Sacramento daily record-union. [volume] (Sacramento [Calif.]) 1875-1891, 1883-06-08
GENERAL CROOK.
Something About the Warriors Early Life
and Successful Military Career.

and Successful Military Career.
At this particular time, when the public
attention is fastened upon General Crook,
few facts respecting his past operations
will be read with interest. Those who are
as a soldier will not be surprised that he is
now an object of universal solicitation, as
his war record is replete with succession
of brilliant achievements, that anv military
man light well feel proud Of His rapid
rise was not secured through the favor of
influential friends, but earned by "meri.
torious, gallant, and distinguished service"
HIS EARLY LIFE.
Beginning with the time OF his birth,
1880, George Crook resided in Ohio till Is
years OF age, when he passed a severe ex-
animation successfully which admitted him
to West Point. July l., 1852, he was bre.
veted Second Lieutenant in the Fourth In
fantry One year later he was a full
tiedged Second Lieutenant, and March IL,
1906, was made First Lieutenant. Nav
IA, 1851, he wore the straps of Captain.
Four months later he was made Colonel OF
the Thirty-sixth Ohio Volunteers, and the
following May was Brevet Major of the
United States army. September J. 1862,
he was promoted to Brigadier General in
the United States volunteer service, and
October !, 1868, he was breveted Colonel
In the United States army, and in less than
one year he was found In the field as a
Brevet Major General of the United
States Volunteers. In October of 1864 he
was made Msjor,General of the United
States Volunteers, and the next March was
h-a Tod Ri
States army, and also breveted a Major
General. He was mustered out of the
volunteer service January 10, 1866, and
then began his second career in the United
States army as Major of the Third Infan-
try July is. 1866. Ten days later he was
made Colonel of the Twenty third Infan-
try, and October %, 1873, received his COM
mission OF rigadier-General in the regular
army. Thus it will be seen that he came
to the surface very rapidly, and sustained
his reputation by being appointed pretty
close to the top few years after the war
ceased.
DURING THE REBELLION.
His engagements during the rebellion
carried him into some of the heaviest and
bloodiest battles of West Virginia. Vir-
ginia, Tennessee, Georgia, Maryland, and
North and South Carolina. History fire..
auently speaks of the service of General
Crook as beng meritorious, gallant, and
distinguished, and his promotions, one
after the other, followed deeds of bravery
and successful combat with the enemy.
He was wounded several times, but was
never absent from the field any length Of
time.
The time spent in Arizona, in 1873 "A,
would, If properly written up from data,
present a pen picture that would put to
blush the most heroic efforts of authors of
the ordinary dime literature. Uo to the
time General Crook whipped the savage
tribes of the Southwest into submission,
Arizona was the scene of series of fierce
and bloody struggles with the Apaches.
The intrepidity, daring, and self-sacrifice
OF the early pioneers, who won that rich
domain foot by foot, from It's savage occu-
pants, yet remains to be written, and when
once down will be one of the bloodiest
pages in the history of frontier settlements.
The hostile tribes were only conquered by
the strategy and perseverance of the man
OF whom this is being written.
APACHE ATROCITIES.
1t is known that the outrages previous
to the time alluded to above were OF such
an atrocious character as to cause the blood
of men to run cold as reports of the massa-
creing OF innocent women and children
came in and when the soldiers and from
tiersmen finally erded those terrible days
there was great rejoicing in consequence.
The manner of handling these Indians was
similar to the plans adopted by General
Crook on the present campaign, viz by
employing no mode of transportation but
the saddle and dparejos strapped upon the
backs of mules, thus being enabled to move
with great speed and dong excellent ex-
ecution. His Indian scouts belonging, as
they do, to the most virtuous and intelli-
gent class OF Apaches and Mohaves, are in
consequence very strong and athletic. One
of the gentlemen from whom portion of
this information is obtained, said that years
ago, when he was in that country, as soon
as boat struck Point Isabelle, on the
Gulf of California, a Mohave or Apache
courier would at once start on foot for
Yuma, a distance of "a miles, and in "a
hours would arrive at his destination. The
same kind Of material is now employed
by Crook, and besides their heetness Of
foot and powers Of endurance, these In
dian scouts possess remarkable sagacity in
travelling.
sAGACITY OF THE SCOUTS.
Many of them can make several miles
stones that have been disturbed by the OBJ
ject sought for. The campaign of 1875,
occupying the months of February and
March, and which is the only winter cam
psign ever made in the Department of
81 - -, h. 81 - = L.,
average reader, and hence needs but
brief reference. General Crook defeated
Crazy Horse with but slight loss of troops.
Then followed the great war of 1876, in
which Crook led the expedition in per-
son that operated from the south against
the allied forces of what is known as the
Sitting Bull movement. he fought and
drove the Sioux, 3 600 strong, under Crazy
Horse and White Antelope, on the Rose
bud, June II, 1876. when the allied forces
retreated to the "Greasy Grass Greek
Il. e., the Little Big Horn, where Custer
was killed. Then he made the extraor-
binary march. without wagons or tents, for
weeks, and finally struck the hostiles at
Slim Buttes, where he defeated them with
heavy loss. From there the hostiles fed
across the border into the British Posses
sions. This practically ended the strug-
gle, for Crazy Horse delivered himself no
and the bucks came in. General Crook
was feared and revered by the Sioux to
such an extent that be never had any seri-
GUS trouble with them after that time.
KSowLEDGE OF INDIAN CHARACTER.
He also gained the confidence of several
tribes to such an extent, by his knowledge
of their temperament and the fair treat
ment that he bestowed, that, upon his
return there from the Department of the
Platte last year, he settled disturbances
that had already assumed dangerous
aspects. The very fact that he now has
the Chiricshua Indians IA part of the
Apache Nstionl fighting their own kin, is
sufficient evidence of his control over those
people General Crook gives the Indian
credit Of possessing more intelligence, cour-
age, and tact than men who are entirely
ignorant, or only partially informed, Of
their mode Of warfare or manner of living.
TIKI. falIoxua yhn r.lnx htyh