Arizona weekly journal-miner., 1894-05-16

A pretended historical biogradhi-
 cal sketch of General Nelson A. Miles
 appeared recently in Los Angeles
 paper, which is the neatest piece of
 romancing which has appeared for a
 long time. General Miles would not
 recognize himself from the word
 picture given in this brief story.
 His worst enemy could not have
 said anything meaner about him,
 calculated to hold him up to public
 derision as much as this romantic
 hattery of him. Among very many
 other absurd things said about him,
 this biographor tells, in very
 graphle style. how General Miles led
 his command through the boiling
 sun across the hot and parched
 sands of an Arizona desert, with no
 apparel on but under clothing in
 the pursuit aad capture of Gero-
 uimo. The truth of the matter is
 that the pursuit and capture of
 Geronimo was done over rugged
 a id mountainous country, his cap
 ture being effected by General
 Crook. Geronimo's surrender to
 General Crook was a conditional
 one, and 1t was stipulated that he
 should be moved out of the territory
 and not be turned over to the civil authorities for trial for murder.
 When General Crook reported the conditions to the War Department, the authorities refused to accept
 the conditions, and there was noth- ing honorable left for him to do but
 to release him, and, at his own re- quest, he was relieved of the com
 mand of this department. General
 Miles succeeded him. He estab- lished his headquarters at Bowie and sent messengers out informing Geronimo that he would grant him
 the same conditions of surrender that the war department had de uied
 him through General Crook. I here was no pursuit and capture, and instead of the conditions. portrayed in the sketch referred to of General.I Miles leading his troops, the depart ment commander never left his quarters at Bowie a dozen miles. Geronimo came to him, and he hus- tied him without delay to Fort Marion, in direct opposition to the orders of the war department. For this piece of work, General Mics, it has always been said, was severely reprimanded by the war depart meut, and only through the strong influence of personal friends, in high position, was he saved more serious consequences. The above is the simple, unvarnished truth of the capture of Geronimo. There were no burning sands traversed, ! under boiling sun, by troops, clad l only in under clothes, led by Gen. eral Miles, to effect 1t. It was a l bold stroke, it is true, on his part to l transport the murderous Geronimo | against the order of the war de part ] ment, and it showed that he was willing to take the consequences of | his act. The territory has always | felt grateful to him for relieving it | of Geronimo and his baYl oi cut tIroats, but there are hundreds of citizens in the territory who neveri have, do not now, and never will i approve of the manner in which the i friends of General Miles, appar- ently with his approval, have always endeavored to ma nifty his deeds by attempting to belittle those of General Crook, fellow soldier, whose bravery, courage and wisdom as an Indian fighter has never been excelled by any other soldier in this pr any other country. Arizona has a kindly feeling for General Miles Tor the service he rendered. but it condemns the unjust criticisms of lis friends, prompted by jealousy, If General Crook, the best and ruest friend the territory has ever lad, and who memory will ever be 'aerediy revered by every true Arizonan.