki-yeh." 4

the

From

the

moment

command

the

for

Apaches everything assumes a

war

given with

is

religious

guise.

The

manner of camping, cooking,

etc.,

are exactly prescribed.

Every object appertaining

war

is

name; as

if,

to

called

by

its

sacred

for instance, in English, one should say not

horse, but war-horse or charger; not arrow, but missile of

death.

The Indian

by a sacred name as the case

may

is

to be.

not called by his ordinary name, but

which

is

subjoined "brave" or "chief"

Geronimo's Indian name was

yeh, but the Mexicans at this battle called

Go

khla

him Geronimo,

a name he has borne ever since both among the Indians and white men.

54

CHAPTER

VII

FIGHTING UNDER DIFFICULTIES

ALL

Apaches were

satisfied

after the battle of " Kaskiyeh," but I

^ still

the other

desired

For

more revenge.

several

months we were busy with the chase and peaceful pursuits.

other

Finally

I

suc-

ceeded in persuading two others warriors,

Ah-koch-ne and Ko-deh-ne, to go with

me

to invade the IMexican country.

We

left

our

^

went on the warpath. carried three

and

families with the tribe

daj^s'

Mexico on the north

We were on foot and rations. We entered line

of Sonora and

fol-

lowed the Sierra de Antunez Mountains to the south end of the range.

Here we

cided to attack a small village.

know

the

light

we approached from

name of 1

this village.)

(I do not

At

day-

the mountains.

Geroiiimo had married again.

55

de-

GERONIMO We

ad-

before

we

Five horses were hitched outside.

vanced

but

cautiously,

just

reached the horses the Mexicans opened

from

the houses.

killed.

My two companions were

Mexicans swarmed on every

some were mounted some were on seemed to be armed.

the

day while

gun

in hand,

aim

at

had a chance

some IMexican, who,

was looking for me.

think I missed

my

aim

to retreat toward Arizona. icans did not quit the chase.

head

me

off;

I do not

either time.

the gathering darkness I found

the next day

With

more time

But

the

Mex-

Several times

mounted Mexicans

many

fighting,

Several times during

in concealment I

to take deliberate

and

Three times that

day I was surrounded, but I kept dodging, and hiding.

side;

foot,

;

all

fire

tried to

times they fired on me,

but I had no more arrows; so I depended

upon running and very

tired.

I

hiding, although I

had not eaten

since the chase

began, nor had I dared to stop for

second night I got clear of 56

was

rest.

my pursuers,

The but

UNDER DIFFICULTIES I never slackened

my

our home in Arizona.

pace until I reached I came into our

without booty, without

my

camp

companions, ex-

hausted, but not discouraged.

The wives and

children of

my

two dead

companions were cared for by their people.

Some of

Apaches blamed me for the

the

evil

result of the expedition, but I said nothing.

Having

failed, it

should remain

was only proper that I

But my

silent.

feelings to-

ward the Mexicans did not change

—I

hated them and longed for revenge.

still

I never

ceased to plan for their punishment, but

was hard to

my

to get the other warriors to listen

proposed

raids.

In a few months after

this last

I persuaded

two other warriors

raiding the

Mexican

mer

raid

frontier.

adventure

to join

On

we had gone through

Apaches' range into Sonora.

and

Mountains.

in

Nedni

the

This time

we

Cho-

the

Sierra

Madre

traveled

south,

secured

entered

We

me

our for-

went through the country of the kon-en

it

57

GERONIMO more

and prepared

rations,

raids.

We

had

to

begin our

selected a village near the

mountains which we intended to attack at daylight.

While asleep that night

camp and

scouts discovered our killing

INIexican

fired

on

us,

In the morning we ob-

one warrior.

company of Mexican troops coming from the south. They were mounted served a

and carried supplies for a long journey.

We

followed their

we were

trail until

sure

that they were headed for our range in Ari-

zona; then three

We

days

we

hurried past them and in

own

our

reached

arrived at noon,

settlement.

and that afternoon,

about three o'clock, these INIexican troops attacked our settlement. killed three small boys. riors

the

Their

Many

first

volley

of the war-

of our tribe were away from home, but

few of us who were

in

camp were

able

to drive the troops out of the mountains be-

fore night. lost five

We

killed eight

Mexicans and

—two warriors and three boys.

Mexicans rode due south 58

in

The

full retreat.

UNDER DIFFICULTIES Four and

warriors were detailed to follow them,

in three days these trailers returned, say-

ing that the Mexican cavalry had left Arizona, going southward.

We were quite sure

they would not return soon.

Soon after I

this (in the

was again able

the

^lexicans,

warriors.

to take the

warpath against

time with twenty-five

this

We

summer of 1860)

followed the

INIexican troops last

trail

of the

mentioned and entered

The

the Sierra de Sahuaripa Mountains.

second day in these mountains our scouts troops.

There

was only one company of cavalry

in this

discovered

mounted Mexican

command, and I thought surprising

that

them we could defeat them.

ambushed the

trail

We

over which they were to

This was at a place where the whole

come.

company must pass through file.

by properly

a mountain de-

We reserved fire until all of the troops

had passed through; then the signal was

The INIexican troopers, seemingly without a word of command, dismounted,

given.

59

GERONIMO and placing

on the outside of

their horses

made a good fight against us. I saw that we could not dislodge them without using all our ammuniThe warriors sudtion, so I led a charge. denly pressed in from all sides and we fought hand to hand. During this encounthe company, for breastworks,

my

ter I raised

spear to

kill

dier just as he leveled his

a IVIexican sol-

gun

at

me

;

I was

advancing rapidly, and

my

a pool of blood, I

under the Mexican

He

trooper.

fell

struck

me

foot slipping in

over the head with

the butt of his gun, knocking

me

senseless.

Just at that instant a warrior who followed in

my

spear. soldier

footstej^s killed the

Mexican with a

In a few minutes not a Mexican

was

When

left alive.

the

Apache

war-cry had died away, and their enemies

had been scalped, they began to care for their

dead and wounded.

unconscious

bathed

me

my

I was found lying

where I had

head

in cold

to consciousness.

fallen.

They

water and restored

Then they bound up 60

UNDER DIFFICULTIES my wound

and the next morning, although

weak from

loss

of blood and suiFering from

a severe headache, I was able to march on the return to Arizona.

I did not fully re-

cover for months, and I

given

me by

we had

still

wear the scar

In

that musketeer.

this fight

lost so heavily that there really

no glory Arizona.

in

was

our victory, and we returned to

No

one seemed to want to go on

the warpath again that year.

In the sunmier (1861) with twelve warriors I

We entered

again went into Mexico.

Chihuahua and followed south on the east side of the Sierra Madi'e

Mountains four

days' journey then crossed over to the Sierra ;

de Sahuaripa range, not far east of Casa

Grande.

Here we

rested one day,

out scouts to reconnoiter.

pack trains camped

The next morning

They reported

five miles

west of

we

for their

leaving 61

mule pack

They rode away us the booty. The

attacked them. lives,

us.

just at daybreak, as these

drivers were starting with their train,

and sent

GERONIMO mules were loaded with provisions, most of which we took home.

Two

mules were

loaded with side-meat or bacon;

threw away. trains

We started to take

^

this

we

these pack

home, going northward through So-

when near Casita, Mexican troops overtook us. It was at daybreak and we

nora, but

We

were just finishing our breakfast.

had

no idea that we had been pursued or that our enemies were near until they opened

At

the

ing

first

volley a bullet struck

lick just at the

eye and I

fell

me

unconscious.

All the other

The Mexicans,

think-

dead, started in pursuit of the fleeing

Indians. sciousness

the

a glanc-

lower corner of the left

Indians fled to cover.

ing

me

fire.

In a few moments I regained con-

and had started at

full speed for

woods when another company coming

up opened fire on me. Then the soldiers who had been chasing the other Indians 2

They had never eaten bacon and did not learn

for a long time.

pork

if they

Even now they

can get other meat.

fuses to eat bacon or pork.

62

will

to

do so

not eat bacon or

Geronimo

positively re-

UNDER DIFFICULTIES turned, and I stood between two hostile companies, but I did not stand long.

Bullets

whistled in every direction and at close range

One

to me.

on

my

and

side,

inflicted a slight flesh

but I kept running, dodging,

fighting, until I got clear of

I climbed

suers.

wound

up

my

pur-

a steep canon, where the

cavalry could not follow.

The

troopers saw

me, but did not dismount and try to follow. I think they were wise not to

come

on.

It had been understood that in case of surprise with this booty, our place

of rendez-

vous should be the Santa Bita JNIountains in Arizona.

We did not reassemble in INIexico,

but traveled separately and in three daj's

we

were encamped in our place of rendezvous.

From

this place

handed. to report.

we returned home empty-

We had

not even a partial victory

I again returned wounded, but

I was not yet discouraged.

Again

I

was

blamed by our people, and again I had no reply.

After our return many of the warriors 63

GERONIMO had gone on a hunt and some of them had

gone north to trade for blankets from the

Navajo

ing to get

home tryOne morning

I remained at

Indians.

my wounds

healed.

daybreak, when the squaws were

just at

lighting the

camp

fires to

three companies of

prepare breakfast,

Mexican troops who had

surrounded

our

opened

There was no time for fighting.

fire.

settlement

Men, women, and

children

warriors were killed, and four

captured.

My

left eye

shut, but with the other I to hit

one of the

the

night

children fled for their

Many women and

lives.

in

officers

was

and a few

women were still

swollen

saw well enough

with an arrow, and

then

make good my

The

troopers burned our tepees and took

escape

among

the rocks.

our arms, provisions, ponies, and blankets.

Winter was

at hand.

There were not more than twenty warriors in

camp

at this time,

and only a few of us

had secured weapons during the excitement of the attack.

A

few warriors followed the 64

UNDER DIFFICULTIES trail

of the troops as they went back to Mex-

ico with their booty,

It

battle.

but were unable to offer

was a long, long time before we

were again able to go on the warpath against the Mexicans.

The four women who were captured

at

time by the Mexicans were taken into

this

Sonora, Mexico, where they were compelled to

work for the JMexicans.

After some

years they escaped to the mountains and

They had knives which they had stolen from the Mexicans, but they had no other weapons. They had no blankets; so at night they would make a

started to find our tribe.

tepee

little

knives,

by cutting brush with

and setting them up for the

The top was covered

temporary tepee they would

One

night when their

growling

Francisco,

party

the

(about

started to build

camp

just

seventeen the 65

fire

all sleep.

the

woman years

fire,

In

was low they

outside

youngest

up

walls.

over with brush.

this

heard

their

of

tepee.

of

the

age),

when a moun-

GERONIMO and

tain lion crashed through the tepee

The suddenness of

tacked her.

made her drop her lion,

the attack

knife, but she fought as

She was no

best she could with her hand.

match for the

at-

however; her left shoul-

der was crushed and partly torn away.

The

kept trying to catch her by the throat;

lion

this she

prevented with her hands for a long

He

time.

dragged her for about 300 yards,

then she found her strength was failing her

from

loss

other

women

of blood, and she called to the for help.

The

lion

had been

dragging her by one foot, and she had been catching hold of his legs, and of the rocks

and underbrush, to delay him.

Finally he

stopped and stood over her.

She again

her companions and they attacked

called

him with

their knives

and

killed him.

Then

they dressed her wounds and nursed her in the mountains for about a month. she

When

was again able to walk they resumed

their

journey and reached our

safety.

66

tribe

in

Asa Dkklugie, Wife anu Children

UNDER DIFFICULTIES This

woman

prisoner of

(Francisco)

war

was held

witli the other

died on the Fort

as a

Apaches and

Reservation in 1892.

Sill

Her

face was always disfigured with those

scars

and she never regained perfect use of

The

her hands. fore

we became

JNIany

away

three older

children were carried

at diiFerent times

did underwent

died be-

prisoners of war.

women and

many of them

women

by Mexicans.

ever returned, and those

many

hardships in order to

be again united with their people.

Those

w!xG did not escape were slaves to the icans, or

When

Mex-

perhaps even more degraded. warriors were

Mexicans they were kept warriors

Not who

captured by in chains.

who were captured once

the

Four

at a place

north of Casa Grande, called by the Indians "

Honas," were kept

in chains for a year

when they were exchanged for Mexicans whom we had captured. and a

half,

We never

chained prisoners or kept them

in confinement, but they 67

seldom got away.

GERONIMO Mexican men when captured were compelled cut

to

wood and herd

women and own people. 3

The

children

^

were treated as our

interpreter, Asa, son of

was

who used

finally

Whoa, remembers a to play with the

and thenceforth

had two wives.

He

little

Apache

exchanged.

One of Geronimo's wives and her time,

Mexican

^

"

captive Mexican girl children, but

horses.

until he

child

were

killed at this

became a prisoner of war he

might have had as many wives as he

wished, but he says that he was so busy fighting Mexicans that he could not support

more than two.

VIII RAIDS

THAT WERE

summer of INmenthe and invaded

SUCCESSFtTL

1862 I took eight INIexican

territory.

We went south on the west side of the Sierra INIadre JVIountains for five days

;

then in the

night crossed over to the southern part of

Here we

the Sierra de Sahuaripa range.

again camped to watch for pack trains.

About ten ers,

o'clock next

morning four

driv-

mounted, came past our camp with a

pack-mule

train.

they rode for their

As

soon as they saw us

lives,

leaving us the booty.

This was a long train, and packed with blankets, calico, saddles, tinware,

sugar.

We

hurried

home

as

and loaf

fast as

we

could with these provisions, and on our re-

turn while passing through a canon in the

Santa Catilina range of mountains zona,

in Ari-

met a white man driving a mule pack 69

GERONIMO train.

When we

ready seen

us,

found that

and was riding

We

the canon.

saw him he had

first

examined

mules were

his

at full

tilt

train

his

al-

up

and

loaded with

all

We put them in with the other train resumed our journey. We d'd not at-

cheese.

and

tempt to

trail

the driver

and I

am

sure he

did not try to follow us.

In two days we arrived at home. Mangus-Colorado, our

We

tribe.

gave a

and danced

all

chief,

Then

assembled the

feast, divided the spoils,

Some of

night.

the pack

mules were killed and eaten.

we kept out we would know if Mexican

This time after our return scouts so that

troops should attempt to follow us.

On the third day our scouts came into camp and reported

JVIexican cavalry dismounted

and approaching our settlement. warriors were in camp.

took

command of one

other.

horses,

We

All our

Mangus-Colorado

division

and I of the

hoped to get possession of

then

their

surround the troops in the 70

m

O

» R

D

5

o

SUCCESSFUL RAIDS mountains, and destroy the whole company.

This

we were unable

started

we had

killed ten troopers witli

Mexican

the loss of only one man, and the

cavalry was in full retreat, thirty

had

However, within four hours after

scouts.

we

to do, for they, too,

followed by

armed Apaches, who gave them no

rest until they

can country.

were far inside the Mexi-

No more

troops came that

winter.

For sions,

a long time

we had plenty of

provi-

plenty of blankets, and plenty of

clothing.

We also had plenty of cheese and

sugar.

Another summer (18G3) I

selected three

warriors and went on a raid into JNIexico.

We went south into Sierra

de

Sonora, camping in the

Sahuaripa JMountains.

forty miles west of Casa Grande village in the mountains, called

dians " Crassanas."

We

place and concluded to

had noticed that just 71

a small

by the In-

camped near

make an at

is

About

attack.

this

We

midday no one

GERONIMO seemed to be

our attack at the

we

we planned to make noon hour. The next day

stirring ; so

stole into the

town

We had

at noon.

no

guns, but were armed with spears and bows

and arrows.

When

the

war-whoop was

given to open the attack the Mexicans fled in every direction; not

any attempt

We

one of them made

to fight us.

shot some arrows at the retreating

Mexicans, but killed only one. silent in th^

Soon

all

was

town and no Mexicans could be

seen.

