The Brunswick times. [volume] (Brunswick, Ga.) 188?-1900, 1897-04-18


lead of Geronimo and Natchez, broke
from the reservation and fled to the
Sierra Madre. Captain Crawford, the
fittest man by reason Of his long expert
ence in command of the American patrol
ON the Mexican border, volunteered to
lead the pursuit in the mountains, and
he kept the field in Arizona and Sonora
constantly from May, 1885, until Jan.
IL, 1886, when he was killed by Mexi-
can irregulars, who attacked his camp
just after he had thrashed the savages
and arranged for negotiations for peace.
Geronimo offered to surrender on
terms which the government refused to
accept, and General Crook asked to be
relieved General Nelson A. Miles, the
hero of the Nez Perce campaign of 1877,
then appeared in Arizona for the express
purpose Of bringing Geronimo to his
senses. To show his contempt for the
new white chief the renegade sailed
forth from his mountains and swept
over Sonora and southern Arizona ON a
raid of slaughter and plumber. Adopting
Crooks methods, Miles organized a
picked force of whites and Indians and
put them on the fresh trail. The pursuit
lasted from May until September, and
soldiers who had served in India and
South Africa described it as the roughcs
warfare they had ever engaged ia The
heat often reached 1870 degrees F., and
the foot soldiers marched in their under
clothing. The roughness of the country
made cavalry pursuit impossible, and
the rations for the men were carried on
pack mules. The trail wound among the
rugged mountains and deep canyons Of
Sonora, and att point 800 miles beyond
the international boundary Geronimo
and Natchez, with all their tawny fol-
lowing, surrendered. Between the
deaths of Cushing, i'll 1871, and Craw-
ford, in 1886, a score of hideous massa-
ores and countless individual murders
had blackened the record of these Chi
ricahua Apaches.
Judge then Of the matchless nerve
and courage of the soldier who forced
his way alone into Geronimo's presence
when surrounded by his braves and
dared him to do his worst, while at the
same time urging him to bury the
Ratchet.
The last hunt was led by Captain W.
Ell. Lawton, Fourth cavalry, vigorous
Indian fighter who believed in making
war to kill. He was a war veteran. His
band consisted of picked men, and after
a long march trailed the Chiricahuas
under Geronimo and Natchez to their
stronghold i'll the Sierra Madre. Lieu
tenant Gatewood was sent forward to
reconnoiter, and, if possible, by means
of friendlies, find out Geronimo's state
of mind and plans. This willy Indian
had led checkered life and was typic-
al Ishmael of the plains. He had been
half civilized, had some education, was
bold and INSCRIPTIONS, distrusted and
hated often by his own and always at
war with the whites.
Into his hostile and bristling camp
Gatewood, with an intrepidity unex-
celled i'll the annals of any kind of war
fare against savages, one day walked
unarmed with two guides, who were In
dians and belonged to Geronimo's tribe.
1t was the only way to get face to face
with Geronimo, and was a life and
death venture. Geronimo was astound-
ed, and his usually fierce and threaten
ing countenance was covered with an
incredulous, still sinister smile Gate
wood put up one hand, laid down his
carbine and in Mexican said, "Of course
am in your power and you can kill me
if you like, but perhaps you had better
hear me first and see if it is to your in
terest to do so. "
Suspicious, vengeful and yet curious
as to this unaccountable temerity, &C.
ronimo sullenly granted assent, and the
two sat down upon the trunk of fallen
tree. Gatewood then deliberately I'M