Chapter I: Preface

There is an old saw in the army which teaches that you can never know a man until after having made a scout with him in bad weather. All the good qualities and bad in the human makeup force their way to the surface under the stimulus of privation and danger, and it not infrequently happens that the comrade who at the military post was most popular, by reason of charm of manner and geniality, returns from this trial sadly lowered in the estimation of his fellows, and that he who in the garrison was most retiring, self-composed, and least anxious to make a display of glittering uniform, has swept all before him by the evidence he has given of fortitude, equanimity, courage, coolness, and good judgment under circumstances of danger and distress. But, whether the maxim be true or false, it is hardly too much for me to claim a hearing while I recall all that I know of a man with whom for more than fifteen years, it was my fortune to be intimately associated in all the changing vicissitudes which constituted service on the “border” of yesterday, which has vanished never to return.

It is not my purpose to write a biography of my late friend and commander—such a task I leave for others to whom it may be more congenial; speaking for myself, I am compelled to say that it is always difficult for me to peruse biography of any kind, especially military, and that which I do not care to read I do not care to ask others to read. In the present volume, there will be found collected descriptions of the regions in which the major portion of General Crook’s Indian work was carried on; the people, both red and white, with whom he was brought into contact; the difficulties with which he had to contend, and the manner in which he overcame them; and a short sketch of the principles guiding him in his justly famous intercourse with the various tribes—from British America to Mexico, from the Missouri River to the Pacific Ocean—subjugated by him and afterwards placed under his charge.

A military service of nearly forty consecutive years—all of which, excepting the portion spent in the civil war, had been face to face with the most difficult problems of the Indian question, and with the fiercest and most astute of all the tribes of savages encountered by the Caucasian in his conquering advance across the continent—made General Crook in every way worthy of the eulogy pronounced upon him by the grizzled old veteran, General William T. Sherman, upon hearing of his death, that he was the greatest Indian-fighter and manager the army of the United States ever had.

In all the campaigns which made the name of George Crook a beacon of hope to the settler and a terror to the tribes in hostility, as well as in all the efforts which he so successfully made for the elevation of the red man in the path of civilization and which showed that Crook was not a brutal soldier with no instincts save those for slaughter, but possessed of wonderful tenderness and commiseration for the vanquished as well as a most intelligent appreciation of the needs and capabilities of the aborigines, I was by his side, a member of his military staff, and thus obtained an insight into the charms and powers of a character which equalled that of any of the noble sons of whom our country is so justly proud.

CONTENTS.

CHAPTER I.
PAGE

OLD CAMP GRANT ON THE RIO SAN PEDRO—DAILY ROUTINE OF 1
LIFE—ARCHITECTURE OF THE GILA—SOLDIERS AS LABORERS—THE
MESCAL AND ITS USES—DRINK AND GAMBLING—RATTLESNAKE BITES
AND THE GOLONDRINA WEED—SODA LAKE AND THE DEATH
VALLEY—FELMER AND HIS RANCH.

CHAPTER II.

STRANGE VISITORS—SOME APACHE CUSTOMS—MEXICAN CAPTIVES—SPEEDY 17
AND THE GHOST—THE ATTACK UPON KENNEDY AND ISRAEL’S
TRAIN—FINDING THE BODIES—THE DEAD APACHE—A FRONTIER
BURIAL—HOW LIEUTENANT YEATON RECEIVED HIS DEATH WOUND—ON
THE TRAIL WITH LIEUTENANT CUSHING—REVENGE IS SWEET.

CHAPTER III.

THE RETURN TO CAMP GRANT—LANCED TO DEATH BY APACHES—THE 34
KILLING OF MILLER AND TAPPAN—COMPANY QUARTERS—APACHE
CAPTIVES—THE CLOUD-BURST—APACHE CORN-FIELDS—MEETING
COLONEL SANFORD—ENTRAPPED IN AN APACHE AMBUSCADE—AN
OLD-TIMER’S REMINISCENCES OF TUCSON—FUNERAL CROSSES ON THE
ROADSIDE—PADRE EUSEBIO KINO—FIRST VIEW OF TUCSON—THE “SHOO
FLY” RESTAURANT.

CHAPTER IV.

