The Helena independent. [volume] (Helena, Mont.) 1875-1943, 1891-04-05
The Great Indian Fighter Described by
Captain BOErke.

The Great indian Fighter Described by
Captain Bourke.
At the date of which / am now writing
Gen. Crook was an ideal soldier in every
sense, writes Capt. Bourke in the Century.
He'stood about six feet in his stockings,
was straight rs an arrow, BROAD, shouldered,
1.-the sinewy as a cat, and able to bear any
amount of any kind of fatigue. 1t mattered
not in what guise vicissitudes and priva-
tons came, they never seemed to affect
him. Hunger and thirst, rain or sunshine,
snow and cold, the climbing up or down of
rugged, slippery mountains, or the mono
tonous march, day after day, along deserts
bristling with spines of the cactus, Spanish
b%ayonet, mescal, and palo verde-his placid
equanimity was never disturbed in the
slightest degree. He was Mt that period of
his life o of taking his rifle and wander
ing off on his trusty mule alone in the
mountains. At sunset he would picket his
mule to a mesquit bush near grass, make a
little fire, cook some of the game he had
killed, erect a little wind break of brush
and fiat stones such as the Indians make,
cut an armful of twigs for Il bed, wrap him
self up IN his blanket and sleep until the
first peep of dawn.
You ask me to tell you about Indians,''
said an old Apache chief, whom l was Dor
ing about some chronological matter-''go
to the Nantan tthe c~hief-Crook's name
abbreviated:) he'll tell you. He's more of
an Indian than 1 am"
But Crook did not 90 ON 'tizwin'' sprees
like the Apaohes; he never touched stimu-
lants in any form unless it might be some
fhipu mao NrihaJ lS, II vbrs,,,op. lo ,,.,,..
drank coffee II rarely tasted tea. Milk
was his favorite beverage when he could get
it, and pure water when no could not.
His personal appearance was impressive,
but without the slightest suggestion of the
pompous and overdrssssd military man; he
was plain as al old stick, and looked more
like an honest country squire than the
commander of u warlike expedition. He
had blue-gray eyes, quick and penetrating
in glance, u finely chiseled Roman nose, a
firm and yet kindly mouth. u we'll arched
head, u good brow, nnd u general express
sion of indomitable resolution, honest pur-
pose. sagacity IL good Intentions. He
had an aversion to wearing uniform and to
the glitter and tiligreo of the military pro-
fession. He was essentially u man of ac-
tion and spoke but little and to the point,
but was fond of listening to the conversa-
tion of others. He was at all times a~cressi-
BILE to the humblest soldier or the poorest
"'prospector." without ever losing Il certain
dignity which repelled familiarity. but had
no semblance OF haughtiness. He never
used profanity and INDUCED in no equivo-
cal language.
Probably no officer of equal rank in our
army issued fewer orders or letters of in-
structions. Example is always the best
general order" he said to me once when we
were seated side by side on a fallen log in
the lower Powder valley, Montana, in a
most exasperatings"sdrizzle OF rain in the
summer of 1876. 1t certainly was true of
in Arizona, and no officer or
hesitated to endure any hardship
when he saw the commanding general at
the head of the column eating the same ra-
lions rs himself, and not carrying on ough
extra clothing to wad a shotgun. There is
one character in American history whom
Crook, saving his better education and
broader experience, very strongly resern-
bled, and that il Daniel Boone.