When we

discovered that

all

the Mexicans

were gone we looked through

their houses

and saw many curious

These Mex-

icans kept

things.

many more

Many

than the Apaches did.

we saw

stand, but in the stores

in a

herd of horses and

much

mules, and packed as supplies as

of the things

we could not underwe saw much that we

in the houses

wanted; so we drove

kinds of property

provisions

we could on them.

formed these animals

into a

72

and

Then we

pack train and

SUCCESSFUL RAIDS The Mexicans

returned safely to Arizona. did not even trail us.

When we

arrived in

tribe together

and feasted

it

all

day.

called the

We gave

That night the dance

presents to everyone.

began, and

camp we

did not cease until noon the

next day. This was perhaps the most successful raid

made by us do not know the ever

was very

into

Mexican

territory.

value of the booty, but

great, for

we had

supplies

I it

enough

to last our whole tribe for a year or more.

In the

fall

willing to JNIexico.

of 1864 twenty warriors were

go with me on another raid These were

all

armed and equipped for

we provided for

chosen men, well battle.

As

usual

the safety of our families

before starting on this raid. scattered

into

Our whole

and then reassembled

at a

tribe

camp

about forty miles from the former place.

In

way it would be hard for the Mexicans to trail them and we would know where to find our families when we returned. Moreover, this

73

GERONIMO if

any

hostile Indians should see this large

number of warriors leaving our range they might attack our camp, but if they found no one at the usual place

their raid

would

fail.

We

went south through the Chokonen

Apaches' range, entered Sonora, Mexico, at a point directly south of Tombstone, Arizona, and went into hiding in the Sierra de

Antunez Mountains.

We

attacked several settlements in the

neighborhood and secured plenty of provisions

and

After about three days

supplies.

we attacked and captured a mule pack at a place called

It

is

by the Indians

train

" Pontoco."

situated in the mountains due west,

about one day's journey

^

from Arispe.

There were three drivers with

One was

killed

and two escaped.

was loaded with 1

Forty-five miles.

-

Mescal

is

a

mescal,^ which

fiery liquor

this train.

The

train

was con-

produced in Mexico from several

spices of Agave.

74

SUCCESSFUL RAIDS As

tained in bottles held in wicker baskets.

soon as

we made camp

the Indians began to

get drunk and fight each other.

too,

I,

drank enough mescal to

feel the effect

but I was not drunk.

I ordered the fight-

of

it,

ing stopped, but the order was disobeyed.

Soon almost a general

fight

was

in progress.

I tried to place a guard out around our

camp, but serve.

were drunk and refused to

all

I expected an attack

from

troops at any moment, and really serious matter for me, for being in

JNIexican it

command

I would be held responsible for any

attending

the

expedition.

camp became comparatively

was a

ill

luck

Finally

the

still,

for the In-

dians were too drunk to walk or even to fight.

While they were

poured out

all

the fires and

stupor

the mescal, then I put out

moved

siderable distance

I returned to

in this

for the wounded.

all

the pack mules to a con-

from camp.

camp

I

to try to

After

this

do something

I found that only two

were dangerously wounded. 75

From

the leg

GERONIMO of one of these I cut an arrow head, and

from the shoulder of another I withdrew a

When

spear point.

all

the

wounds had been

cared for, I myself kept guard

till

morning.

The next day we loaded our wounded on

the

pack mules and started for Arizona.

The next day we captured come cattle from a herd and drove them home with us. But it was a very difficult matter to drive cattle when we were on foot. Caring for the wounded and keeping the cattle from escaping made our journey tedious. But we were not trailed, and arrived safely at home with all the booty.

We then

gave a feast and dance, and

After the dance we

killed

and dried the meat.

We

vided the spoils. all

the

cattle

di-

dressed the hides and then the dried meat

was packed stored away.

of meat. had.

As

the mules.

in

between these hides and

All that winter we had plenty

These were the usual

we

first cattle

killed

ever

and ate some of

We had little use 76

we

for mules, and

SUCCESSFUL RAIDS we could not trade them for something of value, we killed them. In the summer of 1865, with four war-

if

I went again into Mexico.

riors,

we were accustomed we could more easily conceal ourselves when dismounted. But this time we wanted more cattle, and it was hard to drive them when we were on foot. We entered Sonora at a point southwest from Tombstone, Arizona, and followed the Sierra de Antunez Mounfore

we had gone on

Hereto-

to fight

foot;

on foot;

besides,

tains to the southern limit, then crossed the

country as far south as the mouth of Yaqui

Here we saw a great lake^ extending beyond the limit of sight. Then we River.

turned north, attacked several settlements,

and secured plenty of

When we

supplies.

had come back northwest of Arispe we cured about sixty head of

them go

to our

directly

homes

cattle,

in Arizona.

se-

and drove

We

did not

home, but camped in different 3

Gulf of California.

77

GERONIMO valleys with our cattle. We were not trailed. When we

arrived at our

camp

the tribe

was

again assembled for feasting and dancing. Presents were given to everybody; then the cattle

were

killed

and the meat dried and

packed.

78

CHAPTER IX VAEYING FORTUNES of 18G5 with nine other warIN the I went into Mexico on foot. We fall

riors

attacked several settlements south of Casa

many horses and way northward with

Grande, and collected mules.

We

made our

these animals through the mountains.

When

we made camp one evening, and thinking that we were not being trailed, turned loose the whole herd, even those we had been riding. They were in a valley surrounded by steep mountains, and we were camped at the mouth of this valley so that near Arispe

the animals could not leave without

through our camp.

Just as

to eat our supper our scouts

coming

we had begun

came

in

and an-

nounced Mexican troops coming toward our camp.

We started

that our scouts

for the horses, but troops

had not seen were on the 79

GERONIMO cliffs

above us, and opened

We

fire.

scat-

tered in all directions, and the troops re-

covered

all

our booty.

In three days we

reassembled at our appointed place of ren-

dezvous in the Sierra Madre Mountains in northern Sonora. follow us, and

Mexican troops did not

we returned

to Arizona with-

out any more fighting and with no booty.

Again I had nothing

to say, but I

was anx-

ious for another raid.

Early the next summer (1866) I took

mounted warriors and invaded Mexican territory. We went south through thirty

Chihuahua as far

Santa Cruz, Sonora,

as

then crossed over the Sierra tains,

Madre Moun-

following the river course at the south

end of the range.

We

kept on westward

from the Sierra Madre Mountains Sierra

de Sahuripa Mountains, and

lowed that range northward. all

to the

the horses, mules,

and

We

cattle

fol-

collected

we wanted,

and drove them northward through Sonora into Arizona.

Mexicans saw us 80

at

many

fcwl

\t^^:

..1.

VARYING FORTUNES times and in

many

places, but they did not

attack us at any time, nor did any troops

attempt to follow

When we

us.

our homes we gave presents to tribe feasted

and danced.

arrived at

and the

all,

During

this raid

we had killed about fifty Mexicans. Next year (1867) Mangus-Colorado

led

eight warriors on a raid into Mexico.

I

went as a warrior, for I was always glad

We rode south from

to fight the Mexicans.

Tombstone,

near

Mexico.

We

Arizona,

Sonora,

into

attacked some cowboys, and

after a fight with them, in which their

number were

cattle

northward.

killed,

we drove

two of all their

The second day we were

driving the cattle, but had no scouts out.

When we were not far from Arispe, Mexican troops rode

upon

us.

They were

well

and well mounted, and when we

armed

first

saw

them they were not half a mile away from us.

We

left the cattle

we could toward

and rode

as hard as

the mountains, but they

gained on us rapidly. 81

Soon they opened

GERONIMO fire,

but were so far away from us that

we

were unable to reach them with our arrows; finally

we reached some

timber, and, leaving

Then

our ponies, fought from cover.

the

Mexicans halted, collected our ponies, and rode away across the plains toward Arispe,

We stood and

driving the cattle with them.

watched them until they disappeared in the distance,

and then took up our march for

home.

We arrived home in five days with no victory to report, no spoils to divide, and not

even the ponies which we had ridden into

Mexico.

This expedition was considered

disgraceful.

The

warriors

Colorado on

who had been with Mangus-

this last expedition

return to Mexico.

wanted to

They were not

satisfied,

besides they felt keenly the taunts of the

other

warriors.

Mangus-Colorado would

not lead them back, so I took

we went on

foot, directly

Sonora, and

made our camp 82

command and

toward Arispe in in the Sierra

de

VARYING FORTUNES There were only

Sahuripa Mountains.

of

six

but we raided several settlements (at

us,

many

night), captured

and loaded them with

provisions, saddles

Then we returned

and blankets.

camp we

to Arizona,

When we

traveling only at night. at our

and mules,

horses

arrived

sent out scouts to prevent

any surprise by Mexicans, assembled the tribe, feasted,

danced, and divided the spoils.

JNIangus-Colorado would not receive any of this booty,

No Mex-

but we did not care.

ican troops followed us to Arizona.

About a year troops rounded

after this (1868)

up

all

the horses

Mexican

and mules

of the tribe not far from our settlement.

No

raids

year, tacks.

had been made

into

Mexico that

and we were not expecting any

We

were

all in

at-

camp, having just

returned from hunting.

About two

o'clock in the afternoon

^Mexican scouts were seen near our

ment.

two

settle-

We killed these scouts, but the troops

got under

way

with the herd of our horses 83

GERONIMO and mules before we saw them.

It

was

use-

overtake them on foot, and

less to try to

our tribe had not a horse

I took twenty

left.

We

warriors and trailed them.

found the

stock at a cattle ranch in Sonora, not far

from Nacozari, and attacked the cowboys

who had them in charge. We killed two men and lost none. After the fight we drove off our own stock and all of theirs.

We

were trailed by nine cowboys.

I

sent the stock on ahead and with three war-

any

at-

when near

the

riors stayed in the rear to intercept

tacking parties.

Arizona

on our

line

trail

we

One

night

discovered these cowboys

and watched them camp for the

night and picket their horses.

we away

night

stole into their

led

all their horses,

About mid-

camp and

silently

leaving the cow-

Then we rode liard and overtook our companions, who always traveled

boys asleep.

at night instead of in the

daytime.

turned these horses in with the herd and

We fell

back to again intercept anyone who might 84

VARYIXG FORTUNES trail us.

What

these nine cowboys did next

morning I do not know, and

I

have never

heard the INlexicans say anything about I

know they

did not follow^ us, for

not molested.

home It

When we

arrived in

it;

we were camp at

there w-as great rejoicing in the tribe.

was considered a good

^lexicans' horses

and

trick to get the

leave

them asleep

in

the mountains. It

was

a long time before

we again

into ^Mexico or w^ere disturbed icans.

85

w^ent

by the ]Mex-

CHAPTER X OTHER RAIDS

WHEN ters

reading the foregoing chap-

of Apache raids one not ac-

quainted with the lawlessness of the frontier

might wonder how

this

Apaches was developed

tendency of the to such a

marked

degree; but one acquainted with the real conditions

—the

disregard for law by both

Mexicans and white men along the border line

of Old INIexico and Arizona in early

days

—can

readily

Apache got

understand where the

his education in the art

ducting lawless raids. that those

who

of con-

In order, therefore,

are unacquainted with the

conditions as they were in southern Arizona

during the

eighties,

may

understand the en-

vironment of the Apaches, given.

The

this

chapter

is

events herein narrated are taken 86

OTHER RAIDS by the author from many accounts given

him by rehable men who

lived in this section

of country during the period mentioned.

Men

Raid by White In 1882 a company of ders,

who were known

Mexican

six

tra-

as " smugglers " be-

cause they evaded duties on goods which they brought into United States and sold in Arizona,

were camped

in Skeleton Caiion,

ten miles north of the north line of Old JNIexico.

They were known

sums of money, but

armed and ready

to carry large

as they

to defend their possessions

they were not often molested. this occasion, just as they

morning to prepare white

and

were always

men opened

fire

However, on

were rising

their

in the

breakfast,

on them from ambush

save one of the JNIexicans were killed.

all

This one, though wounded, finally escape.

A

few days after

made

the killing

cowboys on a round-up camped at place

five

his

some this

and buried the remains (what the 87

GERONIMO coyotes had left)

Two

of these

five

Mexicans.

years later, at the same place, a cow-

boy found a leather bag containing seventytwo Mexican

dollars,

which small amount

money had been overlooked by

of

the

robbers.

The men who did

this

kiUing lived in

many years afterwards, and was known that they had com-

Ai'izona for

although

it

mitted the depredation, no arrests followed,

and no attempt was made by any of the Mexicans to recover the property of

their

fellow citizens.

Meooican Raid

In 1884 a cattleman and four cowboys

from

his

ranch started to drive some fat

cattle

to

market at Tombstone, Arizona.

The

route they took led partly through Old

Mexico and partly through Arizona.

One

night they camped in a canon just south of the

Next morning at daycowboy who had been on herd

Mexican border.

light,

the

88

OTHER RAIDS duty the in

last half

of the night had just come

and aroused the camp when the IMexicans

opened

fire

on them from ambush.

The

cat-

tleman and one of the cowboys were severely

wounded

at the first volley

behind the

and took

shelter

camp wagon, from which

tion they fired as long as their

posi-

ammunition

The other three were only slightly wounded and reached cover, but only one lasted.

escaped with his

life.

He

remained in hid-

ing for two days before his comrades found him.

He

saw the Mexicans rob the bodies

of the dead and lead away their saddle horses, after

having cooked breakfast for

themselves in the deserted camp. severely

wounded and

w^as gone,

On

all

his

He

was

ammunition

hence he could only wait.

the second

day after

this raid

some of

the cattle strayed back to the old ranch,

thereby giving notice to the cowboys that there had been foul play.

They found

wounded companions lying

delirious

the decaying bodies of their comrades. 89

their

near

No

GERONIMO arrests

were ever made in Mexico for these

murders, and no attempt was made to recover

damage

The

or prosecute the robbers.

two instances above narrated

will serve to

show the reader what kind of an example was

Apaches by

set for the

at least a portion

of the inhabitants of the two Christian nations with

whom

they came in contact.

Apache Raids It

is

thought well to give in

chapter

this

some of the depredations of the Apaches, not told by Geronimo. told

by our own

citizens

They are given as and from the white

man's point of view.

In 1884 Judge McCormick and wife, companied by

from

their

young

son,

were driving

Silver City to Lordsburg,

were ambushed by Apaches.

ac-

when they

The

bodies of

the adults were found soon afterward, but the child's

body was never recovered.

afterwards, an

Apache squaw

told

the settlers in Arizona that the 90

Years

some of

little

boy

OTHER RAIDS (about eight years old) cried so

much and

was so stubborn that they had to although their spare his

row

During

him,

was

intention

to

life.

In 1882 a in a

original

kill

man named Hunt was wounded

in a saloon in this

Tombstone, Arizona.

row two other men had been

killed, and, to

avoid arrest.

Hunt and

brother went into the mountains and

his

camped

about ten miles north of Willow Springs to

A

await the healing of his wounds.

few

days after they came there, Apache Indians attacked

them

and

killed

brother, but the other,

good

the

wounded

by hard riding, made

his escape.

In 1883 two Eastern boys went into Arizona to prospect. at

Their real outing began

Willow Springs, where they had stayed

two days with the cowboys.

These cowboys

had warned them against the Apaches, but the

young men seemed

entirely fearless,

and

On

the

pushed on into the mountains.

second morning after they left the 91

settle-

GERONIMO ment, one of the boys was getting breakfast while the other went to bring in the pack horses that had been hobbled

and turned

loose the night before to graze.

Just about

the time he found his horses,

warriors rode out

two Apache

from cover toward him

and he made a hasty retreat

to

camp, jumpr

ing off of a bluff and in so doing breaking his leg.

A

consultation

was then held between

two Easterners and

the

perhaps

all

it

was decided that

the stories they

had been told

of the Apache raids were true, and that it

was advisable

to surrender.

Accordingly

a white handkerchief was tied to the end of

a pole and raised cautiously above the top of the bluff.

Indians

In about ten minutes the two

—one

a very old warrior and the

other a mere boy, evidently his son into rior

camp and dismounted.

The

—rode

old war-

examined the broken limb, then without

a word proceeded to take off the shirt of the uninjured youth, with strips of which he 92

OTHER RAIDS carefully

the broken leg.

