Wessington Springs herald. (Wessington Springs, Aurora County, Dakota [S.D.]) 1883-1891, 1886-05-21
SAVAGE
Speeches Made BY the Apache Chiefs at
Their Recent Surrender.

The following is a correct translation
of the language used by Chihuahua,
Natchez and Geronimo, at the time OF
the surrender. 1t was not only translat-
ed by the regular interpreters present,
but Captain Burke, who has been study
ing the Apache language, attests its cor
rectness. chihuahua said: 81 am verg
glad to see you and have this talk with
you. 1t is as you say, we shall always
be in danger so long as we remain out
here, but l hope from this on that we
may live better with our families and
not do any harm to any one. lam
anxious to behave, for | see the sun
looking down upon me. and the earth
listening, and l am thinking better. 1t
seems to me that l have seen the one
who makes the Grain and sends the winds.
He must have sent you 10 this place. I
surrender simply to you because I be-
lieve in you and you have never lied to
us. You do not deceive us. You must
be II God. [ am satisfied with
all that you do. You must be
the II who makes the green pasture,
who sends the rain, who commands the
winds. You must be the one who sends
the fresh fruit that comes on the trees
every year. There are many men in
the world who are big chiefs and COM
mand many people, but you, 1 think,
are the greatest of them all, or you
would not have come out here to see us.
l want you to be a father to me and
treat me as your son. l want you to
lr1ve pity on-me. There is no doubt
that all you do is right, because all you
do is just the same as if God did it.
Every thing you do is right, so I con-
slider, SO | believe you to DO. I trust in
all you do and say. You do not lie,
you do not deceive; all you tell US are
facts. / am now in your hands. I
place myself at your disposition. l
surrender myself to you. DO with me
as you please. l shake your hand. l
want to come into your camp and stav
with you. l do not want to stay at Il
distance. l want to stay where you are.
l have roamed in the mountains from
water to water, and never have 1 found
the place where l could see my father
or my mother till to-day. 1 see you,
my father. I surrender to you now,
and | do not want any more bad
feeling or bad talk. l am going
to stay with you in your camp. When
ever a man raises any thing, ever Il dog,
he tries to raise it right. and treat it well.
So | want you to feel toward NE. Don't
let the people say bad things about me.
Now l surrender to you and 90 with
you. When We are travelling together
on the road. or anywhere else, / hope
you will talk to me once in a while. I
think a great deal of Alchisay and
kaetena. They think a great deal Of
me, and | hope some day to be all the
same as their brother. and that you will
think as much OF me as you do of them.
L would like you to send my family with
me wherever you send me. l have a
daughter at Camp Apache, and some
relatives of myself and band at San Car
los. Wherever you want to send me ]
wish also you would send them.n
General Crook briefly replied that he
would, so far as his family were con-
cerned, endeavor to carry outhis wishes.
Chief Natchez then addressed the
General. He said: "What chihuahua
said L say. | surrender to you lust the
same as he did. Igive you my word; I
give you my body; / surrender. have
nothing more to say than that. When
L was free gave orders, but now I sur
render to YOU. | throw myself at your
feet. You order and l obey. What Won
tell me to do / do"
Geronimo's eloqueuce was as fol]ows.
"Iwo or three words are enouoh r
have but little to say. | surrender NV.
sell to you. [Shakes hands with Cen
cral Crook We are comrades, an one
family, all one band. What the others
say | say also. Now l give myself I'D
to you. Do with me what YOU please
l surrender. Once l moved about like
the wind. but now l surrender to Won
and that is all. l surrender to Won and
want to be just as if 1 was in vomr
pocket. Now | feel like your brotbe,
n kaetena is my brother also. vas
very far from here, almost nohoIv
could get to that place. but [ sen von
word wanted to come in and hoSe 7
M. Whatever you tell is true. w.
are all satisfied with that. and l hone
tne Gay will come when my word viii
be as strong with you as yours is with
me. '-7Mcso~ (4. rs Cor. San Franl
c;s:o Bullctin. " n|o"-