Butte semi-weekly miner. [volume] (Butte, Mont.) 1886-1890, 1886-09-15
THE LAST OF THE APACHES.

The fact that Geronimo has surrendered
and on tho way to Florida or eternity SET
ties the Apaches and the Apache question
forever. With him is Matches, head chief
OF the C~hiracahuas, who had sworn to be
the last man OF his race to lay down his
arms. Besides these chiefs there are twenty
two DUCKS" fourteen squaws and three
children-a pitifully small band, asst seems
to those acquainted only with civilized
warfare, but one large enough, nevertheless,
to keep the whole border line Of New Mexico,
Arizona, Sonora and chihuahua in terror
for half q year. In four months they have
led our soldiers a chase OF about 1000
miles. over some of the worst country in
the world. Their endurance is simply mar
vellous.
Whatever degree of reluctant admiration
we may have for the Indians who have
made this tremendous march, we must &C
cord a still greater need to the troops who
have followed them, marching sometimes
three miles to their two, never more than
a days march or two behind them; giving
them no chance to rest, ard little oppor'
tunity to obtain fresh supplies OF food or
misunderstanding them through deserts,
over mountains, across gulches and ra-
vines. in a land where there is no food by
the way and scarcely a drop OF water; and
finally bringing them to bay and forcing
them to surrender because they saw that
further flight was useless, or perhaps i'm
possible.
The Indians accepted the only terms that
could have been offered honorably by any
American commander to such a gurrilla
Recommendations surrender. Geronimo
appealed to Gen. Miles mercy, and appar-
emily expects to have his life spared, but OF
course no promises to that effect could
have been made by the American COM
mander.
These captured Indians, together with
those that have been on the reservation at
Fort Apache, are, to use General Miles
own words, ito be shipped out OF this
country about 1000 miles east" This is
the first official announcement that has
been made OF the determination to place
the troublesome frontier Indians on reser-
vations in the East. The destination OF
Geronimo and his band is Florida, which
answers the description ''about 1000
miles east" better than any other possible
place OF deposit for them.
This step, if followed up as it should be,
will settle the Apache question. There
will be no more wars with the C~hiricahuas.
Once taken off the picket line OF civiliza-
ton, where white men are constantly
pressing upon the reservations, where the
country is wild and perfectly familiar to
them, and where escape is easy, and placed
on civilizations rear, where there is no
pressure, where the country is unknown,
and OF totally different character from
that to which they are accustomed, and
where escape would only mean probable
death-under such conditions the widest
Aapaches will be pretty quiet.
The people of Arizona are, OF course, jubi-
liant over the capture and removal OF their
ancient foe. Whatever poetry or senti-
ment Eastern people may see in Zero
nimo's career, the Westerners look at him
as they would at a wild ~beast-or. per.
haps it would be more accurate to
say, as they would ut a common
murderer. For this no one can blame
them, and the whole country will sympa'
thize with their Joy at the removal of a
pest and a nuisance from the midst oil
them. II now all the Apaches at San Car.
los 60 too, their satisfaction will be com
plete and the border will be at peace.