After

two Indians ate the prepared break-

this the

fast

bound up

and remounted

Then

their ponies.

the

old warrior, indicating the direction with his

thumb,

said

"*

Doctor

—Lordsburg—three

days," and silently rode away.

men

The young

rode twenty-five miles to Sansimone,

where the cowboys

wagon

fitted

them out with

a

to continue their journey to Lords-

burg, seventy-five miles further, where a physician's services could be secured.

In 1883 two prospectors, Alberts and Reese by name, were driving a team, consisting

of a horse and a mule, through Tur-

key Creek bottoms, when they were shot by the Indians.

The wagon and

left in the road,

dead in

tlie

that place.

much

harness were

and the mule was found

road two hundred yards from

Evidently the Indians had not

use for him.

The guns of

the pros-

pectors were found later, but the horse they

drove was not recovered.

In none of the above-named instances 93

GERONIMO were the bodies of the victims mutilated.

However, there are many recorded instances in which the

Apache Indians did mutilate

the bodies of their victims, but

it is

claimed

by Geronimo that these were outlawed Indians,

as

his

regular

warriors

were

in-

structed to scalp none except those killed in battle,

and

to torture

none except to make

them reveal desired information. In 1884 two cowboys

of the Sansimone Cattle

camped

at

employment

in the

Company were

Willow Springs, eighteen miles

southwest of Skeleton Caiion, and not far

from Old Mexico.

Just at sundown their

camp was surrounded by Apaches paint, who said that they had been

in

war

at

war

with the Mexicans and wished to return to the

United

were

There

States.

about

seventy-five Indians in the whole tribe, the

squaws and children coming up

later.

had with them about one hundred and

Mexican

horses.

sion of the

The

fifty

Indians took posses-

camp and remained 94

They

for about ten

OTHER RAIDS days, getting their supplies of

meat by

kill-

ing cattle of the company.

With

this

band of Indians was a white

boy about fourteen years

old,

who had

evi-

dently been with them from infancy, for he could not speak a word of English, and did

not understand

much

Apache language

Spanish, but spoke the

readily.

They would allow but one of the cowboys to leave camp at a time, keeping the other under guard. They had sentinels with sypglasses on

all

the hills

and peaks

sur-

rounding the camp.

One evening when one of

the cowboys,

William Berne, had been allowed

to pass out

of the camp, he noticed an Indian

mounted and,

as he approached, discovered

that the Indian had rifle.

He

dis-

him under range of

immediately

dismounted,

his

and

standing on the opposite side from the redskin,

threw

horse's neck,

horse

his

own Winchester

when

across his

the Indian sprang on his

and galloped toward him 95

at

full

GERONIMO speed,

making

signs to

him not

to shoot,

and

when he approached him, dismounted and pointing to the ground, showed Berne many-

Then, as an understand-

fresh deer tracks.

ing had been estahhshed, the cowboy re-

movmted and went on

Apache

to

his

way, leaving the

hunt the deer.

One day when

this

cowboy was about ten

from camp, he found two splendid These horses had horses of the Indians. miles

strayed from the herd.

would the

in a

Thinking that they

way compensate

Apaches were

for the cattle

eating, he drove

them on

for about five miles into a canon where there

was plenty of grass and water and there, intending to

left

them

come back after the de-

parture of the Indians and take possession

of them.

On

the tenth day after

tlie

arrival of this

band of Indians, United States

troops, ac-

companied by two Indians who had been sent to

make

the arrangements, arrived in

camp, paid for the

cattle the

96

Apaches had

o>

'^^

X

M ^

OTHER RAIDS eaten, took the Indians

and

their stock,

and

moved on toward Fort Bowie. The cowboys immediatel)^ started for the canon where the

two horses had been far

but had not gone

left,

when they met two Indians driving them

horses in front of

as they

these

pushed on

to overtake the tribe.

Evidently the shrewdness of the paleface

had not outwitted the red

man

Geronimo says he was

in

that time.

no wise con-

nected with the events herein mentioned, but refuses to state whether he

He

about them.

holds

it

knows anything

unmanly

to tell of

any depredations of red men except those for which he was responsible.

Such "

Apache

were

the

ronimo was leading the " will

events

transpiring

land " during the days

wrongs "of serve to

when Ge-

his warriors to

his people.

in

avenge

This chapter

show that the Apache had

plenty of examples of lawlessness furnished him, and Vlso that he was a very apt scholar in this school

of savage lawlessness.

\

97

CHAPTER XI HEAVY FIGHTING

ABOUT ^

1873 we were again attacked

by Mexican troops

in

our settlement,

but we defeated them.

make

raids into

Then we decided to Mexico. We moved our

whole camp, packing

all

our belongings on

mules and horses, went into

made camp

in the

way we wanted and if we passed a

in this

us,

Mexican's home we usually killed the mates.

However,

and

mountains near Nacori.

In moving our camp no one to spy on

IVIexico

in-

if they offered to sur-

made no resistance or trouble in any way, we would take them prisoners. Frequently we would change our place of rendezvous then we would take with us our render and

;

prisoners if they were willing to go, but if

they were unruly they might be

remember one Mexican 98

killed.

in the Sierra

I

Madre

HEAVY FIGHTING Mountains who saw us moving and delayed

We

us for some time.

took the trouble to

get him, thinking the plunder of his house

would pay us for the delay, but after we

had

him we found nothing

killed

house worth having.

We

in

his

ranged in these

mountains for over a year, raiding the Mexican settlements for our supplies, but not

having any general engagement with IMexican troops; then in Arizona.

we returned

to our

After remaining

in

homes

Arizona

about a year we returned to Mexico, and

went

Madre MounOur camp was near Nacori, and we

into hiding in the Sierra

tains.

had just organized bands of warriors for

when our scouts distroops coming toward our

raiding the country,

covered JNIexican

camp

to attack us.

Battle of White Hill

The

chief of the

Nedni Apaches, Whoa,

was with me and commanded one

The

warriors were

all

LOFC. ^^

division.

marched toward the

GERONIMO troops and met them at a place about five

from our camp.

miles

of a

hill

and dismounted, placing

on the outside for breastworks.

their horses

was a round

It

showed our-

and they quickly rode

selves to the soldiers

to the top

We

very steep and rocky,

hill,

and there was no timber on

its sides.

There

were two companies of Mexican cavalry, and

we had about the

hill

behind the rocks,

constant

fire,

We

up and they kept up a

sixty warriors.

crept

but I had cautioned our war-

expose themselves to the Mex-

riors not to

icans.

I their

knew

that the troopers would waste

ammunition.

Soon we had

their horses, but the soldiers

hind these and shoot at us. killed several

a man.

killed all

would

lie

While we had

Mexicans, we had not yet

However,

it

be-

lost

was impossible to get

very close to them in this way, and I deemed it

best to lead a charge against them.

We

had been fighting ever

since about

one o'clock, and about the middle of the 100

HEAVY FIGHTING afternoon, seeing that

we were making no

further progress, I gave the sign for the

The war-whoop sounded and we leaped forward from every stone over the advance.

Mexicans' dead horses, fighting hand to

The

hand.

JNIexicans,

attack was so sudden that the

running

that,

became

utes

we had

way and

first this

so gon fused that in a killed

them

then

few min-

Then we

all.

away our dead, and secured all the arms we needed. That night we moved our camp eastward through the scalped the slain, carried

Sierra

No

Madre

INIountains into Chihuahua.

troops molested us here and after about

a year

we returned

to Arizona.

Almost every year we would of the time in Old this

time

many

JNIexico.

settlements

live

a part

There were in

at

Arizona;

game was not plentiful, and besides we hked to go down into Old Mexico. Besides, the lands of the Nednl Apaches, our friends and

kinsmen, extended far into Mexico. Chief,

Whoa, was

as a brother to 101

Their

me, and

GERONIMO we spent much of our time

in his

terri-

tory.

About 1880 we were tains south

in

camp

in the

of Casa Grande, when a com-

pany of Mexican troops attacked were

moun-

twenty-four

soldiers

and

The Mexicans

sur-

JVIexican

about forty Indians.

camp and

prised us in

two Indians the

how they were

There

us.

fired

first volley.

on

us,

kilHng

know

I do not

able to find our

camp

unless

they had excellent scouts and our guards

were

careless,

at us before

but there they were shooting

we knew they were

near.

We

were in the timber, and I gave the order to

go forward and

fight at close range.

We

kept behind rocks and trees until we came within ten j^ards of their

up and both were

killed.

line,

then we stood

sides shot until all the JMexicans

We lost twelve warriors in this

battle.

This place was called by the Indians " Sko-la-ta."

When we had buried our dead

and secured what supplies the JMexicans had, 102

HEAVY FIGHTING we went

northeast.

At

a place near Nacori

Mexican troops attacked called

by

about

the Indians "

eighty

us.

this place,

Nokode," there were

warriors,

Nedni Apaches.

At

Bedonkohe

and

There were three com-

panies of Mexican troops.

They attacked

and we

scattered, firing

us in an open as

we

ran.

persed,

field,

They followed

us,

but

and soon were free from

we

dis-

their pur-

we reassembled in the Sierra Madre Mountains. Here a council was held, and as Mexican troops were coming from many quarters, we disbanded. In about four months we reassembled at Casa Grande to make a treaty of peace. The chiefs of the town of Casa Grande, and all of the men of Casa Grande, made a suit;

then

treaty with us.

We shook hands

ised to be brothers.

and prom-

Then we began

to trade,

and the Mexicans gave us mescal. Soon nearly all the Indians were drunk. While they were drunk two companies of Mexican troops,

from another town, attacked 103

us,

GERONIMO killed

more/ 1

It

is

twenty Indians, and captured many

We fled impossible

to

in all directions. get Geronimo to understand that

these troops served the general government instead of any

particular town.

and each

city

He

still

a separate

thinks each town independent

tribe.

He

cannot understand the

relation of cities to the general government.

J04

CHAPTER

XII

GERONIMO'S MIGHTIEST BATTLE

AFTER the treachery and massacre of ^

Casa Grande we did not reassemble

for a long while, and

turned to Arizona.

when we did we

We

remained

re-

in Ari-

zona for some time, living in San Carlos Reservation, at a place

now

went

into

In 1883

imo.

We

w^e

called

Geron-

Mexico again.

remained in the mountain ranges of

IMexico for about fourteen months, and dur-

ing

this

Mexican

time

we had many

troops.

skirmishes with

In 1884 we returned

to

Arizona to get other Apaches to come with

The Mexicans were gaththe mountains where we had

us into Mexico. ering troops in

been ranging, and their numbers were so

much

greater than ours that

we

could not

hope to fight them successfully, and we were 105

GERONIMO tired

of being chased about from place to

place.

In Arizona we had trouble with the United States

(explained in next

soldiers

chapter) and returned to Mexico.

We

had

lost

about fifteen warriors in

With the moun-

Arizona, and had gained no recruits.

our reduced number we camped in tains north

of Arispe.

Mexican troops were

The troops were coming down

seen by our scouts in several directions.

United States

from the

north.

We

were well armed with

guns and supplied with ammunition, but we did not care to be surrounded by the troops

of two governments, so we started to move our camp southward.

One

night

we made camp some

distance

from the mountains by a stream. There was not much water in the stream, but a deep channel was worn through the prairie

and small

trees

were beginning to grow here

and there along the bank of

this stream.

In those days we never camped without 106

HIS MIGHTEST BATTLE placing scouts, for liable to

we knew

that

be attacked at any time.

morning just

at

we were The next

daybreak our scouts came

in,

aroused the camp, and notified us that JNIex-

Within

five

minutes the Mexicans began firing on

us.

ican troops were approaching.

We

made by

took to the ditches

the stream,

and had the women and children busy digging these deeper.

I gave strict orders to

waste no ammunition and keep under cover.

We

killed

many Mexicans

that day

turn lost heavily, for the fight lasted

and all

in

day.

Frequently troops would charge at one point, be repulsed, then rally and charge at another point.

About noon we began to hear them speaking my name with curses. In the afternoon the general came on the field and the fighting became more furious. I gave orders to my warriors to try to kill all the Mexican officers. About three o'clock the general called all the officers together at the right side

of the

field.

The

place where they as-

107

GERONIMO sembled was not very far from the main stream, and a

where

the

was being

and I

^

understood most of

those ditches

is

This

it.

" Officers,

:

the red devil

sides

is

about

yonder

of the ditches ;

oners; dead Indians are what

not spare your at

any

pris-

we want. Do

own men; exterminate

cost ; I will post the

shoot all deserters;

in

his last day.

men, women, and children take no

band

in

Geronimo and

This must be

hated band.

Ride on him from both kill

The general was

so that I could hear all he said,

what he told them

his

held.

The wind was blowing

an old warrior.

I

very close to where

this ditch

my direction,

Cautiously

stood.

officers

crawled out the council

ditch ran out close to

little

this

wounded

to

go back to your com-

panies and advance."

Just as the

command

to

go forward was

given I took deliberate aim at the general

and he around 1 '

In an instant the ground

fell.

me was

Geronimo has a

riddled with bullets, but I

fair

knowledge of the Spanish language.

108

o O

rt

>

o

=

HIS MIGHTEST BATTLE The Apaches had

seen.

along the ditches arose the

fierce

was untouched.

From

all

my

war-cry of

The columns wav-

people.

ered an instant and then swept on; they did

not retreat uotil our

fire

had destroyed the

front ranks.

After

this their fighting

was not

so fierce,

yet they continued to rally and readvance until dark.

my name

They

speak

also continued to

That

with threats and curses.

night before the firing had ceased a dozen

Indians had crawled out of the ditches and set fire to the

long prairie grass behind the

During

Mexican

troops.

followed

we escaped

This was the

to the mountains.

last battle that I ever

with JNIexicans.

fought

United States troops were

trailing us continually

the treaty

the confusion that

from

this

time until

was made with General Miles

in

Skeleton Caiion.

During

my many

I received eight

wars with the Mexicans

wounds, as follows: shot

the right leg above the knee, and 109

still

in

carry

GERONIMO the bullet; shot through the left forearm;

wounded in the right leg below the knee with a saber wounded on top of the head with the ;

butt of a musket; shot just below the outer

corner of the left eye shot in left side shot ;

;

in the back.

I do not

did not

I have killed

many Mexicans;

know how many, for frequently I count them. Some of them were

not worth counting. It has been a long time since then, but

I have no love for the Mexicans.

still

With me

they were always treacherous and malicious. I

am

old

now and

shall never

go on the war-

path again, but if I were young, and fol-

lowed the warpath,

it

would lead into Old

Mexico.

110

PART

III

THE WHITE MEN

CHAPTER

XIII

COMING OF THE WHITE MEN

ABOUT

the time of the massacre of

^"Kaskiyeh" (1858) we heard some white men were measuring land

that

to the

In company with a number of

south of us.

other warriors I went to visit them.

We

could not understand them very well, for

had no

interpreter, but

we made

we

a treaty

with them by shaking hands and promising to be brothers.

Then we made our camp

near their camp, and they came to trade

We gave them buckskin,

with us.

and ponies visions.

in

We

exchange for also

shirts

know

kept

it

and pro-

brought them game, for

We

did

the value of this money, but

we

which they gave us some money. not

blankets,

and

Indians that

later learned it

was very 113

from the Navajo valuable.

GERONIMO Every day they measured land with curious instruments and put down marks which

we could not understand.

They were good

men, and we were sorry when they had gone

on

into the west.

About

men

Hot

soldiers.

I ever saw.

ten years later some

more white

their

first

white

These were

came.

made

They were not

men

These were the

camp on

At

Springs.

and we did not

all

warriors.

They

the Gila River south of first

dislike

not as good as those

they were friendly

them, but they were

who came

first.

After about a year some trouble arose between them and the Indians, and I took the warpath as a warrior, not as a chief. ^

I

my peomy tribe;

had not been wronged, but some of ple had been,

and I fought with

for the soldiers and not the Indians were at fault.

Not long

after this

some of the

officers

of the United States troops invited our 1

As

a tribe they would fight under their tribal chief,

Mangus-Colorado.

war

chief,

If several tribes had been called out, the

Geronimo, would have commanded.

