The Anaconda standard. [volume] (Anaconda, Mont.) 1889-1970, 1890-04-05
CROOKS ROMANTIC LIFE.
A Typical Indian figiter-comrades
speak tn His Praise.

speak in His Praise.
Captain John g.. Bourke, United States
army, now detached on service with the
International American conference, was
for twelve years an aide-de-camp OF Gen.
eral Crook, and was with him In nearly
all OF his campaigns against the hostile
Indian tribes west of Tho Missouri.
Speaking of his old commander 20 n rep
resentative of the New York Tribune,
Captain Bourke recalled many interest
ing "reminiscences of those days of Indian
fighting. general Crook" he said,
..was the typical Indian fighter OF Ameri-
ca, and i'm some respects reminded N
of Daniel Boone. He vas tall, straight,
sinewy as q cat, with not an ounce OF
supcrfiuous meat, and never knew the
word fatigue. He was a dead shot
with the rifle, an expert horscman,
and could read signs on a trail
with a clearness that i have never
seen attained by any other white man
nor cxceiled by an Indian. His Indian
service covered almost forty years. during
which he came face to face with every
tribe in our territory, from the Missouri
To the Pacific and from the British do
minions TO beyond the Mexican border.
He was a man Of abstemious habits, sell
dom drinking even tea or coffee. and al
ways taking milk when he could get IL. /
have known him on one occasion To take
the saddle AT 4 a. M, IN bitter winter
weather, Oh the high mountains OF Ari-
roma, and ride till : n. m. the next day.
Every man i'm his command was worn out
when they arrived at San Carlos river,
where the agency now is. but General
Crook showed no signs OF exhaustion,
and, taking his gun, went out u shot
some birds for breakfast. III he had any
fault, il was his eagcrness To kill bear.
In hunting them he would undergo IA
tigue, deprivation and terrible risks. He
was once I'm the Big Horn mountains of
Montana when a big she ear rushed
angrily from a thickct of reeds where
she had cubs and approached with open
Jaws 10 within twelve. feet of him. Without
moving Gen. Crook raised his rifle, pulled
the trigger and put "A bullet through her
open mouth into the base of her brain,
and she fell dead at his feet. He was an
enthusiastic fisherman, and perhaps his
greatest enjoyment in life was to remain
for weeks in the forests and canyons Of
the mountains, subsisting chiefly on the
spoils of his rod and gun. General
Crooks services to western civilization
cannot be expressed in words nor CON-
puted i'm dollars n cents. He subdued
the Snakes, Piutes, and Bannocks of Ore
gon and Idaho, where are now prosperous
mining regions, following them In the
tHtI1lllt III III VI ttSiT lANa teuS aIlu
capturing their fortresses by direct as
sault. Up TO his assignment TO the COM
mand i'm Arizona, in 1871, the Apaches
were lords Of the soil aud had defled our
own government and that OF b Mexican
republic, keeping the people of New
Mexico. Arizona, western Texas and the
states of chihuahua INT Sonora i'm "A
state of abject terror that cannot he un-
derstood by a person not on the ground
at the time. General Crook began his
campaign by holding IN interview with
all the chiefs who were on the fence and
could be induced to hold a council
with him. He explained TO them that IL
rested with themselves To say how long the
war should continue m evil-disposed
ones mar their destiny. They saw the
force Of his word and agreed TO furnish
from among their young men 10 go
out after the hostilcs who were still ON
the war-path. The result is already "A part
OF history. In less than a year he whipped
every band of Arizona Apaches into sub
mission and put GOO at work for a living.
Another campaign in which Crook took a
distinguished part was against the Sioux
and Cheyennes Of the North. He kept his
columns moving against them, relieving
n force with another, but staying
constantly in the field for l.
months. His marches were made in the
depth of winter, with the mercury frozen
solid in the bulb, and in the heat of sum
mer, when the thermometer registered III
degrees, and in rains that were delugcs.
No officer or man can ever forget the
thrilling experience. One episode will
show the severity of the campaign. His
command left Goose creek with half ra-
tons of coffee, bacon and bareback for 10
days, and remained out 90 days without a
change of clothing. For - days rain fell
constantly, Tor 10 days the sun vas not
seen. and for III days the command had
nothing 10 eat but the flesh of their
horses; there was. however. plenty of
rain water"
Lieutenant Lyman w. v. Kennon, who
also served on General Crook stall and
is now temporarily on duty in New York,
gave the following "reminiscences of the
great Indian fighter: "Gencral Crook was
n of the greatest generals that this
country eve had-a wonderful strategisi
n a remarkable soldier himself, thor.
oughly well versed in all the principles of
the art Of war. In Indian warfare he was
undoubtedly prominent. This was due Ia
a great extent TO his marvellous knowledge
OF the Indian character. During the early
part Of his army life, which has all been
spent in the West, with the exception of
the war time. he learned Ia become a
thorough huntsman aud woodsman. In
many respects he had the traits of an In
dian, being keen, quick and strong, and
with a nice Judgment when i'm a wilder,
ness. lie knew the Indians as ! know
any alphabet, and he treated them on all
occasions with that honesty that formed q
remarkable factor i'm his character. What
ever he said he meant, and he never wen,
back on his word A promise was sacred
with him just as much Ia an Indian as
To anyone else. This made them learn q
trust him, TO respect him, and even e
love him, although he was a terrible en-
envy to them. During his last visit {,
Mount Vernon barracks, in Alabama, the
old Apachcs whom he captured i'm Ari
o n ann 20 him and greeted him ant
even embraced him. One of them ono,
told him out in the West that his pcopl,
looked upon him as they Iii,
upon God, as being the soul %
honor and Of truth. They ha,
the utmost belief in everything he did
His honesty was peculiar in its Intensity
He would not even say To a man Il an
glad TO see YOU IL lac did not really fee
glad. In matters Of thought he was slow
cautious, and logical i'm method. and h,
weighed the arguments carefully befor
coming TO a decision. In action he wa
as quick as a flash, with an unerrinI
judgment. General Crook was an Indial
fighter from the beginning of his militar