SOME OF THE FRIENDS MET IN OLD TUCSON—JACK LONG—HIS 66
DIVORCE—MARSHAL DUFFIELD AND “WACO BILL”—“THEM ’ERE’S MEE
VISITIN’ KEE-YARD”—JUDGE TITUS AND CHARLES O. BROWN—HOW
DUFFIELD WAS KILLED—UNCLE BILLY N—— AND HIS THREE GLASS
EYES—AL. GARRETT—DOCTOR SEMIG AND LIEUTENANT SHERWOOD—DON
ESTEVAN OCHOA—BISHOP SALPOINTE—PETE KITCHEN AND HIS RANCH.

CHAPTER V.

THE DIVERSIONS OF TUCSON—THE GAMBLING SALOONS—BOB CRANDALL 80
AND HIS DIAMOND—“SLAP-JACK BILLY”—TIGHT-ROPE WALKERS—THE
THEATRE—THE DUEÑAS—BAILES—THE NEWSPAPERS—STAGE-DRIVERS.

CHAPTER VI.

TUCSON INCIDENTS—THE “FIESTAS”—THE RUINED MISSION CHURCH OF 96
SAN XAVIER DEL BAC—GOVERNOR SAFFORD—ARIZONA MINES—APACHE
RAIDS—CAMP GRANT MASSACRE—THE KILLING OF LIEUTENANT
CUSHING.

CHAPTER VII.

GENERAL CROOK AND THE APACHES—CROOK’S PERSONAL APPEARANCE 108
AND CHARACTERISTICS—POINTS IN THE HISTORY OF THE
APACHES—THEIR SKILL IN WAR—FOODS AND MODES OF
COOKING—MEDICINE MEN—THEIR POWER AND INFLUENCE.

CHAPTER VIII.

CROOK’S FIRST MOVEMENTS AGAINST THE APACHES—THE 136
SCOUTS—MIRAGES—THE FLORAL WEALTH OF ARIZONA—RUNNING IN
UPON THE HOSTILE APACHES—AN ADVENTURE WITH BEARS—CROOK’S
TALK WITH THE APACHES—THE GREAT MOGOLLON PLATEAU—THE TONTO
BASIN—MONTEZUMA’S WELL—CLIFF DWELLINGS—THE PACK TRAINS.

CHAPTER IX.

THE PICTURESQUE TOWN OF PRESCOTT—THE APACHES ACTIVE NEAR 158
PRESCOTT—“TOMMY” BYRNE AND THE HUALPAIS—THIEVING INDIAN
AGENTS—THE MOJAVES, PI-UTES AND AVA-SUPAIS—THE TRAVELS OF
FATHERS ESCALANTE AND GARCES—THE GODS OF THE HUALPAIS—THE
LORING MASSACRE—HOW PHIL DWYER DIED AND WAS BURIED—THE
INDIAN MURDERERS AT CAMP DATE CREEK PLAN TO KILL
CROOK—MASON JUMPS THE RENEGADES AT THE “MUCHOS
CAÑONES”—DELT-CHE AND CHA-LIPUN GIVE TROUBLE—THE KILLING
OF BOB WHITNEY.

CHAPTER X.

CROOK BEGINS HIS CAMPAIGN—THE WINTER MARCH ACROSS THE 176
MOGOLLON PLATEAU—THE GREAT PINE BELT—BOBBY-DOKLINNY, THE
MEDICINE MAN—COOLEY AND HIS APACHE WIFE—THE APACHE CHIEF
ESQUINOS-QUIZN—THE APACHE GUIDE NANAAJE—THE FEAST OF
DEAD-MULE MEAT—THE FIGHT IN THE CAVE IN THE SALT RIVER
CAÑON—THE DEATH-CHANT—THE CHARGE—THE DYING MEDICINE
MAN—THE SCENE IN THE CAVE.

CHAPTER XI.

THE CAMPAIGN RESUMED—EFFICIENCY OF APACHE SCOUTS—JACK LONG 202
BREAKS DOWN—A BAND OF APACHES SURRENDER IN THE
MOUNTAINS—THE EPIZOOTIC—THE TAYLOR MASSACRE AND ITS
AVENGING—THE ARIZONA ROLL OF HONOR, OFFICERS, MEN,
SURGEONS, SCOUTS, GUIDES, AND PACKERS—THE STRANGE RUIN IN
THE VERDE VALLEY—DEATH OF PRESILIANO MONJE—THE APACHES
SURRENDER UNCONDITIONALLY TO CROOK AT CAMP VERDE.

CHAPTER XII.