114

THE WHITE

]MEN

leaders to hold a conference at

Apache Pass

Just before noon the In-

(Fort Bowie).

dians were shown into a tent and told that

would

they

When

Our

Gopi.

Sanza,

went back 2

Regarding

^langus-Colorado, cutting

but most of the

Among

killed at this time

Kladetahe,

Niyokahe,

and

the

Indians

mountains and

left the

treachery

this

to the this

by

killed or captured.

After

eat.

were^ attacked by

warriors,

Bedonkohe Apaches

were

something to

tent, escaped;

were

Avarriors

chief,

other

several

through the

the

given

in the tent they

soldiers.

and

be

attack,

Mr. L. C. Hughes, editor of

The Star, Tucson, Arizona, to

whom

I

was referred by

General Miles, writes as follows:

"It appears that Cochise and

his tribe

had been on the

warpath for some time and he with a number of subordinate

chiefs

was brought into the military camp at

Bowie under the promise that a treaty of peace was to bt.

held,

when they were taken

handcuffs were put upon them. his

way through

into

a large tent where

Cochise, seeing this, cut

the tent and fled to the mountains;

in less than six hours

and

had surrounded the camp with from

three to five hundred warriors; but the soldiers refused to

make

fight."

115

GERONIMO I do not think that the

fort entirely alone.

agent had anything to do with planning this,

for he had always treated us well.

believe

was

it

entirely

planned

I

by the

soldiers.

From^

the very

first

the soldiers sent out

to our western country,

and the

officers in

charge of them, did not hesitate to wrong

They never explained to the Government when an Indian was wronged, the Indians.

but always reported the misdeeds of the Indians.

Much

men was deeds of

that

was done by mean white

reported at Washington as the

my people.

The Indians always

tried to live peace-

ably with the white soldiers and settlers.

One day during

the time that the soldiers

were stationed at Apache Pass I made a This was done by shak-

treaty with the post.

ing hands and promising to be brothers. Cochise and 3

Mangus- Colorado

willing to concede, yet

it

did likewise.

is

more general than we are

may

be more nearly true than

This sweeping statement

our own accounts.

116

— THE WHITE MEN I do not

know

command, but that ever

came

name of

the

was the

this

to

the officer in first

Apache Pass.

regiment

This treaty

was made about a year before we were tacked in a tent, as above related.

at-

In a few

days after the attack at Apache Pass we organized in the mountains and returned to fight the soldiers.

the

There were two

tribes

Bedonkohe and the Chokonen Apaches,

commanded by days' skirmishing we both

that

was coming

Fort.

Cochise.

After a few

attacked a freight train

in with supplies

We killed some of the men and cap-

tured the others.

These prisoners our chief

offered to trade for the Indians soldiers tent.

for the

had captured

This the

whom

the

at the massacre in the

officers refused, so

we

killed

our prisoners, disbanded, and went into hid-

Of those who took am the only one now

ing in the mountains. part in this affair I living.

In a few days troops were sent out to search for us, but as

we were disbanded,

117

it

GERONIMO was, of course, impossible for them to locate

any

hostile

camp.

During

the time they

many of

were searching for us

(who were thought by the

riors

our warsoldiers to

be peaceable Indians) talked to the

officers

and men, advising them where they might find the camjD they sought, and while they searched places

we watched them from our hiding

and laughed at

After

this

their failures.

trouble

all

of the Indians

agreed not to be friendly with the white

any more.

There was no general engage-

ment, but a long struggle followed. times

we

men

attacked the white First

men a

—sometimes

few Indians

they attacked

us.

would be

and then a few

killed

Some-

soldiers.

I

think the killing was about equal on each

The number killed in not amount to much, but

side.

these troubles

did

this treachery

on the part of the Indians

soldiers

had angered the

and revived memories of other

wrongs, so that we never again trusted the

United States troops. 118

QuANN'A

Parker

Cliiff of CoiiiMiiclic Iiuliaiis

CHAPTER XIV GREATEST OF WRONGS

PERHAPS

the greatest

wrong

done to the Indians was the

ment

received

by our

tribe

States troops about 1863. tribe,

from the United

The

chief of our

for our people with the

white settlement at Apache Tejo, It

white

treat-

]Mangus-Colorado, went to make a

treaty of peace

ico.

ever

New INIex-

had been reported to us that the

men

friendly and

in

this

more

settlement

reliable

zona, that they would live

were more

than those in Ari-

up

to their treaties

and would not wrong the Indians.

Mangus- Colorado, with three other warriors, went to Apache Tejo and held a council with these citizens and soldiers. They told him that if he would come with his tribe and

live

from

near them, they would issue to him,

the Government, blankets, flour, j)ro119

GERONIMO and

visions, beef,

Our

all

manner of

chief promised to return to

When

Tejo within two weeks.

supplies.

Apache he came

back to our settlement he assembled the I did not believe that

whole tribe in council. the people at said it

Apache Tejo would do

as they

and therefore I opposed the plan, but

was decided that with part of the

Mangus-Colorado should return Tejo and

receive

an

issue

to

tribe

Apache

of rations and sup-

If they were as represented, and

plies.

men would keep

these white fully, the

if

the treaty faith-

remainder of the tribe would join

him and we would make our permanent home at

Apache Tejo.

I

was

to remain in charge

of that portion of the tribe which stayed in Arizona.

We

gave almost

all

of our arms

and ammunition to the party going

Apache Tejo, be treachery

any

surprise.

so that in case there should

they would be prepared for

Mangus-Colorado and about

half of our people went to

happy

that

to

now

New

Mexico,

they had found white 120

men

GREATEST OF WRONGS who would they could

be kind to them, and with live in

No word From

ever

peace and plenty.

came

we heard

other sources, however,

In

this

from them.

to us

they had been treacherously slain.

whom

that

captured and

^

dilemma we did not know just

exactly what to do, but fearing that the

troops

who had captured them would

attack

we retreated into the mountains near Apache Pass. During the weeks that followed the departure of our people we had been in suspense, and failing to provide more supplies, us,

had exhausted

all

of our store of provisions.

This was another reason for moving camp.

On

this retreat, while

mountains,

herd of

General

men with a men were in

discovered four

cattle.

front in a 1

we

passing through the

Two

of the

buggy and two were behind on

Miles

telegraphed

from

Whipple

Barracks,

Arizona, Sept. 24, 1886, relative to the surrender of the

Apaches.

Among

other things he said: " Mangus-Colorado

had years ago been foully murdered after he had surrendered."

121

GERONIMO We killed all four,

horseback.

but did not

We

scalp them; they were not warriors.

drove the cattle back into the mountains,

made a camp, and began

to kill the cattle

and pack the meat. Before we had finished surprised and attacked troops,

who

this

work we were

by United States

killed in all seven Indians

warrior, three

women, and three

—one

children.

The Government troops were mounted and so were we, but we were poorly armed, having given most of our weapons to the sion of our tribe that

Tejo, so

had gone to Apache

we fought mainly with

At

and arrows.

first

I

all

my

spears, bows,

I had a spear, a bow,

and a few arrows; but spear and

divi-

in a short time

arrows were gone.

Once

was surrounded, but by dodging from

to side of

my

horse as he ran I escaped.

was necessary during

this fight for

my side

It

many of

the warriors to leave their horses and escape

on

foot.

at call,

But my

and

horse was trained to come

as soon as I reached a safe place, 122

GREATEST OF WRONGS

^'

not too closely pursued, I would call him

if

During

to me.^

directions

we

this fight

and two days

scattered in all

later reassembled at

our appointed place of rendezvous, about

from the scene of

fifty miles

About ten days

later the

The

at sun-

fight lasted all day, but our ar-

rows and spears were o'clock,

same United

new camp

States troops attacked our rise.

this battle.

all

gone before ten

and for the remainder of the day we

had only rocks and clubs with which to

We could ons,

and

damage with these weapnight we moved our camp about

do

at

fight.

little

four miles back into the mountains where

would be hard for the cavalry

it

to follow us.

who had been

left

behind to observe the movements of the

sol-

The next day our diers, returned,

scouts,

saying that the troops had

gone back toward San Carlos Reservation.

A

we were again attacked by another company of United 2

few days after

Geroniino often calls his horses to him in Fort

Reservation. to

this

him at

He

gives only one shrill note

full speed.

123

Sill

and they run

GERONIMO Just before

States troops.

this fight

we had

been joined by a band of Chokonen Indians

under Cochise, who took command of both

We

divisions.

were repulsed, and decided

to disband.

After we had disbanded our

tribe

the

Bedonkohe Apaches reassembled near

their

old

camp

vainly waiting for the return of

No

Mangus-Colorado and our kinsmen. tidings

came save that they had

Then

treacherously slain.^ held,

and as

it

all

been

a council was

was believed that Mangus-

Colorado was dead, I was elected Tribal Chief.

For a long time we had no trouble with anyone. It was more than a year after I had been made Tribal Chief that United States troops surprised and attacked our

They

camp.

killed

women, and four 3

Regarding

the

seven

children,

five

warriors, captured all our

killing

of

Mangus-Colorado,

L,.

Hughes of

the Tucson, Ariz., Star, writes as follows:

was early

in

troops

the year

'63,

when General West and

C.

"It his

were camped near Membras, that he sent Jack

124

;

GREATEST OF WRONGS and

supplies, blankets, horses,

We had nothing left

destroyed our tepees.

winter was beginning, and

was the

it

After the

knew.

est winter I ever

Their

trail

cold-

soldiers

withdrew I took three warriors and them.

and

clothing,

trailed

back toward San

led

Carlos. Mangus, who had been on

Swilling, a scout, to bring in

The

Cochise at Bowie.

old chief

was always for peace,

and gladly accepted the proffer; when he appeared

camp General West ordered him put in

at tlie

into the guard-house,

which there was only a small opening in the rear and

but one small window.

As

my

shall

*

with

warpath ever since the time of the incident

the

This

is

end.

I

the old chief entered he said:

felt that

he was

to be assassinated.

orders to shoot him

if

hunt

again

never

mountains and through the valleys of

my

over

people.'

the

He

The guards were given

he attempted to escape.

He

lay

down and tried to sleep, but during the night, someone threw a large stone which struck him

in

the breast.

He

sprang up and in his delirium the guards thought he was attempting escape and several of them shot him; this was the end of Mangus. "

His head was severed from

his

body by a surgeon,

and the brain taken out and weighed.

The head meas-

ured larger than that of Daniel Webster, and the brain

was of corresponding weight. Washington,

and

is

now on

sonian Institution."

125

The

skull

exhibition

at

was sent to the

Smith-

CHAPTER XV REMOVALS

WHILE

returning from trailing the

Government troops we saw two men, a Mexican and a white man, and shot

With these two horses we returned and moved our camp. My people were suffering much and it was deemed advisable to go where we could get

them off

more

their

provisions.

horses.

Game was

scarce in our

range then, and since I had been Tribal Chief I had not asked for rations from the

Government, nor did I care

to

do

so,

but we

did not wish to starve.

We

had heard that Chief Victoria of the

Chihenne (Oje Caliente) Apaches was holding a council with the white

Springs in

New

ISIexico,

plenty of provisions.

We 126

men

near

Hot

and that he had had always been

REMOVALS on friendly terms with toria

was

With

the help of the

especially

this tribe,

my

kind to

and

We

Springs. his

easily

we went

to

found Victoria

band, and they gave us supplies for

the winter.

We stayed with them

a year, and during this stay peace.

people.

two horses we had cap-

tured, to carry our sick Mith us,

Hot

and Vic-

We

had not the

for about

we had

perfect

least trouble with

JMexicans, white men, or Indians.

When we

had stayed as long as we should, and had again accumulated some supplies, cided to leave Victoria's band.

him that we were going

we should have

we

When

de-

I told

to leave he said that

a feast and dance before

we

separated.

The

festivities

were held about two miles

above

Hot

days.

There were about four hundred In-

Springs, and lasted for four

dians at this celebration.

I do not think

ever spent a more pleasant time than this occasion.

No

we

upon

one ever treated our tribe

more kindly than Victoria and 127

his

band.

We

GERONIMO are

still

proud to say that he and

his

people

went to Apache Pass

(Fort

were our friends.

When

I

Bowie) I found General Howard

^

in

com-

mand, and made a treaty with him.

This

treaty lasted until long after General

How-

He

ard had left our country. his

word with us and

We

treated us as brothers.

never had so good a friend

United States

We

officers as

among

the

General Howard.

could have lived forever at peace with

any pure, honest white man

him.

If there

in the

United States army, that

eral

always kept

is

Howard.

and even to

man

is

Gen-

All the Indians respect him,

this

day frequently talk of the

happy times when General Howard was

command of our

After he went away

Post.

he placed an agent at Apache Pass who 1

General O. O.

Howard was

been sent by President Grant, the

Apache

ton, Vt.,

Indians.

and that he

is-

not in command, but had

in 1872, to

make peace with

The general wrote me from Burling-

under date of June

the treaty,

in

also

12, 1906, that

he remembered

remembered with much

tion subsequently meeting Geronimo.

128

Editor.

satisfac-

REMOVALS sued to us from the Government clothing, rations,

and

directed.

Howard

supplies, as General

When

beef was issued to the In-

dians I got twelve steers for

my

and

tribe,

Ra-

Cochise got twelve steers for his tribe. tions if

were issued about once a month, but

we ran out we only had

were supplied.

Now,

this Reservation,

to ask

and we

as prisoners of

war

in

we do not get such good

rations.'

Out on

away from Apache Pass a man kept a store and saloon. Some time after General Howard went away a the prairie

band of outlawed Indians

killed this

man,

and look away many of the supplies from his store.

On

some Indians " tiswin,"

the very next day after this at the

Post were drunk on

which they had made from corn.

They fought among themselves and four of them were

killed.

There had been quarrels

and feuds among them for some 2

They do not

time,

and

receive full rations now, as they did then.

129

GERONIMO after this trouble

we deemed

it

impossible to

keep the different bands together in peace. Therefore we separated, each leader taking his

own

band.

Some of them went

to

San

Carlos and some to Old Mexico, but I took

my

tribe

back to

Hot

Springs and rejoined

Victoria's band.

ISO

XVI IN PRISON

AND ON THE WARPATH

SOON after we arrived

in

New

Mexico

two companies of scouts were sent

from San

When

Carlos.

they came to

Springs they sent word for to

come

me and

Hot

Victoria

The messengers did not

to town.

say what they wanted with us, but as they

seemed friendly we thought they wanted a council,

and rode

soon as

we

in to

arrived in

meet the

town

officers.

soldiers

met

As us,

disarmed us, and took us both to headquarters,

where we were tried by court-martial.

They asked us only

a few questions and then

Victoria was released and I was sentenced to the guardhouse.

the guardhouse I asked it

Scouts conducted

and put me

in chains.

them why they did

was because I had

left 131

this

me

When

they said

Apache Pass. '

to

GERONIMO I do not think that I ever belonged to

Apache Pass,

those soldiers at

or that I

should have asked them where I might go.

Our bands gether,

could no longer live in peace

to-

and so we had quietly withdrawn,

expecting to

live

with Victoria's band, where

we thought we would not be also sentenced seven other in the

^

molested.

Apaches

They

to chains

guardhouse.

I do not

know why

these Indians

this

was done, for

had simply followed me from

Apache Pass to Hot Springs. If it was wrong (and I do not think it was wrong) for us to go to Hot Springs, I alone was to blame.

why

They asked

the soldiers in charge

they were imprisoned and chained, but

received no answer.

I was kept a prisoner for four months,

during which time I was transferred to San 1

Victoria, chief of the

Hot Spring Apaches, met

his

death in opposing the forcible removal of his band to a reservation, because having previously tried felt it impossible for separate

and failed he

bands of Apaches to

peace under such arrangement.

132

live at

ON THE WARPATH Then

Carlos.

I think I

had another

although I was not present.

not

know

that I

had another

and

told that I had,

at

trial,

In fact I do trial,

but I was

rate I

anj'^

was

re-

leased.

