Butte semi-weekly miner. [volume] (Butte, Mont.) 1886-1890, 1886-12-01
ssCUSTER OF THE SOUTHWEST"
Lieut. GatewOod the Real Hero of the
Apache War-Pleasant Remin.
iscences Of One Who
KNOWS.

WlUu DATely Dedr1oO IACc, uIccscu III OuO
most outlandish, not fantastic suit that
human ever wore, stepped from the Santa
Fe train, followed by a troupe Of the strang.
est looking people one can see in a lifetime.
Upon the collar of the worn shirt of half
tanned skin, which he had stripped from
some wolf or other prairie beast OF prey,
were two bars that once had been OF golden
hue, but then sadly faded and rusted by
the storms and dust that had beaten
upon them during his hardy soldier-life in
Arizona.
With CHEEKY salutation and happy smile
Lieutenant Gatewoed clasped our hands
and, winking significantly, introduced us to
Scouts as they were known all along the
border. In reply to inquiry Ga tewood
told OF his late experiences with Juh, San
tos and other chiefs of the terrible band
who had hung like a thing 81 evil about the
homes OF the settlers in that far-off land of
coyotes and cactus. Rapidly giving orders
to his trusted Apache servants-for he
spoke the barbarous language of grunts
most fluently-he turned and told US that
within an hour or two he would
W OA ~ V1V CApAO"O NV
western border and in search OF these ter
rors OF the plains who had again donned
paint and feathers and started on the war
path. This wal four years or more ago..
During the afternoon the train came thun-
dering in from the north, and soon, with
clock-like method, the young officer and his
scouts were aboard with trappings, beasts
and baggage. The baggage was one army
blanket each and q tin canteen-empty of
course.
As the cars rolled out about the hour
when day gives way to darkness and the
busy town put on it, night airs, the writer
pressed young Gatewood's hand with an
anxious goodbye" and to his high-spir-
us again." added his own "God bless you."
Time rolled on. The new spapers of the
land had told to q million firesides the
story that had been signaled from hilltops
or borne across burning sands by lonely
couriers to some military post, and thence
flashed %alongthe wirea throughout theland.
That story was Of bloody massacres; of
burning homes; of mutilated men and chill
dren and of worse than murdered Women.
From the almost impenetrablc passes and
recesses of the Sierra Madre off in Mexico
had come the story of Victoria s end and
the scattering Of his murderous band.
Others like him had stepped into his place
as commander, till the men and women of
that great and almost unknown land had
begun to speak with hated breath and cast
a frightened look about them at the men,
ton of the new scourgs of the frontier-
Geronimo.
The Government spent millions to cap
ture this OUTLAW chief. Here and there,
upder the burning sands, were laid the
bodies of the Republics soldiers who had
fallen at his hand: Charred posts told the
story of his. house-burnings: the wall Of
widows bespoke that of husbands slaugh.
tered and the sad, fixed faces OF, men were
eloquent Of their loss Of wife, child or
mother. The campaign of Gen: Crook,
that promised so much, had ended in prac-
tical failure. A New England tradesman,
one who hadIearned the art of war on the
bloody fields OF the great rebellion, had
been called to command, and all expected
that Miles would find, pursue, and catch or
kill Geronimo. Every facility was given
him. He and his troops marched and
camped, and camped and marched during
months Of wearying battle with thirst and
hunger. along the savage trail.
Gatewood-the gallant youth, who said
that evening in Albuquerque: "You shall
hear from us again, was with those pa
tient troops. Geronimo's band had dwin-
w q Z 0duUluIs OuU uuCy AODU UQAV
great section on tiptoe with suspense and
Frustrated every entererprise and industry /
in two splendid Territories.
One day there flashed from away down
yonder on the border the tidings that "Ge-
has surrendered" Men and wom-
en- from Maine to Texas were astir and the
great Southwest rejoiced with q Joy it had
not known for years. Mothers ciasped the
children that had been spared to them and
their kisses with grateful
The news spread through
the land and the General and his Captain
were the heroes Of the hour. Nobody spoke
one word of or gave a thought to 1.-THE
and subaltern oficers-those real
beroes who did the work and, without hope
Of reward or fame, plodded along the road
that, for them, led to suffering and want,
likely to death.
But time at length sets all things even-
ruth speaks out in almost all things
sooner or later, and now it is known that
20 Gatewood, THE Custer of the South
vest" indeed belong the glory, if the glory
ot Geronimo's capture belongs to
one man. 1t was Gate
who left the command
nd alone and unarmed sought, found and
entered the camp OF the outlaw chieftain
Who sat, with the few followers left him:
lear the crumbled walls of an old mission
IN our sister republic OF Mexico, It
vas Gatewood, who, without a comrade
lear him to aid in the not improbable
Jour OF danger, met and spoke with that
errible scourge while surrounded by his
armed to the teeth. For davs
lakewood remained with the captain of
he worst tribe Of Indians thatever painted
Nth blood their track throughout q Sec
ion. He told him-while they sat eating
he dried flesh OF a horse and drinking the
litter alkai waters of that desert land
bout his commander, Miles; about his
aptain, LAYTON; about his comrades and
is government, and he prevailed upon him
. go with him to the Generals tent.
The world knows the rest. OF Wonder. in
Fort Pickens, in Florida, Geronimo and his
(D are guarded. Not far from
here, in another fort, the wives and chill
rem OF these terrible men are uarded.
'eace blesses New Mexico and Arizona. !
10 more the fear of the savage war terri
es the settler and his family. The friends
t Crook are wrapgling over Miles great :
and jealousy trying to pluck
he laurels from his soldier brow. But in :
he hearts of the soldiers who rodo with l
hat command, and in the hearts of the {
who rejoice at the blessings of peace, 4
he real hero OF the dark period of siaugh. !
er; the real conqueror of a permanent !
eaee for the border is the almost smooth I
ICED subaltern officer, Lieutenant Gate. {
God, who brought in the Apache scourge. =.
.eronino, and, while he kept his promise l
lat "you shall hear from US again." won :
le right to hear the name tho A1hor- !