THE PROBLEM OF CIVILIZING THE APACHES—THE WORK PERFORMED BY 215
MASON, SCHUYLER, RANDALL, RICE, AND BABCOCK—TUCSON RING
INFLUENCE AT WASHINGTON—THE WOUNDING OF LIEUTENANT CHARLES
KING—THE KILLING OF LIEUTENANT JACOB ALMY—THE SEVEN APACHE
HEADS LAID ON THE SAN CARLOS PARADE GROUND—CROOK’S CASH
MARKET FOR THE FRUITS OF APACHE INDUSTRY—HIS METHOD OF
DEALING WITH INDIANS.

CHAPTER XIII.

THE CLOSING DAYS OF CROOK’S FIRST TOUR IN ARIZONA—VISIT TO 230
THE MOQUI VILLAGES—THE PAINTED DESERT—THE PETRIFIED
FORESTS—THE GRAND CAÑON—THE CATARACT CAÑON—BUILDING THE
TELEGRAPH LINE—THE APACHES USING THE TELEGRAPH
LINE—MAPPING ARIZONA—AN HONEST INDIAN AGENT—THE CHIRICAHUA
APACHE CHIEF, COCHEIS—THE “HANGING” IN TUCSON—A FRONTIER
DANIEL—CROOK’S DEPARTURE FROM ARIZONA—DEATH VALLEY—THE
FAIRY LAND OF LOS ANGELES—ARRIVAL AT OMAHA.

CHAPTER XIV.

THE DEPARTMENT OF THE PLATTE—THE BLACK HILLS DIFFICULTY—THE 241
ALLISON COMMISSION—CRAZY HORSE AND SITTING BULL—THE FIRST
WINTER CAMPAIGN—CLOTHING WORN BY THE TROOPS—THE START FOR
THE BIG HORN—FRANK GRUARD, LOUIS RICHAUD, BIG BAT, LOUIS
CHANGRAU, AND OTHER GUIDES.

CHAPTER XV.

MOVING INTO THE BIG HORN COUNTRY IN WINTER—THE HERD 256
STAMPEDED—A NIGHT ATTACK—“JEFF’S” OOZING COURAGE—THE
GRAVE-YARD AT OLD FORT RENO—IN A MONTANA BLIZZARD—THE
MERCURY FROZEN IN THE BULB—KILLING BUFFALO—INDIAN
GRAVES—HOW CROOK LOOKED WHILE ON THIS CAMPAIGN—FINDING A
DEAD INDIAN’S ARM—INDIAN PICTURES.

CHAPTER XVI.

THE ATTACK UPON CRAZY HORSE’S VILLAGE—THE BLEAK NIGHT MARCH 270
ACROSS THE MOUNTAINS—EGAN’S CHARGE THROUGH THE
VILLAGE—STANTON AND MILLS AND SIBLEY TO THE RESCUE—THE
BURNING LODGES—MEN FROZEN—THE WEALTH OF THE
VILLAGE—RETREATING TO LODGE POLE CREEK—CROOK REJOINS
US—CUTTING THE THROATS OF CAPTURED PONIES.

CHAPTER XVII.

THE SUMMER CAMPAIGN OF 1876—THE SIOUX AND CHEYENNES GETTING 283
UGLY—RAIDING THE SETTLEMENTS—ATTEMPT TO AMBUSCADE
CROOK—KILLING THE MAIL-RIDER—THE STORY OF THE FETTERMAN
MASSACRE—LAKE DE SMET—OUR FIRST THUNDERSTORM—A SOLDIER’S
BURIAL—THE SIOUX ATTACK OUR
CAMP—TROUT-FISHING—BEAR-HUNTING—CALAMITY JANE—THE CROW AND
SHOSHONE ALLIES JOIN THE COMMAND—THE WAR DANCE AND
MEDICINE SONG.

CHAPTER XVIII.

THE COLUMN IN MOTION—RUNNING INTO A GREAT HERD OF 307
BUFFALOES—THE SIGNAL CRY OF THE SCOUTS—THE FIGHT ON THE
ROSEBUD—HOW THE KILLED WERE BURIED—SCALP DANCE—BUTCHERING
A CHEYENNE—LIEUTENANT SCHUYLER ARRIVES—SENDING BACK THE
WOUNDED.

CHAPTER XIX.