After

this

we had no more

trouble with

the soldiers, but I never felt at ease

longer at the Post.

We were allowed to live

above San Carlos at a place

Geronimo.

A

called "

Golee "

Nick

any

man whom

now the

was agent

called

Indians

at this place.

All went well here for a period of two years, but we were not

satisfied.

In the summer of 1883 a rumor was current that the officers were again planning to

imprison our leaders. to revive the

memory of

—the massacre

This rumor served all

our past wrongs

in the tent at

Apache Pass,

the fate of JNIangus-Colorado,

and

my own

unjust imprisonment, which might easily

have been death to me.

Just at

were told that the

officers

up the

Geronimo

river above

133

this

time

come

v/anted us to to a fort

we

(

Fort

GERONIMO Thomas)

did not believe that any good could this conference, or that there

of

we

so

it;

We

to hold a council with them.

come of

was any need

held a council ourselves, and

fearing treachery, decided to leave the reser-

We

vation.

thought

it

more manly

on the warpath than to be

There were

all

about 250 Indians,

by myself and Whoa.

fight with the

we

We

We went through

just west of there had a

Apache Pass and battle

killed in prison.

Bedonkohe and Nedni Apaches,

chiefly the

led

in

to die

United States troops.

killed three soldiers

and

In

this

lost none.

went on toward Old Mexico, but on

the second

day after

diers overtook us

this

United States

sol-

about three o'clock in the

we fought until dark. The ground where we were attacked was very afternoon and

rough, which was to our advantage, for the troops were compelled to dismount in order to fight us. diers

we

I do not

killed,

and three

but we

children.

know how many lost

sol-

only one warrior

We had plenty of guns 134

ON THE WARPATH and ammunition at

Many

this time.

of the

guns and much ammunition we had accumulated while living in the reservation,

and the

remainder we had obtained from the White JNIountain

Apaches when we

left the reser-

vation.

Troops did not follow us any longer,

we went south almost to Casa Grande and camped in the Sierra de Sahuaripa so

Mountains.

We

ranged

in the

mountains

of Old Mexico for about a year, then

re-

turned to San Carlos, taking with us a herd

of

cattle

and

horses.

Soon after we arrived officer in charge,

horses

and

cattle

at

San Carlos the

General Crook, took the

away from

us.

I told

him

that these were not white men's cattle, but

belonged to us, for we had taken them from the JNIexicans during our wars.

him that we did not intend mals, but that raise stock

we wished

on our range.

to kill these ani-

to

keep them and

He

would not

lis-

I went

up

ten to me, but took the stock. 135

I also told

GERONIMO near Forth Apache and General Crook or-

dered

was arrested;

I

and scouts

officers, soldiers,

to see that

if I offered resistance

were instructed to

kill

me.

This information was brought to the Indians.

When

they

me by

I learned of this pro-

posed action I left for Old Mexico, and about four hundred Indians went with me.

They were the Bedonkohe, Chokonen, and Nedni Apaches. At this time Whoa was dead, and Naiche was the only chief with me. We went south into Sonora and camped in the mountains.

Troops followed

us,

but

we were camped in mountains west of Casa Grande. Here

did not attack us until the

we were attacked by Government Indian scouts. One boy was killed and nearly all of our

women and

After

children were captured.^

this battle

we went south of Casa

Grande and made a camp, but within a few days 2

this

camp was

Geronimo's whole

attacked by Mexican

family, excepting

warrior, were captured.

136

his

eldest

son,

a

ON THE WARPATH soldiers. We skirmished with them killing a

all

day,

few Mexicans, but sustaining no

loss ourselves.

That night we went

east into the foothills

of the Sierra Madre Mountains and made

Mexican troops

another camp.

trailed us,

and after a few days attacked our camp again.

This time the Mexicans had a very

large army, and

gagement.

It

is

we avoided

a general en-

senseless to fight

when you

cannot hope to win.

That night we held a council of war; our scouts had reported bands of United States

and Mexican troops mountains.

We

at

many

points in the

estimated that about two

thousand soldiers were ranging these mountains seeking to capture us.

General Crook had come down into Mexico

Sierra

They de Antunez

me

that General

me and

I went to his

with the United States troops.

were camped Mountains.

Crook wished camp.

When

in

the

Scouts told to see

I arrived General Crook said 137

GERONIMO me, "

to

tion? "

Why

did you leave the reserva-

I said: "

You

live in the reservation the

One year

ple lived.

me

that I might

same

as white peo-

told

I raised a crop of corn,

and gathered and stored

it,

and the next year

I put in a crop of oats, and

when

was almost ready

you told your

soldiers to

put

to kill me.

me

to harvest,

in prison,

If I had been

and

let

the crop

if I resisted

alone I would

now have been

in

instead of that

you and the Mexicans are

hunting

me

good circumstances, but

He

with soldiers."

said:

"I

never gave any such orders; the troops at

Fort A23ache, who spread that

it

this report,

Then

was untrue."

knew

I agreed to go

back with him to San Carlos. It time.

was hard for me

Now

untrue,^

I

know

and I firmly

the orders for

me

to believe

that

him

what he

at that

said

was

believe that he did issue

to be

put in prison, or to

be killed in case I offered resistance. 3

Geronimo's exact words, for which the Editor disclaims

any responsibility.

138

CHAPTER XVII THE FINAL STRUGGLE

WE

go

started with all our tribe to

with General Crook back to the

United

States, but I feared treachery

We

decided to remain in Mexico.

and were

not under any guard at this time.

The

United States troops marched

and

the Indians followed, and suspicious,

how

we turned

when we became I do not

know

army went

after

back.

far the United States

in front

myself, and some warriors turned back before

we were

missed,

I have suffered

and I do not

care.

much from such unjust

orders as those of General Crook. Such acts

have caused much distress to

my

think that General Crook's death 1

These are the exact words of Geronirao.

people. *

was sent

The Editor

not responsible for this criticism of General Crook.

139

I

is

GERONIMO by the Almighty

many

evil

punishment for the

as a

deeds he committed.

Soon General Miles was made commander of

the western posts, and troops

all

They were

trailed us continually.

led

Captain Lawton, who had good scouts.

Mexican^

became more

soldiers also

We

and more numerous.

we

almost every day, and so to break

up

by

The active

had skirmishes finally decided

into small bands.

With

six

men

and four women I made for the range of

New

mountains near Hot Springs, ico.

We

passed

many

cattle ranches,

had no trouble with the cowboys. cattle to eat

food, but

for water.

]Mex-

whenever we were

but

We killed in

need of

we frequently suffered greatly At one time we had no water for

two days and nights and our horses almost died tains

from of

thirst.

New

We

ranged

in the

Mexico for some

moun-

time, then

thinking that perhaps the troops had left 2

Governor Torres of Sonora had agreed to cooperate

with our troops in exterminating or capturing this tribe.

140

THE FINAL STRUGGLE On our return through

Mexico, we returned.

Old Mexico we attacked every Mexican found, even if for no other reason than to kill.

We believed they had asked the United

States troops to

come down

to

Mexico

to

fight us.

South of Casa Grande, near a place

by the Indians Gosoda, there was

called

a road leading out from the town.

There

was much freighting carried on by the Mex-

Where the road ran mountain pass we stayed in hid-

icans over this road.

through a ing,

and

passed

we

whenever

killed them, took

we wanted, and

We

Mexican

what supplies

destroyed the remainder.

were reckless of our

felt that

freighters

lives,

because

we

every man's hand was against us.

If we returned to the reservation we would be put in prison and killed; if we stayed in

Mexico they would continue to fight us ; so

we .gave no

to send soldiers

quarter to anyone

and asked no favors. After some time we 14)1

left

Gosoda and

GERONIMO soon were reunited with our tribe in the Sierra de

Antunez Mountains.

Contrary to our expectations the United States soldiers had not left the mountains in

Mexico, and were soon trailing us and

skir-

Four or our camp. One

mishing with us almost every day. five

times they surprised

time they surprised us about nine o'clock in the morning, and captured

all

our horses

^

(nineteen in number) and secured our store

of dried meats.

We also

in this encounter.

About

lost three

Indians

the middle of the

afternoon of the same day we attacked them

from the rear a prairie

as they

—

ourselves.

killed

In

one

were passing through soldier,

this skirmish

but lost none

we recovered

all

our horses except three that belonged to me.

The

three horses that

we

did not recover

were the best riding horses we had.

Soon after 3

this

we made

Captain Lawton reports

officially

a treaty with the the

same engagement,

but makes no mention of the recapture (by the Apaches)

of the horses.

142

THE FINAL STRUGGLE Mexican

troops.

They

told us that the

United States troops were the these wars,

and agreed not to

with us provided

United

States.

real cause of

fight

any more

we would return This we agreed

to the to

do,

and resumed our march, expecting to try

make

to

a treaty with the United States sol-

There seemed

diers

and return to Arizona.

to be

no other course to pursue.

Soon after

this scouts

from Captain Law-

ton's troops told us that he wished to

a treaty with us; but I

knew

make

that General

Miles was the chief of the American troops,

and I decided

We

to treat with him.

continued to move our

camp

north-

ward, and the American troops also moved northward,^ keeping at no great distance

from

us,

I sent

but not attacking us.

my

brother Porico (White Horse)

with Mr. George Wratton on to Fort Bowie to see General Miles, *

and

to tell

See note page 142.

143

him that

GERONIMO we wished

to return to Arizona; but before

these messengers returned I scouts

—Kayitah,

met two Indian

a Chokonen Apache, and

They were

Marteen, a Nedni Apache.

serv-

ing as scouts for Captain Lawton's troops.

They

told

me

and had sent them

So I went

had come

that General Miles

to the

me

to ask

camp of

to

meet him.

the United States

troops to meet General Miles,

When

I arrived at their

rectly to General Miles

camp

I went di-

and told him how I

had been wronged, and that I wanted to turn to the United States with

my

re-

people,

who had been captured ^ and taken away from us. General Miles said to me: " The Presias

we wished

to see our families,

dent of the United States has sent

speak to you.

He

ble with the white

me

to

has heard of your trou-

men, and says that

if

you

few words of treaty we need have no more trouble. Geronimo, if you

will agree to a

will agree to a

few words of treaty

be satisfactorily arranged." 6

See page

144

136.

all will

War

GoTKHO Kiowa Indians

Chief,

THE FINAL STRUGGLE So General

INIiles

told

me how we

We

be brothers to each other.

could

raised our

hands to heaven and said that the treaty was

We

not to be broken.

took an oath not to

do any wrong to each other or to scheme against each other.

Then he

talked with

me

for a long time

and told me what he would do for me

in the

future if I would agree to the treaty.

I did

not greatly believe General Miles, but because the President of the United States

had sent

me word

make

I agreed to

the

Then I asked General Miles said to me:® "I will take you enar Miles said to me:^ "I will take you' under Government protection; I will build you a house; I will fence you much land; treaty,

and

I will give

to keep

you

it.

farming implements. nished with

men

horses, mules,

cattle,

to

You

will

be

and fur-

work the farm, for you

yourself will not have to work.

In the

fall

I will send you blankets and clothing so that 6

For terms of treaty

145

see

page

154.

GERONIMO you

will not suffer

from cold

in the winter

time. "

There

plenty of timber, water, and

is

grass in the land to which I will send you.

You

will live with

you agree

family. If see

your

tribe

to this treaty

your family within

you

shall

five days."

I said to General Miles: ficers that

and with your

"All

the of-

have been in charge of the Indians

have talked that waj^ and

it

sounds

like a

story to me; I hardly believe you."

He

said: " This time

it is

the truth."

know man, nor of this new

I said: "General Miles, I do not the laws of the white

country where you are to send me, and I

might break

He

said

:

their laws."

"

While I

live

you

will not

be

arrested."

Then

I

agreed

to

make

the

treaty.

(Since I have been a prisoner of war I have

been arrested and placed in the guardhouse twice for drinking whisky.)

We

stood between his troopers and 146

my

THE FINAL STRUGGLE We

warriors.

placed a large stone on the

Our

blanket before us. this stone,

and

it

was

treaty

to last until the stone

should crumble to dust; so treaty,

was made by

we made

and bound each other with an

the

oath.

I do not believe that I have ever violated that treaty filled his

;

but General Miles

'

never ful-

promises.

When we

had made the treaty General

Miles said to me: "

INIy brother,

you have

your mind how you are going to

kill

in

men,

and other thoughts of war; I want you to put that out of your mind, and change your thoughts to peace."

Then I agreed and gave up my arms. I said: "I will quit the warpath and live at peace hereafter."

Then General Miles swept a spot of ground clear with his hand, and said: " Your past deeds shall be wiped out like this and

you 7

will start a

The

new

life."

criticisms of General Miles in the foregoing chapter

are from Geronimo, not from the Editor.

147

CHAPTER XVIII SURRENDER OF GERONIMO

ON

February

11,

Senate

1887, the

passed the following resolution:

"

Resolved, That the Secretary of

War

be directed to communicate to the Senate

all

dispatches of General Miles referring to the

surrender of tions given to

Geronimo, and

all

instruc-

and correspondence with Gen-

eral Miles in reference to the same."

These

papers are published in the Senate Executive

Documents, Second Session, 49th Con-

gress, 1886-7,

Volume

II, Nos. Ill to 125.

For an exhaustive account of

the conditions

of Geronimo's surrender the reader

is

re-

ferred to that document, but this chapter

is

given to show briefly the terms of surrender,

and corroborate,

at least in part, the state-

ments made by Geronimo. 14)8

SURRENDER OF GERONIMO Upon assuming command

of the Depart-

ment of Arizona, General Nelson A. Miles was directed by the War Department to use most vigorous operations for the destruction or capture of the hostile Apaches.

The following

extracts are

from

instruc-

tions issued April 20th, 1886, for the in-

formation and guidance of troops serving in the southern portion

of Arizona and

New

Mexico.

"The

chief object of the troops will be

to capture or destroy

any band of

hostile

Apache Indians found in this section of country, and to this end the most vigorous and

persistent efforts will be required of

all officers

and

soldiers until the object is

accomplished." " will

A

sufficient

number of

Indians

be used as auxiliaries to discover any

signs of hostile Indians, "

reliable

To

and as

trailers."

avoid any advantage the Indians 149

GERONIMO may

have by a relay of horses, where a

commander

troop or squadron hostile Indians

he

will

is

near the

be justified in dis-

command and and best riders to make

mounting one-half of selecting the lightest

his

pursuit by the most vigorous forced marches until the strength

command

shall

of

all

the animals of his

have been exhausted."

The following telegrams show

the efforts

of the United States troops and the cooperation of

Mexican troops under Governor

Torres "

Headquarters Division of the Pacific, " Presidio of

San Francisco, Cal.

"July ''Adjutant General, "Washington, D. C: "

The following telegram

22, 1886.

just received

from General Miles "

Lawton reports, through Colonel Royall, commanding at Fort Huachuca, that his camp surprised Ge*

Captain

150

SURRENDER OF GERONIMO ronimo's

camp on Yongi

River, about 130

miles south and east of Campas, Sonora,

or nearly 300 miles south of

dary, capturing

all

Mexican boun-

the Indian property, in-

cluding hundreds of j^ounds of dried meat

and nineteen riding animals. fifth

This

the

is

time within three months in which the

Indians have been surprised by the troops.

While the yet

it

troops,

has

results

have not been

decisive,

encouragement to the

given

and has reduced the numbers and

strength of the Indians, and given them a

and

feeling of insecurity even in the remote

almost

mountains

inaccessible

of

Old

Mexico.'

"In absence of

division

commander.

"C. McKeever, " Assistant

151

Adjutant General."

GERONIMO "

"

Headquarters Division of the Pacific, " Presidio of San Francisco, Cal. " August 19, 1886. Adjutant General, "Washington, D. C: " Following received from General Miles,

dated 18th: " '

Dispatches

to-day

from

Governor

Torres, dated Hermosillo, Sonora, Mexico,

from

Colonels

Forsyth

and

Beaumont,

commanding Huachuca and Bowie districts, confirms the following: Geronimo with forty Indians

is

endeavoring to make terms

of peace with IVIexican authorities of Fron-

One of our scouts, in returnFort Huachuca from Lawton's

teraz district.

ing

to

command, met him, Naiche, and other Indians on their

way

to Fronteraz

;

had

them they said they make peace, and looked worn and

a long conversation with

wanted to

thirteen

;

arm in a sling, bandaged. The splendid work of the troops is evidently having good effect. hungry.

