Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1890-02-25

An Ex-Scout on the Geronimo Campaign
and the Use Of Indian Scouts.

To the Editor Of The EVENING STAR:
would like to indorse the statement made
by Lieut. L. W. v. Kennon before the House
Indian committee. I think for several reasons
Fort Sill or that portion of the country is alto
gether the best place the Apaches could be
sent to. The government has already provided
there q country for them and but little addi-
tional expense would be made in the removal.
The location is as healthy as the country about
San Carlos agency, their former home All
fears Of the Indians attempting to return to
their old stamping grounds are baseless, for they
know they have everything to lose and nothing
to gain by such an undertaking, as every other
tribe has learned.
GEN. cBooK's TEACHING.
Gen. Crook taught the Touto, White Noun
tain and San Carlos Apaches, Yumos and
Mojavas that lesson, and at last the Chirica-
huas LEARNED that they could not con-
tinue their depredations unpublished. He
brought about the understanding between the
United States and Mexico by which our troops
were permitted to follow the Indians across the
border and not allow them to rest, recruit their
stock or make permanent camps in the noun
talns Tor their women and children. Then,
although they had q vast mountain country to
run over, they knew they must surrender
or sooner Or later be exterminated. They
learned the lesson from the fairest officer to
both Indian and white man that ever knew or
served with in the field. During the campaign
which resulted in the surrender Of the Chiri-
cahuas to Gen. Crook in Old Mexico, in 1885,
he did not use Chiricahuas for scouts and had
only two with him, To-clou and Po-nal-tish by
name, who proved true and faithful to the trust
imposed in them, returning to San Carlos after
the surrender.
WHAT LIEUT.. LAKEWOOD OR INTERPRETER wRAT-
I'm MIGHT TELL.
A civilian, not in government employ, smug-
gled whisky into the camp and was thus the
cause of the thirty-six men, women and chill
dren slipping away in the night. These were
the only hostiles when Gen. Miles assumed
command Of the department, Gen. Crook hav-
ing by his own request some time previous to
the surrender been relieved. II the commit
tee desire to know more Of the surrender of the
last small batch Of Apaches they should call
for the evidence Of Lieut.. Gatewood Of the
sixth cavalry, or George Wratton, now inter-
prefer at Mount Vernon, who thoroughly under
stands the Apache language, and are the men
who with the scouts were the means of bring
ing about the surrender of this last band Of
hostiles, being entitled to some of the credit
given to Gen. Miles and Col Lawton.
As to Indian scouts have used them many
years against hostiles, and although have put
them to the hardest trials Of endurance when
they were hungry and thirsty never had them
refuse to do what asked; and there has never
been campaign in the west against hosties in
which Indian scouts have not been successfully
handled by men who understood them. Gen
Crook knew that an Indian can find an Indian
quicker than white man can, and myself and
many others have reason to thank Indian
scouts for our lives. I am no lover Of the In
dams, for have lost relatives and friends at
their hands and have followed them good
many years to subdue them; have studied
them as a man might study a setter dog, to
learn their habits and peculiarities, SO could
handle them with success, Indian against In
dian, and we have proved that it can be done.
Give them credit where they deserve it, for
there is good and bad among them all, as have
found in years Of experience.
FRANK p. BENNETT,
Ex-Chief Scouts for Arizona and New Mexico,