KILLING DULL CARE IN CAMP—EXPLORING THE SNOW-CRESTED BIG 323
HORN MOUNTAINS—FINERTY KILLS HIS FIRST BUFFALO—THE
SWIMMING POOLS—A BIG TROUT—SIBLEY’S SCOUT—A NARROW
ESCAPE—NEWS OF THE CUSTER MASSACRE—THE SIOUX TRY TO BURN
US OUT—THE THREE MESSENGERS FROM TERRY—WASHAKIE DRILLS HIS
SHOSHONES—KELLY THE COURIER STARTS TO FIND TERRY—CROW
INDIANS BEARING DESPATCHES—THE SIGN-LANGUAGE—A PONY
RACE—INDIAN SERENADES—HOW THE SHOSHONES FISHED—A FIRE IN
CAMP—THE UTES JOIN US.

CHAPTER XX.

THE JUNCTION WITH MERRITT AND THE MARCH TO MEET TERRY—THE 344
COUNTRY ON FIRE—MERRITT AND HIS COMMAND—MR.
“GRAPHIC”—STANTON AND HIS “IRREGULARS”—“UTE JOHN”—THE SITE
OF THE HOSTILE CAMP—A SIOUX CEMETERY—MEETING TERRY’S
COMMAND—FINDING TWO SKELETONS—IN THE BAD LANDS—LANCING
RATTLESNAKES—BATHING IN THE YELLOWSTONE—MACKINAW BOATS AND
“BULL” BOATS—THE REES HAVE A PONY DANCE—SOME TERRIBLE
STORMS—LIEUTENANT WILLIAM P. CLARKE.

CHAPTER XXI.

CROOK AND TERRY SEPARATE—THE PICTURESQUE LITTLE MISSOURI—THE 362
“HORSE MEAT MARCH” FROM THE HEAD OF THE HEART RIVER TO
DEADWOOD—ON THE SIOUX TRAIL—MAKING COFFEE UNDER
DIFFICULTIES—SLAUGHTERING WORN-OUT CAVALRY HORSES FOR
FOOD—THE FIGHT AT SLIM BUTTES—LIEUTENANT VON LEUTTEWITZ
LOSES A LEG—THE DYING CHIEF, AMERICAN HORSE,
SURRENDERS—RELICS OF THE CUSTER MASSACRE—CRAZY HORSE
ATTACKS OUR LINES—SUNSHINE AND RATIONS.

CHAPTER XXII.

TO AND THROUGH THE BLACK HILLS—HOW DEADWOOD LOOKED IN 381
1876—THE DEADWOOD “ACADEMY OF MUSIC”—THE SECOND WINTER
CAMPAIGN—THE NAMES OF THE INDIAN SCOUTS—WIPING OUT THE
CHEYENNE VILLAGE—LIEUTENANT MCKINNEY KILLED—FOURTEEN
CHEYENNE BABIES FROZEN TO DEATH IN THEIR MOTHERS’ ARMS—THE
CUSTER MASSACRE AGAIN—THE TERRIBLE EXPERIENCE OF RANDALL
AND THE CROW SCOUTS.

CHAPTER XXIII.

STRANGE MESS-MATES—THE JOURNEY TO THE AGENCIES—GENERAL 397
SHERIDAN’S VISIT—SPOTTED TAIL—THE STORY OF HIS DEAD
DAUGHTER’S BONES—WHITE THUNDER—RED CLOUD—DULL KNIFE—BIG
WOLF—THE NECKLACE OF HUMAN FINGERS—THE MEDICINE MAN AND
THE ELECTRIC BATTERY—WASHINGTON—FRIDAY—INDIAN
BROTHERS—SORREL HORSE—THREE BEARS—YOUNG MAN AFRAID OF HIS
HORSES—ROCKY BEAR—RED CLOUD’S LETTER—INDIAN DANCES—THE BAD
LANDS—HOW THE CHEYENNES FIRST GOT HORSES.

CHAPTER XXIV.

THE SURRENDER OF CRAZY HORSE—SELLING AMMUNITION TO HOSTILE 412
INDIANS—PLUNDERING UNARMED, PEACEABLE INDIANS—SUPPER WITH
CRAZY HORSE—CHARACTER OF THIS CHIEF—HIS BRAVERY AND
GENEROSITY—THE STORY OF THE CUSTER MASSACRE AS TOLD BY
HORNY HORSE—LIEUTENANT REILLY’S RING—THE DEATH OF CRAZY
HORSE—LITTLE BIG MAN.

CHAPTER XXV.