Geronimo

carried his right

152

Kaytah Apache Scouts who were

Nahteen Gen. Lawton

witli

SURRENDER OF GERONIMO Should

hostiles not surrender to the INIexican

authorities,

Lawton's command

G

them, and Wilder, with

is

south of

M

and

troops,

Fourth Cavalry, moved south to Fronteraz, and

will

be there by

Lieutenant

20th.

Lockett, with an effective command, will

be in good position to-morrow, near Guada-

lupe Canon, in Cajon Bonito INIountains.

On

the 11th I had a very satisfactory inter-

view with Governor Torres. officials

The

JSIexican

are acting in concert with ours.' " O. O. Howard,

"Major

Howard

telegraphed from

San Francisco,

California, Sep-

General O. O. Presidio,

General."

tember 24, 1886, as follows:

"...

The 6th of September General Miles reports the hostile Apaches made overtures of surrender, through Lieutenant

Gatewood, to Captain Lawton. sired Certain terms

to

me

(INIiles).

They

de-

and sent two messengers

They were informed 153

that

GERONIMO they must surrender as prisoners of war to troops in the

render to

me

They promised

field.

to sur-

and for eleven days

in person,

Captain Lawton's command moved north,

Geronimo and Naiche moving frequently camping near

Skeleton

Canon they

they desired to see

it.

.

.

halted,

me

parallel .

and

At

saying that

(INIiles)

before sur-

rendering."

After Miles's

arrival he reports as fol-

lows: " Geronimo

camp amid

came

from

the rocks and said he

to surrender.

He

mountain

his

was willing

was told that they could

surrender as prisoners of war; that

it

was

way of officers of the Army to kill enemies who laid down their arms."

not the their ".

.

.

Naiche was wild and suspi-

cious

and evidently feared treachery.

knew

that the once noted leader,

He

Mangus-

Colorado, had, years ago, been foully mur-

dered after he had surrendered, and the 154

last

SURRENDER OF GERONIMO hereditary chief of the hostile Apaches hesitated to place himself in the

palefaces.

.'*

.

.

Continuing

hands of the

his report.

General

Howard

says:

"

.

I believed at

.

.

reports that

first

from

surrender was

the

official

uncondi-

except that the troops themselves

tional,

would not

kill

the

hostiles.

Now, from

General Miles's dispatches and from

his an-

nual report, forwarded on the 21st instant

by mail, the conditions are plain:

First,

that the lives of all the Indians should be

spared.

Second, that they should be sent

Fort Marion, Florida, where

to

their tribe,

including their families, had already been ordered.

D.

.

.

."

S. Stanley, Brigadier General, tele-

graphs from San Antonio, Texas, October 22, ".

1886, as follows: .

.

Geronimo 155

and

Naiche

re-

GERONIMO quested an interview with

me when

they

first

ascertained that they were to leave here,

and

in talking to them,

I told them the

exact disposition that was to be

made of

They regarded the separation of themselves from their families as a violation

them.

of the terms of their treaty of surrender, by

which they had been guaranteed, in the most positive

manner conceivable

to their minds,

that they should be united with their families

at

Fort Marion.

" There were present at the talk they had

me Major J. P. Wright, surgeon. United States Army; Captain J. G. Bal-

with

lance, acting Judge-advocate,

Army; George Wratton,^

United States

the interpreter;

Naiche, and Geronimo. "

The Indians were separated from their families at this place; the women, children, iMr. George Wratton

is

now

at Fort

acting as Superintendent of Apaches.

He

Sill,

Oklahoma,

has been with

the Apaches as interpreter and superintendent since their surrender.

156

SURRENDER OF GERONIMO and the two scouts were placed

in a separate

car before they left. " In an interview with

me

they stated the

following incident, which they regard as an

of their treaty of surrender,

essential part

and which took

at

j^lace

Canon

Skeleton

before they had, as a band,

made up

their

minds to surrender, and before any of them, except perhaps Geronimo, had given up their arms,

and when they were

able to escape

me

to

fully

and defend themselves.

" General Miles said to

with

still

them

' :

You go

Fort Bowie and at a certain

time you will go to see your relatives in Florida.'

After they went to Fort Bowie

he reassured them that they would see their

four and a half or

relatives in Florida in five days.

"While said to

at Skeleton

them

with you.'

' :

Canon General

INIiles

I have come to have a talk

The

conversation

was

inter-

preted from English into Spanish and from

Spanish into Apache and vice versa. 157

The

GERONIMO interpreting

done by a

from English

man by

interpreting

into Spanish

was

name of Nelson. The from Spanish into Apache was the

done by Jose Maria Yaskes.

Montoya was

Jose Maria

also present, but he did not

do

any of the interpreting.

"Dr. Wood, United States Army, and Lieutenant

Tenth Infantry, were

Clay,

present. " General Miles

and

said,

'

drew a

line

on the ground

This represents the ocean,' and,

putting a small rock beside the '

line,

he

said,

This represents the place where Chihua-

hua

is

He

with his band.'

another stone and placed

from the

first,

and

then picked

it

a short distance

'

This represents

said,

He then picked up

you, Geronimo.' stone and placed the others,

and

Indians at

Camp

a

it

said,

little '

up

a third

distance

from

This represents the

Apache.

The President

wants to take you and put you with Chihuahua.'

He

then picked up the stone

which represented Geronimo and 158

his

band

SURRENDER OF GERONIMO and put

it

beside the one which represented

Chihuahua

After doing

Fort Marion.

at

he picked up the stone which repre-

this

Camp Apache and

sented the Indians at

placed

it

beside the other

two stones which

Geronimo and Chihuahau

represented

Fort Marion, and

said,

'

That

President wants to do, get

is

at

what the

of you to-

all

gether.'

" After their arrival at Fort eral Miles said to them,

want

to begin a

one of

his

new

marked

the finger of the other

ing to his open palm, it

all

is

ridges,' then, it,

he

said,

From now on we

life,'

and holding up

hands with the palm open and

horizontal he

past;

*

Bowie Gen-

'

lines across

hand and '

it

with

said, point-

This represents the

covered with hollows and

rubbing

his other

palm over

That represents the wiping out

of the past, which

will be considered

smooth

and forgotten.' "

The

interpreter,

Wratton, says that he

was present and heard 159

this

conversation.

GERONIMO The Indians say

that Captain

Fourth Cavalry, was

"Naiche

who was eral,

his

the acting assistant adjutant gen-

house in Fort Bowie, 'Don't be afraid; shall

that Fort is

come

Marion

do

You

to you.

all right.' is

He

will

also told

go

to

them

not a very large place,

not j^robably large enough for

and that probably will

Captain Thompson,

said that

your friends

and

also present.

De^Dartment of Arizona, told him at

no harm

'

Thompson,

in six

months or

so

all,

you

be put in a larger place, where you can

He

better.'

told

them the same thing

when they took their departure in the cars from Fort Bowie. " The idea that they had of the treaty of surrender given in this letter

is

forwarded

at their desire, and, while not desiring to

comment on the to say that

character,

my

knowledge of the Indian

and the experience I have had

with Indians of roborating

matter, I feel compelled

all

kinds,

circumstances 160

and the

and

facts

cor-

that

SURRENDER OF GERONIMO have been brought to

my

notice in this par-

ticular case, convince

me

that the foregoing

statement of Naiche and Geronimo

is

sub-

stantially correct."

Extract from the annual report (1886)

commanded by Major General O. O. Howard, U. S. Army.

of the Division of the

"

Headquarters Division of the Pacific, " Presidio of San Francisco, Cal. "

"

Pacific,

September

17, 1886.

Adjutant General, "

"

the

Army, Washington, D. C: General I have the honor to submit following report upon military opera-

U.

S.

:

tions

and the condition of the Division of

the Pacific for the information of the Lieu-

tenant General, and to

make some sugges-

tions for his consideration:

"

On

about

the 17th of INIay, 1885, a party of fifty

of

the

Chiricahua prisoners, 161

GERONIMO headed by Geronimo, Naiche, and other

from the White Mountain

chiefs, escaped

Reserve, in Arizona, and entered career of

upon a

murder and robbery unparalleled

in the history of Indian raids.

" Since then,

and up to the time of

suming command of

this division,

my

as-

they had

been pursued by troops with varying success.

" After the assassination of Captain Crawford,

on January

hostiles

11,

asked for a

a conference on

'

by the Mexicans, the talk,'

March

and

25, 26,

finally

and

27, with

General Crook, in the Canon of Los budos, 25 miles south of

it

that they should be conducted his battalion

Em-

San Bernardino,

Mexico, on which latter date

Manus, with

had

was arranged

by Lieutenant

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 punisliment, 162

Geronimo

EaiiMa

Tuklonen

SURRENDER OF GERONIMO and Naiche, with twenty men, fourteen

women, and two boys, stampeded

Manus immediately

Lieutenant

hills.

to

the

pur-

sued, but without success.

my

" Simultaneously with

mand of

the

division

taking com-

Brigadier General

Crook was relieved by Brigadier General

who at once commenced by

complete the

JMiles,

set out to

task

his predecessor.

"

Geronimo and

depredations,

now

now

his

band were committing

in the

United States and

in Mexico, and, being separated into

small parties, easily eluded the troops, and carried on their

work of murder and

out-

rage. "

Early

in

May

General

JNIiles

organized

the hostile field of operations into districts,

each with cific

its

command of

instructions to

to cover the entire ties,

"

and give the

An

effective

troops, with spe-

guard the water

holes,

ground by scouting parhostiles

no

rest.

command, under Captain 163

GERONIMO Lawton, Fourth Cavalry, was organized for a long pursuit. "

On May

alry,

had a

3 Captain Lebo, Tenth Cav-

fight with Geronirao's

band 12

miles southwest of Santa Cruz, in Mexico,

with a loss of one soldier killed and one

wounded.

After

this fight the

treated southward followed

Indians re-

by three troops

of cavalry.

"On May

12 a serious fight of Mexican

troops with the hostiles near Planchos, ISIexico,

resulted in a partial defeat of the

Mexi-

cans. "

On May

15 Captain Hatfield's com-

mand engaged Geronimo's band

in

Corrona Mountains, suffering a

of two

killed

loss

and three wounded, and the

loss

the

of

and mules, the Indians losing

several horses

several killed. *'

On May

Cavalry, Vista, rifles,

16 Lieutenant Brown, Fourth

struck

Mexico,

the

capturing

Buena

several

horses,

and a quantity of ammunition. 164

^

near

hostiles

SURRENDER OF GERONIMO "

The usual

tiguing

June

hostiles

lena,

when

his

by the they

engaged the

Mexico, and after a stubborn fight

About

and

the Mexicans

until

about 40 miles southeast of Magda-

pulsed them.

"

by troops, continued

chase

21,

of outrages, with fa-

series

.

.

re-

.

August Geronimo

the middle of

band were so reduced and harassed tireless

made

pursuit of the soldiers that

offer of surrender to the

cans, but without " Their

coming

locality

thus

Mexi-

to terms.

being

definitely

known, disposition of the troops was rapidly

made

to act in conjunction with the IMexi-

cans 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

Gate-

wood, Sixth Cavalry, to Captain LaAvton. 165

GERONIMO He

desired certain terms, but

was informed

that a surrender a? prisoner of

war was

ail

would be accepted.

that "

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. "

at

On

September 3 General Miles arrived

Lawton's camp, and on September 4

Naiche, the son of Cochise, and the hereditary chief of the Apaches, with Geronimo the hostiles, with the under-

surrendered

all

standing,

seems, that they should be sent

it

out of Arizona. " I

of

am

not informed of the exact nature

this surrender, at first

tional.

.

"I am,

deemed uncondi-

.

.

sir,

very respectfully, your obe-

dient servant, "

"

Major

General,

Howard, United States Army." O. O.

166

SURRENDER OF GERONIMO Statement of

W.

T. Melton, 'Anadarko,

Oklahoma.

From

1882 to 1887 I lived in southern

Arizona, and was employed by the Sansi-

mone

Company.

Cattle

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

intoj

Old Mexico.

One afternoon, when returning from our ride, we discovered an Indian trail leading toward our camp. of the

hills

We

rode hurriedly out

into a broad valley so that

we

could better discover any attacking parties

of Apaches and

if assailed

have at

fighting chance for our lives. the

least a

We

knew

Apaches under Geronimo were on the

warpath, but they were far

Mexico.

down

in

Old

However, our knowledge of the 167

GERONIMO 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

in Skeleton

trails led

toward our camp

This canon was a nat-

Canon.

ural route

from Old

and almost

all

JNIexico to Arizona,

bands of Indians, as well as

detachments of United States troops, passed

and repassed through

this valley

when go-

ing to Old Mexico or returning therefrom,

but never before had two hostile bands passed through here at the same time and traveling in the

one

fled

could

same

direction, except

and the other pursued.

mean was

a mystery to us.

when

What

this

Could

it

be that the troops had not seen the Indians?

Were off

the redskins trying to head the troops

and attack them

in their

camp?

Were

the troops hunting for those Indians? Could this

be Lawton's

command? 168

Could that be

:

SURRENDER OF GERONIMO Geronimo's band?

Then who were

No,

it

was impossible.

these troops

and what In-

dians 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.

Then we

A

LAWTON.'^

understood.

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. 169

GERONIMO Prewitt and I rode away with him.

We

were well armed and well mounted and Ge-

ronimo was well mounted, but so far as we could see unarmed.

I tried to talk with the

chief (in English), but could not

understand.

and

Prewitt wanted to shoot ^ him

said he could easily kill

shot,

make him

him the

first

but I objected and succeeded in re-

straining him.

While we were arguing the

chief rode silently between us, evidently feel-

ing 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

from Lawton's camp, where a spur of the mountain ran far out

place about a half mile

into the valley,

Geronimo turned

luted, said in fairly

Senors" and began 2

good Spanish, " Adios, to ascend a

mountain

Recently Mr. Melton told Geronimo of this conversa-

tion. if

aside, sa-

The wily old

Prewitt's

pistol

chief laughed shyly

Other men have tried to shoot

them

failed.

and

said,

had been knocked out of

But I'm glad he

me and

didn't try

170

his

at least it."

"What hand?

some of

SURRENDER OF GERONIMO Later we learned that he was going

path.

toward

directly

We

rocks.

his

camp

far

up among

the

rode on, drove our horses back

to the corral

and remained

in

our cabin

all

but were not molested by the In-

night, dians.

The next day we

killed thi'ee beeves for

the Indians, and they were paid for tain

On

Lawton.

the

second

mounted Mexican scouts came

As

camp.

to

by Cap-

day two Lawton's

soon as these JNIexicans came in

sight the Indians seized their

arms and van-

among the rocks. Captain Lawton wrote an account of con-

ished, as

ditions

it

were,

and delivered

who withdrew. their

it

to the Mexicans,

After they had gone and

mission had been explained to Ge-

ronimo the Indians again returned to

camp and

On

laid

down

the next day

General

INIiles

their

their arms.

word reached camp thrt

was approaching and the In-

dians again

armed and disappeared among

the rocks.

(Many of 171

the

Apache squaws

GERONIMO had

glasses^

field

and were stationed every

day on prominent mountain peaks to keep a lookout. No one could approach their camp

camp without being

or Lawton's

by these

discovered

spies.)

Soon after General Miles joined Lawton's

command Geronimo rode

camp

into

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, "

Gen-

Geronimo

said,

eral Miles " I

is

your friend."

never saw him, but I have been in need

of friends.

Why has he not been with me? "

When

answer was interpreted every-

this

body laughed.

After

this

was no

there

more formality and without delay the cussion of the treaty

remember s

These

distinctly

field glasses

was begun.

of the treaty

is

All I

that Ge-

were taken from soldiers and

(Mexicans and Americans)

whom 172

dis-

officers

the Apaches had killed.

W. At whose cami)

in

F.

Mei.tov

Skeleton Canon (MToniino snrrenflered

SURRENDER OF GEROXIMO ronimo 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

band of Indians

left

INIiles,

but the main

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 hus-

band, Geronimo's son, carried the child, but the mother

mounted her pony unaided and

rode away unassisted

under military

On

—a

prisoner of war

escort.

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

The next year some cowboys on a round-up camped at the place, and core down the monument to see what was in it.

made.

173

GERONIMO All they found was a bottle containing a piece of paper

names of the After the

upon which was written

the

who were with Lawton. Indians left we found one hunofficers

dred and fifty dollars and twenty-five cents ($150.25) in Mexican nest*

rat's

money hidden

in a

near where the Indians had

camped.

About

ten o'clock on the morning after

Apaches and

the

had gone away

soldiers

twenty Pimos Indians, accompanied by one white man, surrounded our

manded

to

abouts.

We

they

camp and

de-

know of Geronimo's wherethem of the treaty and

told

followed the

trail

on toward Fort

Bowie.

That afternoon, thinking

Apaches

past,

ride the lines

my

all

danger from

partner, Prewitt, went to

and I was

left in

camp

alone.

pumping water (by horse-power) at well, when I saw three Indians round-

I was the 4

This was a stick nest built on top of the ground by a

species of

woods

rat.

174

SURRENDER OF GERONIMO ing 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 north-

ward 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.

The next day we rode over direction these Indians

that they had

the

hill

in the

had gone and found

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

from ambush had I followed them.

we knew

because

at the crest

we saw behind some

of the

hill in

me

This rocks

the loose soil the

imprints left by the bodies of three warriors

where they had been lying down in concealment.

At

their

hoofs of

camp we found

my

the head and

favorite horse, " Digger," a 175

GERONIMO fine little sorrel

pony, and knew that he had

We followed their

served them for dinner.

far into Old Mexico, but did not over-

trail

We had been accustomed to

take them. "it

say

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, diers,

and

tions

of

who knew

civilians,

surrender,

and,

sol-

the condi-

having

after

examined carefully the testimony offered,

would be

possible to conclude that

made an

unconditional surrender?

Before passing from

it

Geronimo

this subject

it

would

be well also to consider whether our Govern-

ment has

treated these prisoners in strict

accordance with the terms of the treaty

made

in Skeleton

Canon.

176

CHAPTER XIX A PRISONER OF WAR

WPIEN

I had given

up

to the

Gov-

me on the Southern Pacific Raih'oad and took me to San Antonio, Texas, and held me to be tried by ernment they put

their laws.

In forty days they took

me from

there to

Fort Pickens (Pensacola), Florida. they put

me

to

sawing up large

logs.

Here There

were several other Apache warriors with me,

and

all

of us had to work every day.

For

in this place

we were kept at hard labor and we did not see our families

until INIay,

1887.

nearly two years

direct violation

This treatment was in

of our treaty made

at Skele-

ton Canon.

After to

this

we were

sent with our families

Vermont, Alabama, where we stayed 177

five

GERONIMO years and worked for the Government.

had no property, and I looked General Miles to send

me

We

in vain for

to that land of

which he had spoken; I longed in vain for the implements, house, and stock that eral Miles

Gen-

had promised me.

During this time one of my warriors, Fun, killed himself and his wife. Another one shot

He

fell

is still

wife and then shot himself.

his

dead, but the

woman

recovered and

living.

We were not health}^ in this place,

So many of our

climate disagreed with us.

people died that I consented to wives go to the INIescalero

Mexico to

live.

for the

let

Agency

This sej)aration

my New

one of

is

in

accord-

ing to our custom equivalent to what the white people

call divorce,

and

so she married

again soon after she got to Mescalero. also kept our

two small

had a right to

do.

Robbie, are

Mexico.

still

Lenna

The

children, children,

which she

Lenna and

living at INIescalero, is

married. 178

She

New

I kept one

A PRISONER OF WAR wife, but she

daughter

our

separation

dead now and I have only

is

Eva

my

Since

with me.

from Lenna's mother I have

never had more than one wife at a time. Since the death of Eva's mother I married

another

woman (December,

1905) but

could not live happily and separated.

went home to her people

—that

we She

an Apache

is

divorce.

Then,^ as now, Mr. George Wratton su-

He

perintended the Indians.

has always

had trouble with the Indians, because he has mistreated them.

One day an

Indian, while

drunk, stabbed ^Ir. Wratton with a

little

The officer in charge took the part of Mr. Wratton and the Indian was sent to

knife.

prison.

When^ we

first

came

tain Scott w^as in charge, built for us

to

Fort

Sill,

Cap-

and he had houses

by the Government.

We

were

1

These are not the words of the Editor, but of Geronimo.

2

They were

in

Alabama from May,

1894.

179

1888,

to October,

GERONIMO also

from the Government,

given,

The Indians

hogs, turkeys and chickens.

did not do

much good

with the hogs, because

how

they did not understand

them, and not

many

cattle,

to care for

Indians even at the

present time keep hogs.

We did better with

and chickens, but with these we

the turkeys

did not have as good luck as white

men

With

well, in-

the cattle

deed, and

we

we have done very

like to raise

them.

We

do.

have

a few horses also, and have had no bad luck

with them.

In the matter of selling^ our stock and grain there has been

much misunderstand-

The Indians understood that the cattle were to be sold and the money given to them, but instead part of the money is given ing.

to the Indians 3

and part of

The Indians are not allowed

When

by the

officer

Indians

who owned them and part of

(Apache)

The

placed in

ready for market they are sold

in charge, part of the

fund.

is

to sell the cattle them-

selves.

cattle are

it

supplies,

it

money paid

farming implements,

for the Apaches are paid for from this fund.

180

to the

placed in a general etc.,

A PRISONER OF WAR what the

"Apache Fund."

officers call the

We have had five different officers in charge of the Indians here and they have

much

very

alike

— not

ruled

consulting

Apaches or even explaining

may

all

the

to them.

It

be that the Government ordered the

officers in

charge to put

this cattle

money

into

an Apache fund, for once I complained

and

told Lieutenant

Purington

^

that I in-

tended to report to the Government that he

had taken some of

money and put

it

my

part of the cattle

into the

Apache Fund, he

said he did not care if I did

tell.

Several years ago the issue of clothing ceased.

This, too,

may

have been by the

order of the Government, but the Apaches

do not understand If there

is

it.

an Apache Fund,

some day be turned over 4

The

ronirao.

criticism

it

to the Indians, or

of Lieutenant Purington

The Editor disclaims any

is

181

from Ge-

responsibility

as in all cases where individuals are criticised

warrior.

should

for

it,

by the old

GERONIMO at least they should have an account of

for

their earnings.

it is

When Sill

it,

General Miles

last

Fort

visited

I asked to be relieved from labor on

account of

my

age.

I also remembered

what General Miles had promised me treaty

and told him of

it.

He

in the

said I need

not work any more except when I wished to,

and

since that time I have not been de-

tailed to

I have worked a

do any work.

great deal, however, since then, for, although

I

am

ple as 6

old, I like to

much

as I

work

am

^

and help

my

peo-

able.

Geronimo helps make hay and care for the

cattle,

but

does not receive orders from the Superintendent of the Indians.

182

PART IV

THE OLD AND THE NEW

CHAPTER XX UNWRITTEN LAWS OF THE APACHES Trials

WHEN

an Indian has been wronged

by a member of

if

he does not wish to

personally,

If he in

is

settle the difficulty

make complaint to

the Chieftain.

unable to meet the offending parties

complaint, anyone

inform the chief of

or

may,

a personal encounter, and disdains to

make it

his tribe he

may

in his stead

this conduct,

and then

becomes necessary to have an investigation trial.

Both the accused and the accuser

are entitled to witnesses, and their witnesses are not interrupted in

any way by

questions,

but simply say what they wish to say in

regard to the matter.

The

placed under oath, because

witnesses are not it is

not believed

that they will give false testimony in a matter relating to their

own 185

people.

GERONIMO The

chief of the tribe presides during

these trials, but if

it is

a serious offense he

asks two or three leaders to

sit

with him.

These simply determine whether or not the

man ter

guilty.

is

is

If he

is

not guilty the mat-

ended, and the complaining party has

forfeited his right to take personal ven-

geance, for if he wishes to take vengeance himself, he

must object

would prevent

it.

to the trial which

If the accused

found

is

guilty the injured party fixes the penalty,

which

is

generally confirmed by the chief and

his associates.

Adoption of Children If any children are left orphans by the usage of war or otherwise, that

if

both

parents are dead, the chief of the tribe

may

is,

adopt them or give them away as he

desires.

In the case of outlawed Indians, they may, if they wish, take their children with them,

but

if

they leave the children with the

tribe,

the chief decides what will be done with 186

UNWRITTEN LAWS them, but no disgrace attaches to the

chil-

dren.

We obtained

Lake"

Salt

''

our

from a

salt

This

the Gila IMountains.

is

little

lake in

a very small

lake of clear, shallow water, and in the center a small

mound

of the water. drink,

arises

The water

is

too salty to

and the bottom of the lake

When

with a brown crust.

broken cakes of

water of

salt

is

this

adhere to

it.

covered crust

is

These

may

be washed clear in the

this lake,

but if washed in other

cakes of salt

water

above the surface

will dissolve.

When

visiting this lake

not allowed to even

enemy.

kill

our people were

game

or attack an

All creatures were free to go and

come without molestation. Preparation of a Warrior

To

be admitted as a warrior a youth must

have gone with the warriors of separate times on the warpath. 187

his tribe

four

GERONIMO On the first trip he will be given only very With

inferior food.

he must be con-

this

tented without murmuring. the four trips

is

On

"^^Sv

is

none of

he allowed to select his food

must eat such food

as the warriors do, but as he

On

permitted to have.

each of these expeditions he acts as

servant, cares for the horses, cooks the food,

and does whatever duties he should do without being told. to be done, is

to

to

He

knows what things are

and without waiting

do them.

He

is

to be told

not allowed to speak

any warrior except

answer to ques-

in

when told to speak. During these four wars he is expected to learn the sacred names of everything used in war, for after the tribe enters upon the warpath no common names are used in referring to anything appertaining to war in tions or

any

way.

War

is

a

solemn

religious

matter. If, after four expeditions, all the warriors are satisfied that the 188

youth has been

UNWRITTEN LAWS industrious, has not spoken out of order,

has been discreet in

courage in

battle,

all

things, has

has borne

all

shown

hardships

uncomplainingly, and has exhibited no color

of cowardice, or weakness of any kind, he

may by

vote of the council be admitted as

a warrior;

but

if

any warrior objects to

him upon any account he to further tests,

ageously, his

When

and

if

will be subjected

he meets these cour-

name may again be proposed.

he has proven beyond question that

he can bear hardships without complaint,

and that he

a stranger to fear, he

is

ad-

is

mitted to the council of the warriors in the

After

lowest rank.

test for promotions,

this there is

but by

sent he assumes a station

and

if

that

position

honor, he

is

asked, or

may

station,

is

no formal

common

on the

con-

battlefield,

maintained with

allowed to keep

it,

and may be

volunteer, to take a higher

but no warrior would presume to

take a higher station unless he had assurance

from the

leaders of the tribe that his con189

GERONIMO duct in the

first

position

was worthy of com-

mendation.

From

this point

by the council tion

of the

in

upward

formal assembly

is

the elec-

chief.

Old men are not allowed but their advice

age means

the only election

loss

is

to lead in battle,

Old

always respected.

of physical power and

is

fatal to active leadership.

Dances All dances are considered religious cere-

monies and are presided over by a chief and

They

medicine men.

are of a social or mili-

tary nature, but never without some sacred characteristic.

A

Dance of Thanksgiving

Every summer we would gather the of the yucca, grind and pulverize

mold

it

into cakes; then the tribe

it

fruit

and

would

be assembled to feast, to sing, and to give praises to Usen.

were said by

all.

Prayers of Thanksgiving

When 190

the dance began

Chihuahua and Family

UNWRITTEN LAWS the

leaders

bore

and added

cakes

these

words of praise occasionally

to the usual

tone sounds of the music.

The War Dance After a council of the warriors had deliberated,

and had prepared for the warpath,

the dance would be started. there

is

the usual singing led

In

this

dance

by the warriors

and accompanied with the beating of the " esadadene," but the dancing lent,

and

almost

yells

is

more

vio-

and war whoops sometimes

Only warriors

drown the music.

participated in this dance.

Scalp Dance

After a war party has returned, a modification of the riors

war dance

is

who have brought

battles exhibit

them

held.

scalps

to the tribe,

The warfrom the and when

the dance begins these scalps, elevated on

camp During

poles or spears, are carried around the fires

while the dance

this

dance there

is

in progress.

is still

191

some of the solem-

GERONIMO war dance.

yells

and

war whoops, frequently accompanied by

dis-

nity of the

There are

charge of firearms, but there levity

is

always more

than would be permitted at a war

dance.

After the scalp dance

scalps are

thrown away.

over the

is

No Apache

keep them, for they are considered

A

Social

would

defiling.

Dance

In the early part of September, 1905, I announced among the Apaches that daughter,

Eva, having attained woman-

hood, should

now put away

and assume her

At

my

childish things

young lady. would make her

station as a

a dance of the tribe she

debut, and then, or thereafter,

it

would be

proper for a warrior to seek her hand in marriage.

Accordingly, invitations were

sued to

Apaches, and

all

is-

many Comanches

and Kiowas, to assemble for a grand dance on the green by the south bank of Medicine Creek, near the village of Naiche, for-

mer

chief of the

Chokonen Apaches, on 192

UNWRITTEN LAWS the

first

The

festivities

in

September.

were to continue for two

Nothing was omitted

days and nights. the

moon

night of full

in

preparation that would contribute to

the enjoyment of the guests or the perfection of the observance of the religious rite.

To make ready on a large

for the dancing the grass

circular space

The singing was I,

assisted

led

was

closely

mowed.

by Chief Naiche, and

by our medicine men, directed

the dance.

First

Eva advanced from among

camp accompanied by another young

women and danced fire; then,

woman,

the

once around the

she again advanced

twice around the

two other young

camp

ladies

and both danced

fire;

then she and

advanced and danced

camp fire; the next other young ladies ad-

three times around the

time she and three

vanced and danced four times around the

camp hour.

fire; this

Next

ceremony lasted about one

the

medicine

men

entered,

stripped to the waist, their bodies painted 193

GERONIMO fantastically,

and danced the sacred dances.

They were followed by clown amused the audience

Then

the

fire

members of the

tribe joined

circle

for a long time.

around the

All the friends

of the tribe were asked to take part in dance, and

when

this

was ended many of the

it

old people retired,

who

greatly.

hands and danced in a

camp

dancers,

and the

" lovers'

dance

"

began.

The circle

warriors stood in the middle of the

and the

ladies,

two-aid-two, danced

forward and designated some warrior to

The dancing was back

dance with them.

and forth on a

line

outer edge of the the

two

ward

ladies,

from the center

circle.

to the

The warrior faced

and when they danced

for-

to the center he danced backward:

then they danced backward to the outer edge

and he followed facing them.

This lasted

two or three hours and then the music changed.

Immediately the warriors assem-

bled again in the center of the 194

circle,

and

UNWRITTEN LAWS time each lady selected a warrior as a

this

The manner of dancing was

partner.

only two instead of three

fore,

During

together.

as be-

danced

dance, which con-

this

tinued until daylight, the warrior (if danc-

ing with a maiden) riage,

and

if the

could propose^ mar-

maiden agreed, he would

make

consult her father soon afterward and

a bargain for her.

Upon dance

is

all

such occasions as

this,

when

the

finished, each warrior gives a pres-

ent to the lady

who

selected

ner and danced with him.

him for a part-

If she

is

satisfied

with the present he says good-by, if not, the

matter

is

(medicine

referred to someone in authority

man

the question of

For 1

do.

or chief),

what

is

The

portunity is

a proper gift.

a married lady the value of the pres-

Apache warriors do not go

riages

who determines

associations

in

the

" courting " as our youths villages

afford

ample op-

for acquaintance, and the arranging for mar-

considered a business transaction, but the courtesy

of consulting the maiden, although not essential, sidered very polite.

is

con-

GERONIMO sent should be

two or three

dollars;

for a

maiden the present should have a value of not

less

than

five dollars.