THE MANAGEMENT OF THE INDIAN AGENCIES—AGENT MACGILLICUDDY’S 424
WONDERFUL WORK—CROOK’S REMAINING DAYS IN THE DEPARTMENT OF
THE PLATTE—THE BANNOCK, UTE, NEZ PERCÉ, AND CHEYENNE
OUTBREAKS—THE KILLING OF MAJOR THORNBURGH AND CAPTAIN
WEIR—MERRITT’S FAMOUS MARCH AGAINST TIME—HOW THE DEAD CAME
TO LIFE AND WALKED—THE CASE OF THE PONCAS—CROOK’S HUNTS
AND EXPLORATIONS; NEARLY FROZEN TO DEATH IN A BLIZZARD—A
NARROW ESCAPE FROM AN ANGRY SHE-BEAR—CATCHING NEBRASKA
HORSE-THIEVES—“DOC” MIDDLETON’S GANG.

CHAPTER XXVI.

CROOK RE-ASSIGNED TO THE DEPARTMENT OF ARIZONA—ALL THE 433
APACHES ON THE WAR-PATH—LIEUTENANTS MORGAN AND CONVERSE
WOUNDED—CAPTAIN HENTIG KILLED—CROOK GOES ALONE TO SEE THE
HOSTILES—CONFERENCES WITH THE APACHES—WHAT THE ARIZONA
GRAND JURY SAID OF AN INDIAN AGENT—CONDITION OF AFFAIRS AT
THE SAN CARLOS AGENCY—WHISKEY SOLD TO THE CHIRICAHUA
APACHES—APACHE TRIALS BY JURY—ARIZONA IN 1882—PHŒNIX,
PRESCOTT, AND TUCSON—INDIAN SCHOOLS.

CHAPTER XXVII.

THE SIERRA MADRE CAMPAIGN AND THE CHIRICAHUAS—CHATO’S 452
RAID—CROOK’S EXPEDITION OF FORTY-SIX WHITE MEN AND ONE
HUNDRED AND NINETY-THREE INDIAN SCOUTS—THE SURPRISE OF THE
APACHE STRONGHOLD—THE “TOMBSTONE TOUGHS”—THE MANAGEMENT OF
THE CHIRICAHUAS—HOW INDIANS WILL WORK IF ENCOURAGED—GIVING
THE FRANCHISE TO INDIANS; CROOK’S VIEWS—THE CRAWFORD COURT
OF INQUIRY—KA-E-TEN-NA’S ARREST ORDERED BY MAJOR BARBER
—TROUBLE ARISES BETWEEN THE WAR AND INTERIOR
DEPARTMENTS—CROOK ASKS TO BE RELIEVED FROM THE
RESPONSIBILITY FOR INDIAN AFFAIRS—SOME OF THE CHIRICAHUAS
RETURN TO THE WAR-PATH.

CHAPTER XXVIII.

THE CAMPAIGN AGAINST GERONIMO—THE CROPS RAISED BY THE 465
APACHES—THE PURSUIT OF THE HOSTILES—THE HARD WORK OF THE
TROOPS—EFFICIENT AND FAITHFUL SERVICE OF THE CHIRICAHUA
SCOUTS—WAR DANCES AND SPIRIT DANCES—CAPTAIN CRAWFORD
KILLED—A VISIT TO THE HOSTILE STRONGHOLD—A “NERVY”
PHOTOGRAPHER—A WHITE BOY CAPTIVE AMONG THE
APACHES—ALCHISE’S AND KA-E-TEN-NA’S GOOD WORK—GERONIMO
SURRENDERS TO CROOK.

CHAPTER XXIX.

THE EFFECTS OF BAD WHISKEY UPON SAVAGE INDIANS—THE WRETCH 480
TRIBOLLET—SOME OF THE CHIRICAHUAS SLIP AWAY FROM MAUS
DURING A RAINY NIGHT—THE BURIAL OF CAPTAIN
CRAWFORD—CROOK’S TERMS DISAPPROVED IN WASHINGTON—CROOK
ASKS TO BE RELIEVED FROM COMMAND IN ARIZONA—GERONIMO
INDUCED TO COME IN BY THE CHIRICAHUA AMBASSADORS, KI-E-TA
AND MARTINEZ—TREACHERY SHOWN IN THE TREATMENT OF THE
WELL-BEHAVED MEMBERS OF THE CHIRICAHUA APACHE BAND.