Often, however,

the maiden receives a very valuable present.

During the

men mingle

" lovers' dance " the medicine

with the dancers to keep out

evil spirits.

Perhaps I

shall never

again have cause

to assemble our people to dance, but these social

dances in the moonlight have been a

large part of our enjoyment in the past, and

I think they will not soon be discontinued, at least I

hope not.

196

—

CHAPTER XXI AT THE world's FAIR *

WHEN

I was at

first

asked to attend

the St. Louis World's Fair I did

Later,

not wish to go.

I was told

I would receive good attention and

that

protection,

and that the President of the

United States said that I

when

consented.

it

would be

was kept by

I

all right,

parties

in

charge of the Indian Department, who had obtained permission from the President. stayed in this place for six months.

my

photographs for twenty-five

was allowed myself.

I sold

cents,

I also wrote

and kept

made when

as

and

to keep ten cents of this for

my name

for ten,

teen, or twenty-five cents, as the case be,

I

all

much

of that money.

as

two

more than I had ever ovmed 197

might

I often

dollars a day,

I returned I had plenty of

fif-

and

money

before.

GERONIMO Many come

people in St. Louis invited

to their homes, but

my

me

to

keeper always

refused.

Every Sunday the President of the Fair sent for

me

go

to

to a wild west show.

I

took part in the roping contests before the audience.

There were many other Indian

tribes there,

and strange people of

whom

I

had never heard.

When

people

first

came

to the World's

Fair they did nothing but parade up and

down this

the streets.

they would

many

When

visit

they got tired of

There were

the shows.

The guards with me when I

strange things in these shows.

Government

sent

went, and I was not allowed to go anywhere

without them. * In one of the shows some strange men with red caps had some peculiar swords, and

they seemed to want to fight.

manager othero

told

They

Finally their

them they might

fight each,

tried to hit each other over the 1

Turks.

198

AT THE WORLD'S FAIR head with these swords, and I expected both to be

wounded

or perhaps killed, but neither

They would be hard peo-

one was harmed. ple to

a hand-to-hand fight.

kill in

In another show there was a strange-look-

The manager

ing negro.

him

fast, then tied

tied his

to a chair.

He

hands

was

se-

curely tied, for I looked myself, and I did

not think

away.

it

Then

was

possible for

the

manager

told

him him

to get

to get

loose.

He

twisted in his chair for a moment,

and then stood up

;

but he was free. this

was done.

the ropes were

still tied,

I do not understand

It

how

was certainly a miraculous

power, because no

man

could have released

own efforts. place a man was on a

himself by his

In another

platfoiTn

speaking to the audience; they set a basket

by the

side

of the platform and covered

it

woman came and got into the basket, and a man covered the basket again with the calico; then the man with red calico

;

then a

199

GERONIMO who was speaking

to the audience took a

long sword and ran each way, and then

through the basket,

it

down through

the cloth

I heard the sword cut through the

cover.

woman's body, and the manager himself said she lifted

smiled,

was dead; but when the

from the basket

she

and walked off the

cloth

was

stepped out,

stage.

I would

know how she was so quickly healed, and why the wounds did not kill her. like to

I have never considered bears very

intelli-

gent, except in their wild habits, but I had

In one of

never before seen a white bear. the shows a

was as

man had

intelligent as a

a white bear that

He

man.

—carry

whatever he was told shoulder, just as a

man

many

a log on his

would; then, when again.

He

other things, and seemed to

know

he was told, would put did

would do

it

down

exactly what his keeper said to him.

I

am

sure that no grizzly bear could be trained to

do these things.

One

time the guards took 200

me

into a little

Mrs. Asa Deklugie Niece of Geronimo and daughter of Chihuahua, a famous Apache chieftain

Eva Geronimo Geronimo's youngest daughter, 16 years old

AT THE WORLD'S FAIR house

^

were seated the

Httle house started to

Then

along the ground.

my

attention to

had

in their pockets.

to look out,

for our the

air,

When we

that had four windows.

the guards called

some curious things they Finally they told

and when I did

little

move

so I

was

me

scared,

house had gone high up in

and the people down

in the Fair

Grounds looked no larger than

ants.

The

men laughed at me for being scared; then they gave me a glass to look through (I often had such glasses which I took from

dead

officers after

Mexico and

battles in

elsewhere), and I could see rivers, lakes

But

I had never been so

and I

tried to look into the

and mountains. high in the sky.

air,

There were no

stars,

and I could not

look at the sun through this glass because the brightness hurt the glass down,

my

and

eyes.

as they

Finally I put

were

Get out! " and when I 2

Ferris wheel.

201

laugh-

Then they looked we were

ing at me, I too, began to laugh. said, "

all

GERONIMO on the

After we were safe

street again.

on the land I watched many of these

httle

houses going up and coming down, but I

cannot understand how they travel. are very curious

little

They

houses.

One day we went into another show, and as soon as we were in, it changed into night. It was real night, for I could feel the damp air;

soon

it

began to thunder, and the

nings flashed; it

it

was

real lightning, too, for

struck just above our heads.

and wanted tell

I

dodged

run away, but I could not

to

which way to go in order to get out.

The guards motioned me so I

light-

stayed.

strange

little

stars shining.

keep

still,

and

In front of us were some

who came out on looked up again and

people

platform; then I clouds were

to

all

the the

gone, and I could see the

The

form did not seem

little

people on the plat-

in earnest

about anything

they did so I only laughed at them. ;

All the

people around where we sat seemed to be

laughing at me. 202

;

AT THE WORLD'S FAIR We went into another place and the manager took us into a

little

room that was made

a cage; then everything around us

like

seemed to be moving; soon the blue, then there

were black clouds moving Pretty soon

with the wind.

we saw

outside then ;

looked

air

a

few

was

it

clear

thin white clouds

then the clouds grew thicker, and

it

rained

and hailed with thunder and lightning. Then and a rainbow ap-

the thunder retreated

peared in the distance; then the

moon

became dark,

and thousands of

stars

came

Soon the sun came up, and we got out

out.

of the but

rose

it

little

was

it

was glad

We

This was a good show,

room.

and unnatural that I

so strange

to be

on the

streets again.

went into one place where they made

glassware.

I had always thought that these

things were

made by hand, but they

The man had

a curious

little

instrument, and

whenever he would blow through little

blaze the glass

he wanted

it to.

I

are not.

this into a

would take any

am

shajie

not sure, but I think

203

GERONIMO that if I had this kind of an insti*ument

I could

make whatever

seems to be a charm about pose

it

very

is

instruments,

it.

But

I sup-

get these

difficult to

or

There

I wished.

little

other people would have

The people in this show were so anxious to buy the things the man made that they kept him so busy he could not sit down all day long. I bought many curious things in there and brought them home them.

with me.

At

the end of one of the streets

some

people were getting into a clumsy canoe,

upon a kind of the water.^

shelf,

and

They seemed

looked too fierce for me. canoes had gone out of ple

sliding

down

to enjoy

it,

into

but

it

If one of these its

path the peo-

would have been sure to get hurt or

killed.

There were some

little

brown people

*

at

the Fair that United States troops captured 3

Shooting the Chute.

*

Iggorrotes from the Philippines.

204

AT THE WORLD'S FAIR recently on

some

islands

far

away from

here.

They

did not wear

much

and I

clothing,

think that they should not have been allowed to

come to the

did not seem to

some

But they themselves know any better. They had Fair.

brass plates,

little

and they

tried to

play music with these, but I did not think it

was music

ever, they

—

it

was only a

danced to

How-

rattle.

this noise

and seemed

to think they were giving a fine show.

I do not

know how

true the report was,

but I heard that the President sent them to the Fair so that they could learn some

man-

and when they went home teach

ners,

their people

how

to dress

and how to be-

have.

I

am

many

glad I went to the Fair.

interesting things

They are a very kind During all the time I Fair no one tried to harm me in Had this been among the ^lex-

of the white people.

and peaceful people.

was

at the

any way.

I saw

and learned much

205

GERONIMO icans I

am

sure I should have heen com-

pelled to defend myself often.

I wish

all

my

people could have attended

the Fair.^ 5

Geronimo was

also taken to both the

Omaha and

Buffalo Expositions, but during that period of his

was

sullen

and took no

interest in things.

The

St.

life

the

he

Louis

Exposition was held after he had adopted the Christian religion

and had begun to try to understand our

206

civihzation.

CHAPTER XXII RELIGION

our primitive worship only our INtions to Usen and the memhers of our rela-

tribe

were considered as aj^pertaining to our

As

religious responsibilities.

to the future

teachings of our tribe were not

state, the

specific, that

is,

we had no

definite idea

our relations and surroundings in after

We

believed that there

one, but

is

no one ever told

of

life.

a life after this

me

as to

what part

man lived after death. I have seen many men die; I have seen many human bodies of

decayed, but I have never seen that part

which

what

is

called the spirit; I

it is;

do not know

nor have I yet been able to un-

derstand that part of the Christian religion.

We held

that the discharge of one's duty

would make

future

life

but whether that future

life

his

207

more

j^leasant,

was worse than

GERONIMO this life or better,

one was able to

we

did not know, and no

tell us.

the future life family

We and

hoped that

in

tribal relations

In a way we believed

would be resumed.

we did not know it. Once when living in San Carlos Reserva-

this,

but

tion

an Indian told me that while lying un-

conscious on the battlefield he had actually

been dead, and had passed into the

spirit

land.

First he

came

to a

mulberry tree growing

out from a cave in the ground.

Before

this

cave a guard was stationed, but when he

approached without fear the guard pass. little

He

let

him

descended into the cave, and a

way back

the path widened and termi-

nated in a perpendicular rock

many hun-

dreds of feet wide and equal in height.

There was not much directly beneath

light,

but by peering

him he discovered a

pile

of

sand reaching from the depths below to within twenty feet of the top of the rock

where he stood.

Holding 208

to a bush, he

RELIGION swung

off

from

and

the edge of the rock

dropped onto the sand, sHding rapidly down its

steep side into the darkness.

in a

He

landed

narrow passage running due westward

through a canon which gradually grew lighter

and

as if

had been daylight; but there was no

it

lighter until he could see as well

Finally he came to a section of this

sun.

passage that was wider for a short distance,

and then closing abruptly continued in a narrow path; just where

this section nar-

rowed two huge serpents were

and

coiled,

rearing their heads, hissed at him as he ap-

proached, but he showed no fear, and as soon as he

quietly

came and

close to let

him

them they withdrew

pass.

At

the next place,

where the passage opened into a wider tion,

were two grizzly bears prepared to

tack him, but to

sec-

when he approached and spoke

them they stood

harmed.

He

at-

aside

and he passed un-

continued to follow the nar-

row passage, and the third time it widened and two mountain lions crouched in the way, 209

GERONIMO but when he had approached them without fear and had spoken to them they also with-

drew.

He

sage.

For some time he followed

emerging

again entered the narrow pas-

a

into

fourth

section

this,

beyond

which he could see nothing: the further w^alls

of

this section

were clashing together

at regular intervals with tremendous sounds,

but when he approached them they stood apart until he had passed.

seemed to be

in a forest,

After

this

he

and following the

natural draws, which led westward, soon

where there were

came

into a green valley

many

Indians camped and plenty of game.

He

said that he

whom

saw and recognized many

known in this life, and that when he was brought back to

he had

he was sorry consciousness.

I told him if I

would not want

some means,

if

die in order to self

knew

this to

be true I

to live another day, but

by

my own

hands, I would

enjoy these pleasures.

have lain unconscious on the 210

by

I

my-

battlefield,

Rkadv

I'ou

C'miuii

RELIGION and while

in that condition have

had some

strange thoughts or experiences; but they

dim and I cannot

are very

enough

lieved this warrior,

did not

what he perhaj^s

said

knew

I wish I

it is

as well that

my

life as

Since

Indians be-

beyond question

is

them well

and I cannot say that he

the truth.

tell

recall

Many

to relate them.

we

that

But

true.

are not certain.

a prisoner has begun I

have heard the teachings of the white man's religion,

and

in

many

respects believe

be better than the religion of

However, I have

alwaj^s prayed,

to

fathers.

and I be-

Almighty has always pro-

the

lieve that

my

it

tected me.

Believing that in a wise

go

to

church,

way

it is

good

and that associating with

Christians would improve

my

have adopted the Christian

religion.^

1

character, I

I be-

Geronimo joined the Dutch Reformed church and was

baptized in ices

to

the

regularly

at

summer of the

1903.

He

Apache Mission,

Reservation.

211

attends Ft.

Sill

the

serv-

Military

GERONIMO lieve that the

church has helped

me much

during the short time I have been a member.

am not ashamed to be a Christian, and I am glad to know that the President of the I

United States

is

a Christian, for without the

help of the Almighty I do not think he could rightly

judge

have advised

many people. I of my people who are not

in ruling so

all

Christians, to study that religion, because

seems to

me the

it

best religion in enabling one

to live right.

212

CHAPTER XXIII HOPES FOR THE FUTURE

1AM thankful

that the President of the

United States has given to tell

my

story.

in authority

me

permission

I hope that he and those

under him

and judge whether

will read

my

i^eople

my

story

have been

rightly treated.

There

is

a great question between the

For twenty prisoners of war

Apaches and the Government. years

we have been

held

under a treaty which was made with General

Gov-

Miles, on the part of the United States

ernment, and myself as the representative

That treaty has not

at all

times been properly observed by the

Gov-

of the Apaches.

ernment, although at the present time

it is

being more nearly fulfilled on their part

than heretofore. INIiles

we agreed

In the treaty with General to

go 213

to a place outside

of

GERONIMO Arizona and learn to

live as the

white people

my

people are

now

do.

I think that

capable

of living in accordance with the laws of the

United States, and we would, of course,

like

to have the liberty to return to that land

which

is

We are reduced

ours by divine right.

and having learned how to

in numbers,

vate the

soil

ground

as

not ask

all

culti-

would not require so much

We

was formerly necessary.

of the land which the Almighty

may

gave us in the beginning, but that we have

sufficient

What we do white men to

We needs

there

to

cultivate.

we

are glad for the

held on

Comanche and

cultivate.

lands, which are not suited to our

—these

suited

lands

not need

now

are

Kiowa

do

to

and

lands

the Indians

habited this

country,

climate

are

originally

in-

this

who

of course, but our

people are decreasing in numbers here, and will

continue to decrease unless they are

allowed to return to their native land.

a result

is

inevitable.

214

Such

HOPES FOR THE FUTURE There mind,

is

no climate or

which, to

soil

We

equal to that of Arizona.

is

my

could have plenty of good cultivating land,

plenty of grass, plenty of timber and plenty

of minerals in that land which the Almighty

my

land,

my

fathers' land, to which I

now

ask

created for the Apaches.

home,

my

It

I want to spend

to be allowed to return.

my

last

is

among

days there, and be buried

those mountains.

If

this

die in peace, feeling that in their native homes, bers, rather

could be I might

my

people, placed

would increase

in

num-

than diminish as at present, and

name would not become extinct. know that if my people were placed

that our

I

in

that mountainous region lying around the

headwaters of the Gila River they w^ould live in

peace and act according to the will

of the President.

They

w^ould be prosper-

ous and happy in tilling the

soil

and learn-

ing the civilization of the white men, they

now

respect.

Could I but

see this ac-

complished, I think I could forget 215

whom all

the

GERONIMO wrongs that I have ever a contented and

happy

can do nothing in

must wait If

act.

time

—

am

die

But we matter ourselves we old

man.

—

cannot be done during

must

die in

the remnant of the

I

and

until those in authority choose to

this

if I

this

received,

bondage

Apache

my

life-

—I hope that

tribe

may, when

gone, be granted the one privilege

which they request

—to return to Arizona.

216